Mediterranean Baked Cod (Printable)

Tender cod baked alongside tomatoes, olives, and fresh herbs for a flavorful Mediterranean meal.

# What You Need:

→ Fish

01 - 4 cod fillets (about 5.3 oz each), skinless and boneless
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

04 - 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
06 - 3 garlic cloves, minced

→ Olives & Flavorings

07 - 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
08 - 2 tablespoons capers, drained
09 - Zest of 1 lemon
10 - Juice of 1/2 lemon

→ Herbs

11 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
12 - 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped, plus extra for garnish
13 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano

→ To Serve

14 - Lemon wedges

# Steps:

01 - Preheat your oven to 400°F.
02 - Pat the cod fillets dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
03 - Lightly oil a large baking dish and arrange the cod fillets in a single layer.
04 - In a medium bowl, combine the cherry tomatoes, red onion, minced garlic, Kalamata olives, drained capers, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, basil, dried oregano, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss gently until well combined.
05 - Spoon the tomato-olive mixture evenly over and around the cod fillets in the prepared baking dish.
06 - Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the cod is opaque and flakes easily when tested with a fork.
07 - Remove from the oven, garnish with additional fresh basil, and serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The fish comes out impossibly tender and flaky without requiring any fancy technique, just honest baking.
  • Everything happens in one dish, which means less cleanup and more time to actually enjoy your dinner.
  • It tastes like you spent hours in a Mediterranean kitchen when you really invested maybe fifteen minutes of actual work.
02 -
  • Don't skip drying the fish—moisture is the enemy of even cooking, and wet fillets will steam rather than bake gently.
  • The capers need to be drained properly or their briny liquid will overpower everything else, so really squeeze them dry before adding them to the mixture.
03 -
  • Let your fish come closer to room temperature before baking so it cooks evenly from edge to center without drying out the outside.
  • Keep some of that lemon juice separate and squeeze it fresh over the dish after it comes out of the oven—raw lemon juice has a brightness that cooked lemon just can't match.
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