Perfect for when you need a quick meal: Made in one dish with tomatoes, olives and onions, this Mediterranean Baked Cod is an easy and healthy weeknight dinner!
Baking fish makes prep so simple, and adding olive oil, tomatoes, olives and garlic to the baking dish infuses the fish with so much flavor!
Does fish intimidate you? Because confession: It definitely intimidates me. Which is why, honestly? 99% of the time, I bake my fish. For proof, see my Garlic Butter Lemon Baked Cod, or my Crispy Oven Fried Fish!
It’s easy, it creates a sauce as it bakes and it’s as hands-off as it will get with fish. Although I have recently discovered the ease and deliciousness of Air Fryer Salmon… But that’s almost like baking, so there you go. Baked fish is the best 😉
I first shared this mediterranean-inspired cod recipe a few years ago, but thought it deserved new photos. So here it is again, all new and shiny!
This recipe for baked cod
- bakes the fish with the veggies all in the same dish as the cod for minimal prep/clean up. I’m always in favor of less dishes to wash!
- is an easy and healthy weeknight dinner that comes together in a flash
- creates a luscious and tasty sauce right as it bakes – perfect for serving over rice!
This is one of my favorite healthy fish dinners for my family: Absolutely delicious AND on the table in 30 minutes. Win!
Ingredients you’ll need
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!
Ingredient notes
- Cod: This recipe is delicious with any white fish that bakes in 15-20 minutes. Choose thicker, firmer fish fillets for best results.
- Tomatoes: Feel free to use regular tomatoes vs cherry tomatoes. I recommend removing at least part of the seedy part to keep the dish from turning out watery. Dice the tomatoes into 1-inch pieces before adding to the dish.
- Red onion: Feel free to leave these out if you’re sensitive to onion.
- Olives: If you don’t like olives, leave them out. Capers are a great substitute, if you like those. Green olives can also be used, but I personally prefer black ones (Kalamata are my favorite!).
- Butter: The butter is technically not needed, but it does yield a super delicious sauce and helps to keep the fish from drying out. Feel free to cut the amount in half or leave it out entirely for a slimmer dish. If you leave it out, brush the top of the fish with olive oil.
- White wine: This recipe is delicious with white wine, but works great with just water, too. So don’t worry if you don’t want to use the wine, it’s not essential to the success of the recipe.
How to make baked cod
This is a walk-through of the recipe with step photos. Skip to the printable recipe card at the bottom for exact times and temperatures.
1. Prep: Preheat the oven and lightly grease a baking dish that comfortably holds all your fish pieces. Mince, slice and chop the onion, garlic and cherry tomatoes.
2. Assemble the dish: Place the fish in the prepared baking pan and scatter with the prepared vegetables. Add sliced olives and drizzle with olive oil, then season. Finally, pour some water into the dish and evenly dot the fish with butter.
place cod into dish and season add all vegetables/aromatics season and pour in wine or water dot with butter and bake
3. Bake the fish in the hot oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily.
Recipe tips
- To keep the cod from sticking to the baking dish, make sure to lightly wipe the dish with olive oil before adding the fillet pieces.
- If you have skin-on fillets, place the fish with the skin down to reduce the risk of sticking.
Recipe FAQs
How long to bake cod
The exact baking time depends on the thickness of your fish pieces. Around 20 minutes is what mine usually need.
It’s best to check the temperature with a kitchen thermometer (FYI, this is an affiliate link and I’ll make a commission for purchases made after clicking through).
What temperature should cod be cooked to?
I cook the fish until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (check with a kitchen thermometer (FYI, this is an affiliate link and I’ll make a commission for purchases made after clicking through) in the thickest part of the fish).
Another tell-tale sign your fish is done is opaque flesh that flakes easily.
(Source: See the chart with minimum safe cooking temperatures from the US government’s food safety site.)
Serving ideas
We love serving the baked cod with rice. It’s also delicious with a big leafy green salad and a chunk of my super easy Homemade French Bread on the side to mop up all of that sauce!
If you want to keep your meal low carb/keto friendly, try the fish over cauliflower rice!
PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Sign up for my email list, too!
Mediterranean Baked Cod
Recipe details
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds cod fillet
- 1 small red onion OR large shallot, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 pound cherry tomatoes halved
- ¼ cup sliced black olives
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt & pepper to taste
- ¼ cup white wine OR water
- 4 tablespoons butter chopped
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a rectangular baking dish that will comfortably hold all your cod pieces and tomatoes and place the fish inside.
- Add vegetables: Scatter the onion, garlic, tomatoes and olives around the fish.
- Season: Drizzle the olive oil all over the ingredients in the dish. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and season with salt and pepper.
- Finish and bake: Pour the water into the dish. Scatter the butter evenly over the dish. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the tomatoes and fish are cooked.
Notes
Ingredient notes
- Cod: This recipe is delicious with any white fish that bakes in 15-20 minutes. Choose thicker, firmer fish fillets for best results.
- Tomatoes: Feel free to use regular tomatoes vs cherry tomatoes. I recommend removing at least part of the seedy part to keep the dish from turning out watery. Dice the tomatoes into 1-inch pieces before adding to the dish.
- Red onion: Feel free to leave these out if you’re sensitive to onion.
- Olives: If you don’t like olives, leave them out. Capers are a great substitute, if you like those. Green olives can also be used, but I personally prefer black ones (Kalamata are my favorite!).
- Butter: The butter is technically not needed, but it does yield a super delicious sauce and helps to keep the fish from drying out. Feel free to cut the amount in half or leave it out entirely for a slimmer dish. If you leave it out, brush the top of the fish with olive oil.
- White wine: This recipe is delicious with white wine, but works great with just water, too. So don’t worry if you don’t want to use the wine, it’s not essential to the success of the recipe.
Recipe tips
- To keep the cod from sticking to the baking dish, make sure to lightly wipe the dish with olive oil before adding the fillet pieces.
- If you have skin-on fillets, place the fish with the skin down to reduce the risk of sticking.
What temperature should you cook the fish to?
I cook the fish until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F in the thickest part of the fish. Another tell-tale sign your fish is done is opaque flesh that flakes easily. (Source: See the chart with minimum safe cooking temperatures from the US government’s food safety site.)Nutrition
More recipe information
Recipe first published on 04/03/2019. Updated with new photos and better text on 03/31/2021.
Ron says
Enjoyed the recipe, especially for its simplicity and great flavour.
I added raisins and the juice of half of a lemon and it really was delicious. The raisins contrasted nicely with the capers .
Thanks for sharing.
Nora says
I’m so glad, Ron!
Nim says
I made this dish tonight, and it came out absolutely amazing. I did throw the veg in the oven 10 mins before adding the cod and garlic, which to my surprise gave a lot of natural water. So when I added the cod I didn’t add much water at all. It was so nice. I used a baguette to mop up the sauce from the casserole dish. I served the fish itself on a buttered Mediterranean rice! Mind blown! Thank you for this recipe.
Nora says
I’m so glad, Nim! And your serving suggestions sound spot on.
Michelle says
This was very easy to make and tasted ok. There was a lot of liquid in the pan when it was finished cooking. If I make again, I might leave the wine out.
Nora says
Michelle, the liquid in the pan is kind of my favorite part of the recipe, it’s such a delicious pan sauce to serve with rice, pasta, potatoes… My family will fight over it. It also helps a lot to keep the fish juicy. But I understand if this particular part of the recipe wasn’t to your taste, and I hope you’ll like it better without the wine.
Carol Karcher says
I just made this and it will remain my go to cod recipe for life! ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!
Nora says
Carol, I love your comment! It’s definitely my personal go to cod recipe for life, so I’m glad I was able to share it with you.
Welma says
Thanks for the recipe
My boss love it
Nora says
I’m so glad, Welma!
Kathryn says
After cooking this, I added it to “My Favorite”. It is so easy and relatively fast. It takes the same amount of time from start to finish as cooking some rice to go with it, about 45 minutes. I like Black rice which looks great with white fish and is low glycemic.
Nora says
I’m so glad, Kathryn! And sounds delicious with the black rice, I’m sure it looks amazing on the plate.
Kathryn Clark says
I added Feta cheese slices under the cod along with spinach which I pre-wilted in the microwave. This recipe is great without these additions, but they give it a new delicious taste.
Sarah says
Hi! Do you think I could successfully throw a can of artichokes and/or mushrooms in there? Thank you! Excited to make!!
Nora says
Sarah, I think that would be lovely!
Kathryn Clark says
I just made this recipe with a couple of small changes. I crumbled feta cheese with the vegetables and replaced the water with white wine. It was very delicious and very, very fast and easy to make! I also served it with black rice which was a nice contrast to the cod. Black rice is my favorite type of rice because it has a mild nutty flavor and has a low glycemic index. I found this on Pinterest and am putting it in my “favorite recipes”collection.
Sandra McKee says
Delicious…added capers and substituted white wine for water…yum!
Nora says
That sounds delicious!
Connie says
This recipe was absolutely delicious and so easy! Great flavor combos. I added capers just because I had them and never get to use them. Thanks for posting!
MandyG says
Delicious. The combination of the flavors was fantastic. Thank you.
Martha says
This we a great recipe that I added to my regular rotation. I added Thyme and dill. Excellent.
Paula says
I’ve made this recipe twice, once with Kale and once with spinach. It is very tasty. I had leftovers, minus the fish and I scrambled it with an egg and some feta cheese. It was amazing! I love this dish and it is so versatile. It will be
E part of my monthly menu. Thank you!