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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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!?