Baked Cod with Cherry Tomatoes, Fennel, and Capers – a Mediterranean-inspired dish that’s light, flavorful, and ready in under 30 minutes.
Baked Cod
If you’re trying to eat more fish, you’ll love this baked cod recipe. It’s packed with protein and vegetables, making it a great low-carb, high-protein Mediterranean-inspired meal. Sautéing the vegetables first allows the fennel to soften and caramelize slightly, the cherry tomatoes to burst with sweetness, and the capers
to infuse everything with a briny punch. It’s also gluten-free, dairy-free and anti-inflammatory. More fish dishes like this you may also like, try this Mediterranean Sea Bass, Fish in Papillote and Grilled Mediterranean Cedar Plank Salmon.
Why You’ll Love This Baked Cod Recipe
This Mediterranean cod combines lemon, garlic, herbs, and capers for a light, simple meal perfect for Lent or any time of year.
If you make this healthy baked cod recipe, I would love to see it. Tag me in your photos or videos on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook. And be sure to join the Skinnytaste Community to see what everyone’s cooking!
What You’ll Need
Here are the ingredients for this easy baked cod recipe. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Cod: You can use fresh or frozen cod fillets. If frozen, thaw them first in the refrigerator. If you don’t have much time, put the fillets (in their plastic package) in a cold bowl of water for 30 minutes.
- Lemon infuses the fish with a fresh, citrus taste.
- Salt and Pepper for the cod and vegetables
- Olive Oil to saute the vegetables in
- Vegetables: Onions, cherry tomatoes, and fennel get softer and sweeter as they cook.
- Garlic for savory flavor
- Vegetable Broth creates a sauce for the fish and veggies.
- Capers for a briny bite
- Fresh Herbs: Fresh Parsley and thyme
How to Bake Cod
The cod marinates in lemon juice while you cook the tomatoes, fennel, and onion, enhancing its bright, citrusy flavor. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions.
- Season the cod with lemon juice, salt, pepper, and thyme.
- Cook the Vegetables: Pour olive oil into a large pan on medium-high heat. Add the onions, fennel, tomatoes, and garlic, and saute for 10 minutes. Add the capers, broth, and remaining salt, and stir, cook for 4 minutes.
- How Long to Cook Cod in the Oven: Transfer the tomato mixture to a baking dish, and add the fillets and lemon slices. Bake in the center rack at 400°F for 15 minutes. When the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, remove it from the oven and garnish with parsley. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
Variations
- Fish Options: Use any white fish, like branzino, red snapper, or halibut, that is available to you. I always choose the freshest or most local.
- Onions: Use shallots or red onions.
- Tomatoes: Swap cherry with grape tomatoes.
- Herbs: Try it with oregano, basil, chives, or rosemary.
- Broth: Substitute chicken broth.
Serving Suggestions
This oven-baked cod would be filling on its own, but below are some side dish ideas if you want to serve it with something.
Storage
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, microwave, or warm it in a skillet on the stove.
More Fish Recipes You’ll Love
For more dinner ideas using fish, check out my Seafood Recipes collection, plus these five delicious fish recipes to inspire your next meal!
Yield: 4 servings
Serving Size: 1 fillet, ¾ cup vegetables
- 4 5-ounce cod fillets, or halibut, patted dry
- 1 lemon, Juice of
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 small bulb fennel, thinly sliced (discard the core, trim stalks, cut in quarters)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
- ½ cup vegetable broth, unsalted
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped
- 1 lemon, sliced
- ¼ cup Italian parsley, chopped
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Preheat oven to 400F.
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Season the cod with lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, and thyme on both sides and place on baking dish. Set aside.
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In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, onions, fennel, tomatoes, and garlic. Sauté for 10 minutes, until tender. Add the capers, broth, and other ½ teaspoon of salt and cook for 4 more minutes.
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Transfer to a baking dish and add the fish and lemon slices. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. The fish should flake at the edges. Top with parsley and serve while hot.
Last Step:
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Serving: 1 fillet, ¾ cup vegetables, Calories: 213.5 kcal, Carbohydrates: 12.5 g, Protein: 28.5 g, Fat: 5.5 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 69.5 mg, Sodium: 535 mg, Fiber: 3.5 g, Sugar: 6.5 g
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