This delicious Lemon Pepper Baked Cod Recipe is simple and quick to prepare. With just a handful of spices and fifteen minutes from start to finish, it makes a great weeknight dinner.
Baked Cod with Lemon Pepper
Eating healthy has never been easier with these tender cod fillets. They are a great source of lean protein and healthy fatty acids and are low in calories. Make some for your family today and enjoy the peace of mind that comes from good nutrition. I love to serve this with oven-roasted Parmesan asparagus, sauteed spinach, cilantro lime rice, or roasted cauliflower.
What You Will Need
- Cod – cod fillets or cod loins, preferably wild-caught
- Olive oil – or other fat, like safflower oil or butter
- Spices – lemon pepper, Cajun seasoning, kosher salt, garlic powder, and onion powder
- Garnishes –chopped fresh parsley and lemon wedges
How to make Lemon Pepper Baked Cod
Pat the cod fish dry with paper towels. Then, brush the fish fillets with olive oil. Now combine the lemon pepper, Cajun seasoning, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl or zipper bag. Next, sprinkle the mixture evenly over the filets. Then bake in a baking dish or on a baking sheet in a preheated oven for about ten minutes or until the fish turns opaque and flakes easily at its thickest point. Serve with fresh lemon wedges.
Recipe Tips
- If possible, buy wild-caught cod filets or loins. They are less susceptible to disease and illness than farm-raised cod.
- This flavor-packed cod is on the slightly spicy side. If your taste buds are sensitive, cut back on the Cajun seasoning.
- For added flavor and moisture, cook with lemon slices and serve with lemon wedges.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Baked fish is best enjoyed promptly; however, you can reheat the baked fish in a 275-degree oven wrapped in an aluminum foil tent for about 10 minutes or until warm. I do not recommend freezing baked fish.
How to Properly Thaw Fish
- The safest method is removing frozen fish from the freezer and thawing it in the refrigerator overnight. For best practices and safety, remove the fish from the vacuum-sealed packaging, place it in a zipper bag, and thaw it in the fridge overnight.
- Do not thaw fish on the counter.
- Please do not thaw fish in warm water. Use only cold water, and change it every 30 minutes. Cook the fish promptly after using this method.
- Do not refreeze fish that was previously frozen and thawed.
- If the fish is thawed in the refrigerator, use it within 1-2 days. If the fish is thawed using the cold bowl method listed above, then cook promptly.
What to serve with Baked Cod
- Steamed or roasted broccoli
- Fresh asparagus
- A simple garden salad
- Angel hair pasta with garlic and Parmesan
- Mushroom risotto
- Vegetable medley
- Zucchini gratin
Frequently Asked Questions
Other fish substitutes for this recipe include salmon, haddock, pollack, grouper, and Mahi Mahi.
It is important not to overcook fish as it can become dry and chewy. A general rule of thumb is 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Cod is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees. This can easily be checked with an instant-read thermometer.
If you wait too long and need to thaw frozen fish quickly, remove it from the vacuum-sealed packaging and place it in a zipper-sealed bag. Place the bagged fish in a bowl of cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes to ensure that it stays cold. Remove the fish from the cold water as soon as it thaws, and cook it promptly. Store the thawed fish in the refrigerator while you get the ingredients together, or preheat a grill.
More Seafood Recipes
Lemon Pepper Baked Cod
Ingredients
- 4 cod fillets or cod loins about 8 ounces each
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- Chopped fresh parsley
- Lemons for garnish and juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Pat the cod fish very dry with paper towels. Place the fish fillets on the baking sheet and brush them with olive oil.
- Combine the lemon pepper, Cajun seasoning, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl or zipper bag. Sprinkle evenly over the filets.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork at its thickest point.
- Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley. Serve with fresh lemon wedges or spritz with fresh lemon juice.
Notes
- If at all possible, buy wild-caught cod. They are not as susceptible to disease and illness as farm-raised cod.
- This flavor-packed cod is on the slightly spicy side. If your taste buds are sensitive, cut back on the Cajun seasoning a little bit.
- It is important not to overcook fish as it can become dry and chewy. A general rule of thumb is 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Cod is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees. This can easily be checked with an instant-read thermometer.
- For added flavor and moisture, cook with lemon slices and serve with lemon wedges.
- Other fish substitutes for this recipe include salmon, haddock, pollack, grouper, and Mahi Mahi.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Baked fish is best enjoyed promptly; however, you can reheat the baked fish in a 275-degree oven wrapped in an aluminum foil tent for about 10 minutes or until warm. I do not recommend freezing baked fish.
Nutrition
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https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
Karen
This was very good!! I can’t figure out how it is over 700 calories though?
Beth Pierce
I fixed it. My crew had it in there wrong. Check it out now.
Janice Linenberger
Very tasty recipe.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Janice!
George Lucas
Oh my gosh, this baked cod was so delicious and so easy to make. I love it! It baked up flaky and tender with tons of flavor. I am sure I could use this same recipe with a lot of other fish.
Beth Pierce
It works well with salmon, haddock, pollack, grouper, and Mahi Mahi.
Sadie W
This is the best baked cod recipe. You are right Cajun seasoning does not make it hot, it just makes it so flavorful! I am glad that I found this recipe before lent. I will use it several times! Thanks!
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome, Sadie!
Larry
I think this is my favorite cod recipe. The fish cooks up perfectly every time with the perfect balance of flavors from lemon and Cajun seasonings. I bet it would be equally delicious with lemon and dill. I have to get all favorite fish recipes in a row, lent is coming.
Beth Pierce
So true, Larry!
Lacey
My husband loved this and let me tell you he is hard to please. The ingredients are already back on the grocery list. Now if I can just get him to clean the garage!
Beth Pierce
I understand completely!
Angela S
This baked cod is delightfully delicious. I never knew it was that easy to bake and season. It put a big smile on my hubby’s face.
Beth Pierce
Glad that you enjoyed it, Angela!
Wanda
Your Lemon Pepper Baked Cod recipe is a delightful and healthy dish that’s perfect for seafood lovers. The combination of zesty lemon and flavorful pepper brings out the best in cod. Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe.
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Wanda!
Margie McGee
We’re the fillets skin on or off?
Beth Pierce
skin off
Elisa
Wow this Lemon Pepper Baked Cod Recipe looks so was delicious and easy to make. This will be on repeat at our house. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Ann
Thanks for this recipe. I bought some cod on sale yesterday and these turned out perfect. Glad that I found your recipe and hit the sale. It was delicious.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Ann! So glad that you liked the cod.
Ned
The combination of the cod and cajun made this so delicious! Thank you so much!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Ned!
Susan
Please nite: Need to make sure the lemon pepper seasoning doesn’t already have salt in it.
Beth Pierce
My lemon pepper does not have salt in it.
Beth Vance
Thank you for the great recipe and even more for the important hints on FOOD SAFETY.
Your “How to properly thaw fish” should be in every cookbook and every cooking website.
I have printed it for myself and to share.
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much, Beth!
Tammy
My mouth is watering! So easy to pull together and so delicious…what a fantastic meal and a nice restart to the new year to get back on track after the holidays!
Claudia Krusch
What a great recipe! Awesome recipe to start the year in a healthy way!
Beth Pierce
I could not agree more!
Chad
I never had lemon pepper backed cod! I love cod, love it! I can’t wait to make your recipe…It is very easy to follow, thank you so much….
Whitney Stewart
I absolutely LOVE lemon pepper chicken, but I never knew you could do with with fish! You better believe I’m going to be trying this out before too long for a taste test! Thank you so much for sharing it!
Theta Young
This was a very fast and easy recipe and the flavor was excellent! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine! So glad that you liked the cod!
Richelle Milar
Wow! This was such a tasty recipe! My whole family really enjoyed it so I will make it again. The Cajun seasoning added such great flavor. Thanks for the great recipe.
Lynndee
We love seafood over here so I printed your recipe. Going to try this next week. Yum!
Beth Pierce
Thanks! Enjoy!
IceCreamnStickyFingers
I’m not a huge fish eater. Mostly due to the fact that I was free caught fish and the ponds/lakes around here have too much mercury in them. If I could, I’d love to go fishing in Colorado though. Fresh trout is always delicious.
Lori A Bosworth
I love fish so I’m always looking for new recipes. This one looks really easy and delicious!
Catalina
Oh my goodness! Now I know what I will make for dinner tonight!
Tammy
I love baked fish and the seasonings for this were so tasty. Thanks for the great recipe.
Jill
This was delicious! The Lemon Pepper or Cajun seasoning I used was salty so I should have omitted the extra salt but thought I would share that lesson along with other readers. Will definitely make this again! Thank you for posting this recipe 🙂
Beth Pierce
Thanks Jill! Glad that you liked it. Thanks for the tip.
Melissa Cushing
I have pinned this recipe and it looks delicious and good for you too! We are incorporating more seafood into our meals and this is a recipe I will be trying soon 😉
Beth Pierce
Thanks! Enjoy!!
Melanie Edjourian
I’ve seen something similar in stores. I can imagine homemade is much tastier. I’d love to try it.
Catalina
Mmmm….. this cod is exactly what I need for dinner! It’s so fancy and easy to make!
Everything Enchanting
Husband and I are cod fish lovers 😍 This recipe was so delicious and easy. We will make it again.
laura
Fish is one of my favorite foods to grill and also bake as well. This recipe was so tasty and is a wonderful dinner idea for my next dinner party. Thanks for sharing this amazing dish.
Richelle Milar
That was absolutely delicious and tasty! So glad that I tried this recipe!
Kathy
This sure does look amazing. I would love to give this a try. I love a lemon pepper flavor too. It sounds so delicious.
Beth Pierce
Thanks! Enjoy Kathy!
Tara Pittman
Fish is one of my favorite foods. I will be making this soon.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Tara! Enjoy!
Amber Myers
This looks like such a flavorful fish. My kids love seafood so I’m sure they’d enjoy the cod.
Sheryl salazar
Great recipe for cod. Low calorie and delicious!!!!!
Using the same recipe you can also grill it and it’s superb.
Beth Pierce
Thanks for the tip. My readers love good tips!
Audrey Jade
I’m assuming to preheat the oven at 375 but besides that this is the quickest way to make a good simple cod. Five stars!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Audrey! So glad that you liked it!
Cindy
Tried it tonight. It was a big hit. Only change we made was we used Haddock instead of cod. Loved it. Thank you. 🙂
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine. I will have to try it with Haddock.
Alyse
I love fish and this recipe will be perfect for my family. The cajun spice might be too much for my daughter.
Can I delete using the cajun spice and do you have an idea for a substitute?
Beth Pierce
I would just omit it. It has a lot of great flavor from the lemon pepper.
Nancy Kinder
I can’t seem to find Cajun seasoning anywhere , I’ve looked all over … I’d really like to find it
Beth Pierce
Both Amazon and Walmart sell it.
kushigalu
drooling over this delicious recipe. Thanks for sharing
Ntensibe Edgar
Lemon on any kind of sea food must taste great! I must try out this lemonated cod, some time! Thanks for sharing.
Mahmuod
Eating healthy has never been more easy with this delicious cod recipe. Thank you for posting this for us to try.
The NerdBae
I’m totally obsessed with cooking since the pandemic and have been trying different recipes. I will definitely add this to the list! It’s healthy and looks simple to cook 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Patricia n Chamberlain
This looks amazing! I love cod. I’ll have to make this soon!
Nyxie
This sounds heavenly. Sadly I’ve lost my sense of smell and taste with COVID and eating anything has been very disappointing. Hasn’t stopped me, mind you, but everything I read about just makes me so jealous.
Abida
The recip was just wow…. Never listened about such an amazing recipe before with lemon! Thanks for sharing
Alice Mola
I LOVE simple recipes like this that have tons of flavor but don’t require me to spend tons of money on specialized ingredients. This is a new panty staple for sure!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Alice! So happy that you liked it!
Kat
I love your recipe! its so easy to follow. This dish is yummy and a healthy choice! Great for the holidays!
Monica
Love your recipes! We eat a lot of fish and I tend to stick to the same thing. I haven’t yet thought of adding Cajun seasoning to the mix and am going to give it a go. Also, thank you for the tips on how to properly thaw fish! I often move it from the freezer to the fridge early in the morning and it is never enough time to fully unfreeze when trying to cook it the same day. I’m going to switch to the night before.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Monica. I hope you enjoy the Cod. Sometimes there is so much to get done in a days time that it is hard to remember everything.
Talya Stone
I love cod and actually was looking for something to do with the cod in my fridge tonight so guess what I’m going to make!?
Nish
This looks delicious and easy as well. Thanks for sharing!
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine!
kushigalu
Love cod and this is one of my favorite flavor combo. SO delicious.
Blair Villanueva
I am reading this blog while thinking about what we should have for dinner, and I thought your recipe will be perfect! Thanks for this awesome update. We just got cod yesterday.
Mae
I love cod with lemon! I have to try this recipe with mashed potatoes!
Thena
Omg! My husband loves to make cod and I love to eat it! I just sent him this recipe. I cant wait for him to make this for me.
briannemanz
This is soo good to serve with roasted cauliflowers. My family loves it
Alita Pacio
This is my all-time favorite. I love the lemon sauce.
Heatherkleinwolf
I’m always looking for fish recipes. This cod sounds great!
Elise Ho
I am working on menu plans this weekend.thank you
Scarlet
This cod was easy to make and tasted superb. I love the lemon sauce on this seafood recipe.
Wanda Lopez
We love fish, especially when seasoned right. Your recipe sounds amazing. I can’t wait to give it a try.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Wanda! I hope you enjoy it!!
Lindsey G
For some reason, cooking fish intimidates me. This looks so easy though – and more importantly, so delicious! I have to try!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Lindsey! Enjoy!!
Michelle
Sometimes cooking fish can be tricky this looks amazing and pretty easy to make. I am sure that my family will love to try this.
Tara Pittman
I like cod fish the best. This is a recipe that I need to try.
Kristen
I usually hate fish but I made this for my family since they all love fish. When I tried it though it was actually really good and had to steal some since I had not got any for myself.
Kara
Served it with some steamed broccoli and it was a big hit. The cajun seasoning is a nice touch, adds a bit of a kick, but not too much for my kids. Yummy!
Kristyn
Love quick, easy, & tasty meals!! Lots of flavor & little ingredients!
Betsy
Delicious. Nice & simple. Perfect weeknight dinner! My kids actually love fish and they LOVE lemon pepper seasoning, too. They are SUPER into this deliciousness!
Lily
I needed a protein to add to my grain bowl and this cod was perfect, juicy, and delicious with tons of flavor!!
Krystle
Flaky and flavorful. Adding this to our fish Friday menu each week!
Cathy
This was so simple and perfect! My whole family loved it!
Erin
This Lemon Pepper Baked Cod looks absolutely delicious! Yummy!
Catalina
I love trying new seafood recipes and this baked cod looks amazing!
Claire
This is amazing! I would love to try this!
Krystle
Full of flavor and so flaky. Thanks for giving me the skills to make fish at home.
Michaela
This is a perfect fish for my family on a weeknight. Quick, easy and delicious!
Lima Ekram
Really in a rush today and found this recipe – you’re right it is just 15 minutes and it is delicious!! Thank you!
Cathleen
I love baked cod, and your recipe sounds perfect! The addition of lemon is making me drool. Bookmarked to make this weekend, thank you so much for the recipe 🙂
Jac
I needed an easy recipe for a few guests I have arriving tomorrow and this one looks ideal. Thanks so much 🙂
Jenn
This simple recipe has my name all over it! I love fish, but cooking it is daunting. You’ve spelled it out for me and I’m going to make it and love it!