A great combination of flavor, this simple recipe for Roasted Cod and Cherry Tomatoes is made in one pan. Delicious enough for a special occasion but easy enough for busy weeknights, the entire dish is ready in under 30 minutes. Feel free to customize the herbs and use your favorite white fish in place of the cod.
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The next time you find yourself wondering "what should I make for dinner tonight?", look no further than this simple baked cod!
Ready in under a half hour, this easy roasted cod is topped with a delectable herb butter sauce which is made with a handful of basic ingredients and then cooked with tomatoes alongside in the same pan.
The effort? Minimal. The result? Sublime.
I find it hard to define the best part of this dish. Is it the ease? Is it the way the mixture of tomatoes with the herb sauce develops while it cooks? Or is it the perfectly tender cod?
You'll have to make it and decide for yourself!
The Ingredients
- Cod- You can use thawed frozen or fresh cod for this recipe. Other mild white fish fillets such as haddock, tilapia or halibut will also work.
- Butter- Avocado or Olive Oil would work as a dairy free substitute.
- Lemon Juice- Freshly squeezed is best but you can use the bottled stuff in a pinch.
- Garlic- You can use ½ teaspoon of garlic powder if you don't have any fresh large cloves on hand.
- Herbs- I used parsley in these photos but this recipe is delicious with fresh terragon, basil leaves, thyme, rosemary, or a combination. If you don't have fresh, use 1 teaspoon of dried instead.
- Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
- Cherry Tomatoes- Grape tomatoes or diced large tomatoes will also work. Or the tomatoes can be left out.
The Method
1. Mix herb butter mixture. Heat oven to 400 F. In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, lemon juice, minced garlic, chopped herbs, salt and pepper.
2. Assemble. Use a couple of paper towels to dry the fish and place the cod fillets in a single layer in the center of your baking dish. Place the tomatoes along the sides of the dish. Drizzle the herb mixture evenly over top of the fish. You can use a silicone brush to spread it evenly if needed.
3. Bake. Place dish in the preheated oven and bake for 14-20 minutes (it will vary depending on the thickness of your fish) until the fish is flaky and cooked to an internal temperature of 145 F.
4. Serve. Portion out the fish and top with the roasted tomatoes.
Leftovers and Storage
To Store: Store leftover baked cod in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To Reheat: For best results, reheat in the oven at 350 F for about 10 minutes until warmed through. If you're in a hurry, you can rewarm in the microwave but I find that it can end up tasting a bit more "fishy" and the texture becomes less flaky.
Freezing: While you can freeze this fish, I find that the texture is a bit off with thawing and so I would recommend against it if possible.
Make it Your Own
- Dice the Tomatoes- Turn them into more of a cherry tomato sauce and halve or quarter the tomatoes for small bites and to allow their juices to mix with the butter sauce.
- Add Lemon Zest- If you would like lemon to be a stronger flavor, you can include the zest from 1 lemon in the herb butter mixture. You can also double the amount of lemon juice.
- Include More Vegetables- Along with the tomatoes (or instead of them), you can include more chopped vegetables to roast alongside your fish. Increase the size of baking pan that you use so that the vegetables are in a single layer for even cooking. Some tasty veggie additions would be:
- Green Beans
- Red Peppers
- Kalamata Olives
- Omit the Lemon- For an alternative flavor, you could use a different acid in place of the lemon such as balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar or even a splash of white wine.
- Make it Dairy Free- Use olive oil in place of butter.
Serving Ideas
You can keep this one pan roasted fish and tomatoes easy by simply serving it over your favorite grains such as rice, farro or quinoa.
If you'd like to add some garnish, try topping with:
- Additional fresh herbs
- A squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- Cracked black pepper
This roasted cod is also excellent served with:
- Sautéed Spinach Pasta
- Lemon Herb Rice
- Onion Roasted Potatoes
- Baked Herb Tomato Zucchini
- Sautéed Green Beans
- Parmesan Garlic Sautéed Swiss Chard
- A Fresh Salad
- Or check out one of these 23 Perfect Ideas for What to Serve With Cod for more inspiration!
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And if you liked this recipe...
...you might also like:
- Chimichurri Shrimp Bowls
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Recipe Card
Herb Roasted Cod with Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 8 oz cod fillets
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh herbs finely chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried (parsley, thyme, rosemary)
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F.
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt butter. Add lemon juice, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper and stir to combine.
- Place cod in the center of a shallow baking dish and spread the tomatoes around the edges. Spoon the butter mixture evenly over the cod.
- Bake for 14-20 minutes until cooked through to 145 F and flaky. Serve hot, topped with the roasted tomatoes and juices from the baking dish.
Notes
Nutrition
More Main Dish Recipes!
Sandy says
I made the cod for dinner last night and it was delicious 😋 It was easy to follow definitely will make it again.
Janessa says
I'm glad you liked this recipe! Thank you for your kind review.
Nikki says
Loving this quick, easy and flavorful cod recipe. Perfect for a busy weeknight dinner.
Janessa says
Thank you for your kind review, Nikki!
Gina Abernathy says
A great recipe to use cod. Lemon seems to always be a favorite when cooking fish. This recipe was tasty.
Janessa says
I'm glad you liked this recipe, Gina!
MacKenzie says
We enjoyed this for Sunday dinner and the flavors are fabulous. The fish turned out perfect. Can’t wait to make again.
Janessa says
I'm glad you enjoyed this cod!
Kris says
So moist and flavorful! Will make again!
Janessa says
I'm glad you enjoyed this baked cod recipe, Kris!
Ieva says
Beautiful flavours, and the best part is, we had all the ingredients at home already. We used defrosted cod from the freezer, but it worked well. That lemon garlic butter is absolutely divine! Works so well with the fish and keeps it so nice and succulent too! Great recipe!
Janessa says
Thank you for your kind review, Ieva!
Diane says
This was so easy, delicious, and a great way to use some of the huge amount of cherry tomatoes I have from my garden. I will surely make this again.
Janessa says
I'm glad you enjoyed this recipe, Diane! Thank you for taking the time to leave a kind review.