Turkish Baked Cod Recipe with Tomatoes

Shadi Hasanzadenemati

4.78 from 18 votes

Nov 09, 2020, Updated Jan 28, 2026

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This Turkish baked cod with tomatoes is simple, flavorful, and perfect for an easy dinner. The cod bakes gently in a tomato based sauce with warm spices, creating a dish that you can enjoy with rice, roasted potatoes, or a fresh salad.

This baked cod recipe is a keeper. Tender baked cod fillets are made with vegetables such as onions and tomatoes for maximum flavor.


 

We love our fish and seafood recipes because they’re so versatile and easy to make, and white fish in particular is always a favorite. With its mild flavor, fish like cod and halibut pairs beautifully with a wide range of spices and sauces.

Some of our favorite white fish recipes include pan seared cod with shallots and fennel, baked flounder, cod fish curry, Parmesan baked cod and grilled halibut with spicy mango salsa. Today, I’m showing you how to make baked cod the Turkish way, cooked in a delicious and easy tomato pepper sauce.

Table of Contents

Why You Should Try This Recipe

Like many Turkish recipes, this oven-baked cod is made with fresh, seasonal ingredients that really shine once cooked. Simple, flavorful, and comforting, it’s the kind of dish you’ll want to make again and again.

Here are a few more reasons to love this baked cod recipe:

  • Light and balanced: Fish and vegetables are baked together with minimal oil, making it a great option for dinner.
  • Easy to prepare: No special skills needed. Just chop, sauté, and bake.
  • Full of flavor: Onion, garlic, tomatoes, oregano, and lemon come together to create classic Mediterranean flavors that pair perfectly with cod.

Ingredients and Substitutions

This Mediterranean style baked cod is so delicious. Tender cod fillets are cooked in a flavorful tomato sauce and topped with lemon for some bright flavors! You can serve this dish with rice, veggies or potatoes. It's packed with flavor and everyone loves it. No more boring and plain fish because this one is a keeper!
  • Onion and garlic: Sweet yellow onions are my favorite for this recipe. However, you can also use white onions. It’s best to mince the garlic right before cooking as opposed to using jarred minced garlic.
  • Vegetables: We need a combination of tomatoes and bell peppers. Fresh juicy tomatoes such as roma are the best for this recipe. I used both green and red bell peppers.
  • Cod fillets: You can work with either fresh or frozen cod. Unless you live close to the ocean or have a favorite fish seller with fresh cod, I would go with frozen. Make sure the fish you’re buying is not too thick or thin. Keep in mind that good white fish should not smell “fishy”.
  • Spices: Since everything else adds amazing flavors to the dish, the seasoning is pretty simple. I only used salt, pepper and oregano for this recipe. you can use fresh oregano as well, simply take the fresh oregano out of the pan before serving.
  • Lemon: Before you bake the fish in the oven, top it with lemon slices. As they cook, lemon slices release their juice and give such a bright flavor to the fish.

How To Make Baked Cod with Tomatoes

Start by heating the olive oil in a pan and sauté onion until translucent. Add in the garlic, bell peppers and tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are soft. Stir in the spices and cook for another minute.

Start by heating the olive oil in a pan and sauté onion until translucent. Add in the garlic, bell peppers and tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are soft. Stir in the spices and cook for another minute.
Start by heating the olive oil in a pan and sauté onion until translucent. Add in the garlic, bell peppers and tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are soft. Stir in the spices and cook for another minute.

Transfer the vegetables to an oven safe pan and top them with the cod pieces. Season the fillets with salt and pepper and top with lemon slices.

Transfer the vegetables to an oven safe pan and top them with the cod pieces. Season the fillets with salt and pepper and top with lemon slices.
Transfer the vegetables to an oven safe pan and top them with the cod pieces. Season the fillets with salt and pepper and top with lemon slices.

Bake the cod fish and vegetables in the oven at 375°F until the cod is fully cooked and flaky. This would take about 30 to 40 minutes The fish is cooked when it looks completely white and flakes easily. 

Bake the cod fish and vegetables in the oven at 375°F until the cod is fully cooked and flaky. This would take about 30 to 40 minutes The fish is cooked when it looks completely white and flakes easily. 
Bake the cod fish and vegetables in the oven at 375°F until the cod is fully cooked and flaky. This would take about 30 to 40 minutes The fish is cooked when it looks completely white and flakes easily. 

Jazz Up This Baked Cod Recipe

You can switch up the vegetables in this dish and use a variety of them such as shallots, zucchini, carrots or potatoes, all cut into small pieces. Cooking time may vary depending on the vegetable you’re going to use.

To make this dish spicy, add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or spicy pepper paste along with the rest of the spices. Add more if you need it spicier.

Best Served With

Baked cod with tomatoes is best served with a warm side dish such as Turkish rice with orzo, Greek potatoes or Lebanese rice and vermicelli. Serving it with some fresh homemade salad like Turkish tomato salad, Mediterranean cucumber salad or Turkish white bean salad would be good for a light dinner as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should I bake cod for?

This depends on the thickness of the cod fish you’re using to make the recipe. In this recipe we have used cod fillets that were not very thick or very thin. If you cook cod fish at 375°F, it would take about 18-20 minutes for the fish to cook completely. You can tell that cod fish is cooked completely if it’s bright white and flaky.

How should I store and reheat?

Just like mahi mahi and any other white fish, it’s best to consume baked cod the same day you make it. However if you have leftovers and would like to reheat it, place the cod and veggies in an oven safe dish and heat at 250°F for about 15 minutes until heated through.

Can I make this dish in a cast iron skillet?

Yes, if using a cast iron skillet, there’s no need to transfer the ingredients to another pan since you can use it on the stove to cook the vegetables and then to bake the fish in the oven.

white fish fillets cooked in a tomato pepper sauce in an oven safe pan.

Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Please comment and leave a 5-star🌟 rating below. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or subscribe to our newsletter to get a free e-Cookbook!

4.78 from 18 votes

Turkish Baked Cod Recipe

By Shadi HasanzadeNemati
This Turkish baked cod with tomatoes is an easy, nutritious fish dinner made in the oven with simple ingredients and bold flavor.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
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Ingredients 

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 2 lb cod fillets
  • 2 lemons, sliced
US Customary – Metric

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • Heat olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Saute the onion until translucent. Add in the garlic, chopped bell peppers and tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes are soft.
  • Add in salt, pepper and oregano. Cook for 5 more minutes. Transfer the veggies into an oven safe dish.
  • Place the cod fillets on top of the veggies, top with salt and pepper and top the fillets with lemon slices.
  • Bake in the oven for 25 to 35 minutes until the fish is fully cooked.

Video

Notes

Nutrition

Calories: 307kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 421mg | Potassium: 1328mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1649IU | Vitamin C: 104mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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4.78 from 18 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




11 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Amazing! It’s the best cod recipe I’ve made, restaurant quality I think. Everyone loved it. Thank you. Love your recipes.

    Reply

  3. 5 stars
    Such great Mediterranean flavors in this dish. I love baking fish over frying and this recipe doesn’t disappoint.

    Reply

  5. 5 stars
    The softness of the cod as it melts in the mouth is only complemented by the tangy flavor that the lemon slices add. A simple but very tasty recipe!

    Reply