Parmesan Baked Cod
Parmesan Baked Cod is mildly flavored cod topped with Parmesan cheese, paprika and parsley, then roasted to tender perfection. A super easy, tasty dinner option that’s quick to make and perfect for busy weeknights! This healthy meal is ready to serve in less than 30 minutes and has amazing reviews!
You can never go wrong with seafood for dinner; I often find myself making seafood chowder, sweet potato salmon cakes, or this speedy and flavorful baked cod recipe.
This post was originally published on 5/5/2016. It was republished on 4/4/20 with new content.
There are so many nights when I just need an easy dinner on the table as soon as possible. This baked cod fits the bill! It takes less than 30 minutes to make, yet is packed with tons of flavor. This parmesan baked cod is one of those trusty recipes, I keep in my regular meal rotation. It’s the perfect lightened-up main course that you can serve alongside a myriad of side dishes. It cooks up quick and requires very little hands on time. Plus, it’s SUPER tasty! One the whole family will enjoy!
How Do You Make Baked Cod?
This recipe starts with mixing together the parmesan cheese, paprika, parsley and salt in a shallow bowl. Drizzle a little olive oil over the cod and then dredge the fish in the cheese mixture and transfer to a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet. It may be necessary to gently press the cheese into the fish.
I paired the cod with broccoli and was even able to bake it on the same sheet pan. I just sprayed a bit of cooking spray over the top of the broccoli and seasoned it with salt and Trader Joe’s Everyday Seasoning (any favorite seasoning would work). How easy is that? The entire meal was ready-to-go in less than 30 minutes. Wahoo!
My kiddos are quite picky when it comes to seafood, but they actually really enjoyed this meal because cheese. Yep, cheese just makes everything better- doesn’t it?!
Tips For Baked Cod
- This Parmesan cheese topping will work well on other types of fish such as swordfish, halibut, salmon and trout.
- I recommend using fresh wild cod whenever possible. Farmed fresh cod will also work well, but wild tends to have more nutrients which is why it’s the better choice if it’s available.
- For a crispier crust, you can use panko or regular bread crumbs in place of the parmesan. Or use a combination of both.
- Add any seasonings that you like: garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil, etc. Do go easy on the salt because Parmesan cheese is quite salty.
How Do You Know When Cod Is Done Cooking?
Cod is cooked through when the fish flakes easily with a fork and appears opaque. If you’re not sure that the cod is done, you can use a digital thermometer (like this one) to measure the internal temperature. If the temperature is at least 145 degrees F, then the cod is ready to eat. You want to be sure not to overcook the fish, as it can get tough and dry.
Serving Options
Parmesan baked cod is bursting with healthy, fresh flavor and pairs well with roasted veggies and brown rice or quinoa. It would also be lovely atop a nice green salad with juicy garden tomatoes. Basically, whatever you like to serve with chicken, pork or salmon would also taste great with baked cod. It doesn’t have a fishy taste, so most people will enjoy it.
Is Cod Healthy?
Cod is an awesome option for a healthy diet. It’s high in protein and low in fat and carbohydrates. Cod is full of vitamins and minerals and is a great source of Vitamin B6 and B12. It’s one of my favorite seafood varieties to enjoy and I try to make sure my family eats it once a week.
Reheating Baked Cod
Leftover cod will keep well in the fridge for a couple of days. For best results, reheat cod in a toaster oven for about 10 minutes at 350ºF. You can also reheat the baked cod by broiling it in the oven for a few minutes.
This baked cod is one of my go-to dinner recipes, even the kids will happily eat it! It’s the perfect dish for those nights when you really don’t feel like cooking. In my opinion, you can never have too many quick meal options, and this is one of the best.
Parmesan Baked Cod Video Tutorial
More Seafood Meals To Try!
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Parmesan Baked Cod is mildly flavored cod topped with Parmesan cheese, paprika and parsley, then roasted to perfection. An easy, tasty dinner that’s quick to make and perfect for busy weeknights!
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried parsley)
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cod fillets (about 6 oz. each)
- lemon wedges (optional: for serving) cut into wedges
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Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
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In a shallow bowl, mix together the Parmesan, paprika, parsley and salt. Drizzle the cod with olive oil (rubbing it into the front and back of the fillet), then dredge in the cheese mixture, pressing it in lightly with your fingers. Transfer to the baking sheet. Top cod with any leftover cheese mixture.
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Bake until the fish is opaque in the thickest part, 10-15 minutes. Serve with the lemon slices.
I baked my cod with broccoli florets on the same large baking sheet and the timing was spot on. I sprayed the broccoli with coconut oil cooking spray and sprinkled with salt and my favorite seasoning salt (Everyday Seasoning from Trader Joe's). My whole meal was cooked... easy peasy!
*For an extra crisp to the fish, try adding about 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs to the parmesan cheese mixture.
Did you make this recipe?
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Made this today… Delicious! And so easy!
Awesome! So glad that you enjoyed and thanks so much for taking time to comment.
This was so delicious and easy to make. I will definitely be cooking it often. I cut up zucchini and squash, tossed them in olive oil, seasoned them with salt, pepper and oregano, and baked them for 30 minutes. I had a delicious meal ready for my family in no time! Thank you for the recipe! If I may, I believe the protein content is higher than 10.7 g. A 6 ounce cod fillet has 30 g of protein and if you add in the cheese, it should be a total of 37 g of protein per cod. This is perfect for my high-protein diet. Thank you so much for sharing!
Great recipe. Needs less or no salt.
This was perfect! I had a some cod to make and came across this recipe, everyone loved it!
This sounds like a very tasty recipe, with some lovely flavours to add to the dish. So easy to make too, which is always a bonus for busy weekdays.
Anything covered in cheese is good with me. We are trying to eat more white fish, so this looks great.
This is so tasty and easy to make. Fish sounds delicious to me. This platter looks good.
Very easy to make which is exactly what I was looking for, thank you soooo much! :=)
So glad you enjoyed!
Excellent! My husband said it was the best baked cod ever! Cooked it as you did, including the broccoli. Came out great!
Yay! I love hearing that! Thanks so much for taking time to comment.
Okay will give this recipe 5 stars, ive made it 3 times but not 100% satisfied , my fish is always a little wet not crispy. I bring the fish up to room temp, pat dry, go very light on the olive oil. Still not as crispy as I’d like. Suggestions?
I would try mixing about 1/4-1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs in with the parmesan cheese. You could also try pan frying the fish rather than baking it. Please keep me updated, if either of these suggestions work.
Here’s something you might try. Put a layer of mayonnaise on the top of the fish. I for sure add the panko breadcrumbs and you the mixture in the recipe, I also add grated lemon zest, a clove of minced garlic and then I toss it all with a little olive oil. Press the mixture in the mayo just a little. The olive oil mixed with the breadcrumbs makes a really crispy topping. Tonight I made couscous and put that on the bottom, topped with black beans and then the fish. On top of that, a mixture of diced tomatoes, avocados and cilantro with a squeeze of lemon juice. It was delicious!
That sounds so tasty! Glad you were able to make it your own and enjoy! Thanks for the feedback.
I felt the same and thought maybe if it was up on a wire rack it would allow the underside to crisp. I’m going to use 2 of my wire cooling racks on top of each other, with the wire going in different direction so the fish won’t fall thru, along with panko crumbs. Should allow air to get under and hopefully crispy on underside.
Let us know how that works for you!
Great and simple recipe! My boyfriend and I loved it and will be making again.
That’s awesome! So glad you enjoyed!
Delicious….excellent receipe…will definitely make this often…quick and easy
Woo hoo! So glad to hear you enjoyed! Thanks for your comment!
Wonderful recipe!! This will become a staple in our mea rotation.
Made it this evening and it was delicious! Will definitely be repeating often.
Love hearing that! Thanks so much for your comment!
Superb! Excellent recipe which certainly will be used again and shared. Very good.
So glad to hear you enjoyed! Thanks for your comment!
I made the Parmesan Baked Cod. I used about 1/3c of Parmesan Cheese with 2/3 c of Gluten Free Panko Breadcrumbs. It was delicious!
Yay! So glad that you had great results. Thanks for your comment!
I googled a recipe for cod and came upon this and it came out perfectly! My family thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it!
That’s awesome! Thanks for your comment!
Absolutely delicious! So easy to prepare n doesn’t take long too. Will definitely cook again! 😍👍🏽
So happy to hear you enjoyed, Jamie! Thanks so much for taking time to leave feedback!
SO GOOD! I had never really cooked fish before, but I was cooking for my boyfriend and his grandma so the stakes were high. They LOVED this and so did I! I felt like a pro! Recipe was great. I did add 1/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs to the mixture, as well as some minced garlic. I also squeezed some lemon juice into the olive oil mixture I put on the fish. Basically just tossed the fish around in a bowl. I also really pressed the cheese/breadcrumb mixture into the fish so it stuck. And finally I used those little baking rack things to get the bottom crispy too. 13ish minutes was perfect for our fish! Served with grilled asparagus and mashed potatoes. Thanks sooo much for this recipe, will be making 1000 more times.
What an awesome comment!! It makes me SO happy that you enjoyed so much!
Made this tonight. Added some old bay spice to the cheese and paprika. Had a side of broccoli. Amazing. Will have this once per week
Thanks so much for your comment! So happy to hear you enjoyed!
This is a great recipe!! I added seasoned bread crumbs. First time my grandkids ever oohed and aahed all during dinner! Its now a family fav!!🐠
Sounds so perfect! So glad you enjoyed and thanks so much for commenting.
I cooked this fish recipe and it was delicious. My husband loved it also. We will definitely be making this again.
Love hearing that! Thanks for taking time to comment!
I am 14, I always end up making the fish I cook terrible, I made this recipe for my family, it was AMAZING, this tasted so good, first fish I have made that we haven’t had to get a new meal to replace, 10/10. I do highly recommend adding 1/4 teaspoons of garlic.
This makes me so happy!! I’m so glad that you enjoyed and I hope you get a chance to try out some of my other recipes!
This was the best recipes for fish I’ve tried in a very long time!! It was absolutely fantastic! My family raved about it for days and it has become a regular dinner item now. Seriously….its soooo good!
Amazing! Thanks so much for your comment!!