Baked Cod with Herbs Lemon (Printable version)

Tender cod baked with fresh herbs and lemon slices for a light, flavorful meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Fish

01 - 4 skinless, boneless cod fillets (5.3 oz each)

→ Fresh Herbs & Aromatics

02 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
03 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
04 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
05 - 2 garlic cloves, minced

→ Citrus & Seasonings

06 - 1 large lemon, thinly sliced
07 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
08 - 1 teaspoon sea salt
09 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Optional

10 - 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained

# How to Prepare:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to hold the fillets in a single layer.
02 - Pat cod fillets dry and place them evenly in the prepared baking dish.
03 - Drizzle olive oil over the fillets, then sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper, minced garlic, parsley, dill, and chives.
04 - Layer lemon slices over and around the cod. Scatter capers on top if using.
05 - Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until cod is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
06 - Serve immediately, spooning pan juices over the fillets.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • The fish cooks through perfectly in under twenty minutes, so weeknight dinners actually feel manageable instead of another scramble.
  • Those lemon slices do all the heavy lifting flavor-wise, so you can feel fancy without spending an hour in the kitchen.
  • It's the kind of meal that looks impressive enough for guests but honest enough that you'd make it just for yourself on a quiet night.
02 -
  • Don't skip patting the fish dry or you'll end up with steamed rather than baked cod, which changes everything about the texture and how the herbs adhere.
  • Watch the oven timer closely at the eighteen-minute mark because overcooking fish by just a few minutes turns it from tender to tough in a way that's impossible to fix.
  • If your oven runs hot, start checking at fifteen minutes—every oven is different, and there's no shame in adjusting.
03 -
  • Keep your lemon slices thin so they cook all the way through and lose their bitterness, staying just on the edge of caramelized.
  • Taste your salt before the fish goes in the oven—it's the moment when you can actually adjust seasoning, and catching it then means you don't have to compensate later.
  • If you find yourself with extra pan juices, pour them into a small container and use them on salads or roasted vegetables for days afterward.

Go Back