When it comes to easy, impressive seafood dinners, it’s hard to imagine anything better than a dish where you literally pile all the ingredients on top of each other then bake it. That’s essentially what this Mediterranean Baked Cod is. And it is good!
A beautiful piece of cod (though smaller fillets are just fine) is topped with a mix of tomatoes, black and green olives, garlic, onion, oregano, and olive oil. Add some fresh lemon zest to brighten up the flavors, and you’ve got yourself one fancy (but simple!) dinner. Not only is our Mediterranean baked cod delicious — it’s infused with all the flavors of the tomato olive relish! — but it’s pretty healthy too.
If you love the simplicity of this recipe, give our Salmon en Papillote or Salmon Escabeche a try next.
Ingredient Notes
- Cod fillets: You can use fresh or frozen, but if you go with frozen cod, make sure to thaw it overnight in a fridge, then pat dry with paper towels before cooking.
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper: To season everything!
- Extra virgin olive oil:
- Cherry or grape tomatoes, halved:
- Olives: We like to use a mix of Kalamata olives and Castelvetrano olives, but you can use whichever you like.
- Red onion, thinly sliced: This become sweeter as they cook!
- Garlic: For a little garlicky heat.
- Red wine vinegar: This helps to balance the flavors of the relish.
- Dried oregano: This adds a ton of great flavor to the baked white fish.
- Fresh lemon zest and (optional) lemon slices: If you like just a little lemon flavor, use only the zest. For a more robust and acidic recipe, use lemon slices as well.
- Fresh parsley: This gets sprinkled on top just before serving.
You’ll also want a large baking dish that will fit either one large piece of cod or a few smaller cod fillets.
How To Select A Piece Of Cod
- Color: The fish should be white with no darkened areas. If you see specks of white (as shown below) that is residual skin from where the fish monger cut the skin off.
- Smell: The fillets should smell clean, and not have a fishy scent to them.
- Texture: Cod should be firm, but not look overly dry.
Use fresh cod within 2 days of bringing home from the store. If freezing, store in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months. Defrost or thaw overnight before cooking.
How To Cook Cod
Preheat an oven to 425F, then place the seasoned cod fillet in a large baking dish. If you’re sensitive to lemon, you can omit the lemon slices.
Mix the tomato and olive relish ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Pour this directly on top of the cod. Transfer to the preheated oven, then bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the cod reaches 140F. Note that the temperature will continue to rise as it rests.
We recommend the Thermapen MK4 to check for doneness on all meats!
Serve immediately with chopped fresh parsley and lemon wedges!
How To Serve
You could enjoy this with crispy roasted potatoes, over rice, or simply with baguette for enjoying leftover relish. If, however, you want a more substantial vegetable side dish, try one of the following:
- Blistered Haricots Verts
- Roasted Broccolini or Oven Roasted Broccoli
- Crispy Roasted Brussel Sprouts
- Accidental Vegan Roasted Vegetable Salad
- Green Bean Salad
FAQs
Any flaky white fish would be great in this recipe, such as haddock, hake, black sea bass, or pollock.
Cooked seafood has a shorter shelf life than many other proteins. We recommend enjoying within 3 days. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Absolutely! Think of this as a starting point. Other Mediterranean-inspired ingredients might include sun dried tomatoes, jarred artichoke hearts, or a bit of feta cheese after the fish has cooked.
Wine Pairings!
Enjoy this Mediterranean baked cod with a light, acidic Loire Valley Sancerre. If you prefer Sauvignon Blanc from somewhere else, go for it. We tend not to reach for New Zealand SB… This is also fantastic, however, with a Provence style rosé.
For a red wine that won’t overwhelm the flavors of the tomato and olive topping, go with a light to medium bodied Pinot Noir.
If you make this Mediterranean Baked Cod recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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Other Cod Recipes You Might Like:
Baked Cod With Panko Pan Fried Fish Cakes With Cod Butter Poached Cod Miso Cod Grilled Fish Tacos
Tender, Flaky Mediterranean Baked Cod Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs cod fillets either one large or 4-6 individual fillets
- 1½ tsp Kosher salt divided
- ¼ tsp Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 medium lemon zested, plus another if you want to slice them into rounds
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes halved, about 1½-2 cups
- 1½ cups Kalamata olives or Castelvetrano olives, or a mix of the two, pitted and halved
- ½ medium red onion thinly sliced into half moons
- 3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Fresh parsley for serving
- Lemon wedges for serving, optional
Instructions
- Season the cod fillet. Preheat an oven to 425F. Pat the fish dry with paper towels, then season on both sides with 1 tsp Kosher salt and ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper. Place the seasoned fillet inside a baking dish, then drizzle with 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Sprinkle on the reserved lemon zest.
- Make the tomato and olive relish. In a medium bowl, combine halved tomatoes, olives, thinly sliced red onion, and garlic cloves. Drizzle with remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar, then season with 1 tsp dried oregano and ½ tsp Kosher salt. Toss well, then pour on top of the cod.
- Bake the cod. Bake the fish for 15-18 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches around 140F (this will continue to rise as it rests). Serve immediately with fresh parsley and lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
- Leftovers: Cooked seafood has a shorter shelf life than many other proteins. We recommend enjoying within 3 days. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Cod: If you can’t find cod, try using haddock, hake, sea bass, or pollock.
Sounds amazing!! Can I prep entire dish and keep in fridge for a couple hours before cooking??
Yes, absolutely! Just let it sit at room temp for 15-20 minutes before baking to ensure the cook time is accurate. Otherwise, you might have to leave it in the oven a few minutes longer. Enjoy! xo, Ari
This was delicious. I did brown the relish for 25 minutes first then added the fish and baked it for 20 minutes longer, adding some crumbled feta for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Nice dish for company! Thank you for the recipe!
Feta sounds like a fantastic addition! Yum! xo, Ari
Let me start off by saying that I’m NOT a big fish lover, that being said….this dish was deeeelicious! The flavor combination of the olives, garlic, lemon & onions really did some amazing things to the cod. I could still taste the cod & was pleasantly surprised how much I liked it! The only addition I made was adding crushed red pepper flakes to the tomato & olive relish for some heat.
Meant to give it 5 stars but my dang fingers slipped lol
Love this feedback, thank you so much! Bet the red pepper flakes added a nice little heat! xo, Ari
This is without a doubt one of the all time great fish recipes. My friends and family ask for it regularly. I use halibut because that’s what I have in my freezer. Please try this recipe!!!
I’m so glad to hear this, Carol! Thank you for the feedback! xo, Ari