Turkish Baked Cod Recipe

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

White fish is so delicious and easy to cook. Because of its mild flavor, it’s so easy to season white fish such as cod and halibut with different spices and sauces. Some good white fish recipes are pan seared cod with shallots and fennel, cod fish curry, pan seared halibut with tamarind sauce and grilled halibut with spicy mango salsa. Cooking white fish is easy and quick which makes it a good dinner option. 

Is cod fish good for you?

Cod is a great source of protein and some B vitamins. It’s low in calories and fat which makes it a healthy option. But, since it’s a bit high in sodium, it’s advised to consume cod fish in moderation. If you’re cautious about the amount of mercury in a fish, it’s good to know that cod fish has very low mercury. Check out FDA’s website for advice about eating fish and what fish is good to eat on a weekly basis. 

Why this oven baked cod recipe works

Same as many other Turkish recipes such as Turkish potato salad and zucchini fritters, this cod recipe also uses fresh and seasonal ingredients that makes it ten times more delicious. Since the cod is baked in the oven, very little oil is used which makes it quite healthy. The combination of vegetables and tender cod is so flavor and 

This low carb cod recipe is:

• Healthy 
• Easy to prepare
• Gluten free
• Packed with amazing flavors 

Turkish baked cod ingredients

This Turkish style oven baked cod fish recipe is made with just a few ingredients: 

• Onion 
• Garlic 
• Tomatoes
• Bell pepper (I used green and red)
• Roma tomatoes 
• Cod fillets 
• Lemon 

All these fresh and seasonal ingredients give such great flavor to cod fish. Turkish recipes use a lot of onion, garlic and tomatoes and usually flavor it with oregano and lemon. These Mediterranean flavors combine perfectly together and make this the best baked cod recipe. 

How to choose the best cod fish for a recipe

When buying white fish or basically any kind of fish for a recipe, there are few things you need to pay attention to:

• Make sure the fish you’re buying is not too thick or thin. Check out the recipe to see if it’s mentioned how thick the fish fillets should be. 
• Buying white fish for a soup or stew? Go with an inexpensive white fish since it’s going to be cut into smaller chunks anyway. 
• If buying fresh fish, ask the person at the counter if you can smell the fish before buying it. Perfectly fresh white fish should not smell “fishy”. 

How to bake cod in the oven

• Saute the vegetables: Start by heating the olive oil in a pan and saute onion and garlic until golden. Add in bell peppers and tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are soft. Stir in the spices and cook for another minute. 
• Add the cod fillets: Transfer the vegetables to an oven safe pan and top them with seasoned cod fish. Top with lemon slices. 
• Bake in the oven: Bake the cod fish and veggies in the oven at 375°F until the cod is fully cooked and flaky. 

How long to bake cod fish

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. 

Can I use frozen cod for this recipe?

You can easily substitute frozen cod fish for fresh cod in this recipe. Thaw the cod completely and pat dry it with a kitchen paper towel before using it in the recipe. 

What to serve with oven baked cod 

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

How to reheat baked cod

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. 

Looking for more seafood recipes?

Here are some of our all time favorite seafood recipes: 

• Greek salmon salad 
• Oven baked salmon with olives and capers
• Baked salmon fillet with lemon

Notes and tips for making the best baked cod recipe

• This baked cod recipe calls for dried oregano. However, you can use fresh oregano as well, simply take the fresh oregano out of the pan before serving. 
• I cooked the vegetables in a pan and transferred everything to a clay pan before baking it in the oven. 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 in the oven.  
• Don’t use butter instead of olive oil as it will alter the flavors. Mediterranean cuisine tends to favor olive oil over butter.
• Roma tomatoes work best in this recipe since they have a lot of flesh and are not too seedy. 
• It’s best to eat this dish fresh and on the same day, but if you have leftovers, store it in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.