Lemon Butter Baked Cod

Tender, flaky baked cod finished with a lemon butter sauce. An easy, elegant dinner that's ready in under 30 minutes.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings servings

Calories 196kcal

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly spray a baking dish with nonstick spray.
Nonstick spray
In a small bowl, whisk the butter, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the capers.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons capers
Place the cod fillets in the baking dish. Pour the butter mixture on top. Use a brush to evenly coat the fillets with the thick sauce. Sprinkle them with paprika.
4 cod fillets, ½ teaspoon paprika
Bake uncovered until the fish is fully cooked, opaque, and flakes easily with a fork. Its internal temperature should be 145°F.
For 1-inch-thick fillets, this should take about 15 minutes (25 minutes if using frozen fish). If your fillets are thinner or your oven runs slightly hot, the baking time could be shorter.
Serve immediately.

Seasonings, especially salt, are just guidelines. Adjust to taste. A few readers commented that they found the recipe delicious but would cut back on the salt next time. To my palate, the saltiness is perfect. However, if you prefer a milder flavor, consider using just ¼ teaspoon of salt. You can always sprinkle the finished dish with more salt if needed.
Cod is very lean and can become firm and dry if it's baked even a little too long, especially if the fillets are on the thinner side. Baking times can vary quite a bit depending on the thickness of the fish and individual ovens.
This recipe works well with other firm-fleshed white fish, such as halibut, as long as the fillets are about 1 inch thick. Thinner fillets will require a shorter time in the oven.
The butter tends to harden on frozen (or even refrigerator-cold) fillets. One way to combat that is to use olive oil instead of butter. I do this with frozen fish, but with fresh fish, even cold, I find that I can spread the sauce on the fish before it hardens, so I stick with butter, which is tastier.
You can keep the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat them gently to avoid drying them. It's best to reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power.