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Best Baked Cod Fish Recipe

Published: Mar 30, 2018 · Modified: Apr 19, 2022 by Steven Pennington · This post may contain affiliate links.

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Cod Fish oven-roasted is delicate in texture with filets that create flaky layers that everyone loves. It's perfect for any occasion, whether you're hosting an elegant dinner party or wanting to cook up something quick and easy.

Success comes from using the proper techniques. Cooking fish might be one of the most challenging proteins to cook correctly. Baked Cod Fish can be a very easy weeknight dinner plan.

⬇️ Table of Contents
  • 🐟 About Cod Fish
  • 📖 How To Bake Cod Fish In The Oven
  • 🔪 Instructions
  • 👪 Cod Fish Serving Per Person
  • ⏲️ How Long To Bake Cod Chart
  • 💭 How To Tell Cod Fish Is Cooked?
  • 📖 Recipe Card
Golden brown baked cod fish on white plate with avocado crema
Oven-Baked Cod Fish W/ Avocado Cream
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🥘 INGREDIENTS

  • 4 Filets Cod Fish 4oz / 5oz
  • 2 Tablespoon Honey Mustard or favorite mustard (substitute: soy sauce)
  • 1 Tablespoon Sea Salt
  • 1 teaspoon White Pepper optional
  • Old Bay Optional - To Taste

AVOCADO CREMA

  • 2 Avocado
  • 2 Tablespoons Half & Half or Whole Milk
  • 1 ½ teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon Creole Seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon Sea Salt

🐟 About Cod Fish

The cod is a saltwater fish that is commonly found in the Northern Atlantic and the Pacific. It travels in large schools and eats shrimp, squid, worms, crabs, clams, and snails.

The Genus: Gadus belongs to the Gadidae family, which includes species such as halibut, sole, flounder, or turbot, among others.


It can grow up to 6 feet long -- yet usually is about 1 to 2 feet when caught.
The cod has white meat with a butter texture. Most people cook it by baking or frying.

📖 How To Bake Cod Fish In The Oven

Shopping, if possible, select wild-caught Cod Fish. The overall favor is better from the fish-eating a natural diet in the wild.

When was the last time you checked the temperature of your oven? Test it with a temperature probe, place it in the middle of the oven, then set your oven to 400 degrees.

Pick one up at your grocery store for a few dollars. You might be surprised what you find out. Most ovens are not exactly on temperature.

🔪 Instructions

Step 1

Shopping for cod, look for thick-cut filets that come from the mid-section of the fish. Buying thick filets will help protect the cod while roasting.

Step 2

Inspect the Cod, looking for any pin bones that the fishmonger might have missed. Use kitchen or even self-care tweezers to remove.

Step 3

Give the fish the sniff test. The Cod should smell clean, fresh, and of the ocean. If you smell a very strong fish aroma, the odds are very good the fish filet has expired. Tip: Non-frozen fish lasts up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Step 4

Prepare the Cod Fish by first seasoning the fish with sea salt and white pepper, making sure to season on all sides. Black pepper will ruin the presentation, so skip the pepper if you do not have any white pepper.

Next, paint on the honey mustard, you can switch it to soy sauce if you do not like mustard. I will often this advice when mustard is cooked the favor tastes almost nothing like raw. Add some old bay seasoning to taste. Less is more in this case.

Step 5

To oven roast, the Cod Fish, move the roasting rack to the middle of the oven to promote even cooking.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit / 204°Celsius. Oven-roasted Cod prepared using high heat prevents drying out and preserves moisture. The reasoning is restaurant chefs know that longer cook times inevitably lead to sacrificing tenderness for crispiness.

Cook the Cod Fish in a casserole baking, use glass if possible. Cover the bakeware with olive oil to ensure the fish does not stick.

The Cod will roast and create a beautiful golden brown crust on the presentation side. The natural sugars in the honey mustard caramelize while baking. Be warned, that the soy sauce does not cook to a golden brown.

👪 Cod Fish Serving Per Person

The suggested serving portion is 5 to 6 inches in length and weighs around 6oz.

Full length cod filet showing black lines sections of 5 ounce servings per person

⏲️ How Long To Bake Cod Chart

The baking chart is based on cod filets 5 to 6 inches in length and weighing around 6oz.

Baking times will vary depending on the size and thickness

Number of Pieces Of CodFilet - Size/InchesCook Time
1 Piece of Cod5 to 6 inches8 to 10 minutes
2 Pieces of Cod5 to 6 inches 12 to 15 minutes
3 Pieces of Cod5 to 6 inches 16 to 19 minutes
4 Pieces of Cod5 to 6 inches 20 to 24 minutes
5 to 6 Pieces of Cod 5 to 6 inches 22 to 25 minutes

The number of minutes needed to bake Cod Fish increases due to the volume of protein being added to the oven.

💭 How To Tell Cod Fish Is Cooked?

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) guideline for cooking fish states an internal temperature of 145 °F (62.8 °C). You can read more about fish safety here. (USDA-FISH)

A very important point of consideration when cooking any fish is the carryover cooking that happens from when you take the Cod out of the oven to when it is served and eaten.

For example, dinner tonight will be 4 baked pieces of Cod, each piece 6 inches in length.

True to False? If 4 pieces of Cod Fish have been baked for 20 minutes. Is the Cod done and ready to be removed from the oven and served?

Answer: Maybe? What's the internal temperature of the fish? Are you sure?

How do you know for sure the fish's internal temperature reached 145 °F (62.8 °C)? Answer: The use of a thermometer probe to check the internal temperature.

Chef Notes: If you remove the fish from the oven at 145 °F (62.8 °C) internal temperature the fish will be overcooked. Why? Answer: Carryover cooking...

Every time you remove protein from the oven the internal temperature continues to increase/rise, it simply does not stop cooking just because it was removed from the heat.

Tip: Remove the Cod Fish at (140°F / 60°C) internal temp to achieve (145°F / 62.8°C). This counterbalances the carryover cooking. The carryover cooking time will finish the remaining 5 degrees.

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📖 Recipe Card

Bake cod fish recipe

Baked Cod Fish Recipe

Steven Pennington
Chef step by step tutorial to moist golden brown cod fish
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Classic French, Mediterranean

Suggested Equipment

Cookie Sheet
1 Food Safe Paint Brush used to apply the mustard

Ingredients
 

  • Cod Fish (4oz / 5oz) 4 Filets
  • Honey Mustard (or favorite mustard (substitute: soy sauce)) 1 Tablespoon
  • Sea Salt 2 teaspoons
  • White Pepper (optional) ½ teaspoon
  • Old Bay (optional) 1 teaspoon

Avocado Crema

  • Avocado 2
  • Shallot 2 teaspoon
  • Half & Half ( or Whole Milk) 2 Tablespoons
  • Apple Cider Vinegar 1 ½ teaspoon
  • Creole Seasoning ½ teaspoon
  • Lime 1
  • Sea Salt ½ teaspoon

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Move the oven rack to the middle position. This will promote even cooking of the fish.
  • Inspect the Cod for any pins bones. Remove any you find with kitchen tweezers or personal care tweezers.
  • Pat the Cod dry using a paper towel. This is very important to allow the fish to take on color from the roasting. Wet or moist fish will only steam in the oven.
  • The Cod should still have a chill on it from the refrigerator when it goes into the oven to roast, but not refrigerator cold.
  • Start seasoning the Cod Fish with sea salt and white pepper, making sure to cover all sides. Then paint on the honey mustard, followed by a sprinkling Old Bay seasoning. Use as little or as much as you enjoy.
  • Next, place the Cod into a casserole baking dish covered with olive oil. This will ensure the fish will not stick.
    Make sure to not place the fish exactly next to each other. Place the fish about 3 inches apart.
  • How Long To Bake Cod Fish:
    The baking chart is based on cod filets 5 to 6 inches in length and weighs around 6oz.
    Baking times will vary depending on the size and thickness of your fish filets.
    1 Piece of Cod - (5 to 6 inches in length) Bake 8 to 10 minutes
    2 Pieces of Cod - (5 to 6 inches in length) Bake 12 to 15 minutes
    3 Pieces of Cod - (5 to 6 inches in length) Bake 16 to 19 minutes
    4 Pieces of Cod - (5 to 6 inches in length) Bake 20 to 24 minutes
    5 or 6 Pieces of Cod - (5 to 6 inches in length) Bake 22 to 25 minutes
  • How To Know When The Cod Is Cooked:
    The USDA (Department of Agriculture) states an internal temperature of 145 °F (62.8 °C)
    How do you know for sure the fish's internal temperature reached 145 °F (62.8 °C)?
    The use of a thermometer probe to check the temperature.
    If you remove the fish from the oven at 145 °F (62.8 °C) internal temperature the fish will be overcooked.
    Why? Answer: Carryover cooking...
    Chef Tip: Every time you remove protein from the oven the internal temperature continues to increase. Remove the Cod Fish at (140°F / 60°C) internal temp to achieve 145 °F (62.8 °C) once the carryover cooking completes.
    There comes a point of diminishing return when increasing the cooking time and all ovens cook differently. Think, less time is better until you get the hang of cooking the desired number of pieces of Cod in your oven.
    Just keep an eye on it. You can use your fingers to lightly press the Cod and see hows the cook is going in the oven. Should feel somewhat firm with a little spring when coming out of the oven.

How To Make Avocado Crema

  • Slice and remove the avocado pit.
    Add chopped shallot to a food processor and pulse a few times to break up the shallot. Then add the avocado along with the half & half, apple cider vinegar, salt and creole seasoning. Combine until smooth. Add more half & half if needed.
    Blend together, take a taste, then add the lime juice to taste.

Notes

Professional Level Cooking Tip:
The sooner you begin using this tip the sooner you'll become a Pro at using it. The tip comes from the world-famous chef Eric Ripert of the restaurant Le Bernardin.
To test the doneness of fish, insert a long thin metal rod into the thick of the fish filet. Allow the metal rod to take on the temperature of the fish's internal temperature. Then remove the metal rod and place it on your chin to feel the temperature. 
Over time you'll learn what "Done" feels like. 
  • Cod fish, also known as Atlantic saltwater cod, has many names, including Mother of Fish, Saltfish, and Sea Chicken.
  • Its scientific name is "Gadus morhua". It belongs to the family "Gadidae," Order "Gonorynchiformes," and Class "Pisces."
  • This fish's main geographical distribution includes Norwegian coasts, the Baltic Sea, North Atlantic (North America), etc. You can find it in water bodies which are not more than 200 meters deep.
  • Its average life span is 20 years in nature.
  • This fish feeds mainly on smaller fish like herrings.
  • It spawns 450000 eggs every year.
  • Its non-edible parts include the head, bones, and skin.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Baked Cod Fish Recipe
Serving Size
 
1 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
175
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
2.4
g
4
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
0.7
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
1.7
g
Cholesterol
 
74
mg
25
%
Sodium
 
268
mg
12
%
Protein
 
18
g
36
%
Iron
 
3.5
mg
19
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Keyword baked cod fish, Oven roasted Cod
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  1. Martha Dackowski

    October 05, 2021 at 12:53 pm

    5 stars
    Just found this site. I follow, for health reasons, the Mediterranean Diet way of eating (woe). As a retired senior, I am always looking for delicious recipes for one. This is one! I.had already bought a small, thinning cod filet before I found/read this recipe and tips. I was hesitant about the honey mustard also so I used somewhat sparingly. Cooked in my toaster oven and it was delious!!! Can't wait to do again with a thicker, center cut, filet. Even if you are not an avid fan of mustard, I am not, it is delicious!!! Thank you! Looking forward to trying other recipes.

    Reply
    • Steven Pennington

      October 05, 2021 at 10:14 pm

      Most welcome, Martha. Being open-minded with food is a gift. Glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply

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