This Turkish-style baked cod recipe is a keeper. Tender cod pieces are cooked in a delicious pepper and tomato sauce and make a delicious meal.
We love our fish and seafood recipes because they're so versatile. White fish is so delicious and easy to cook. Because of their mild flavor, it's so easy to season fish such as cod and halibut with different spices and sauces. Some of our favorite white fish recipes are pan seared cod with shallots and fennel, cod fish curry, Parmesan baked cod and grilled halibut with spicy mango salsa. Today I'm going to show you how to make baked cod the Turkish way with a delicious and easy tomato pepper sauce.
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Why this recipe works
Just like many other Turkish recipes this oven baked cod recipe uses fresh and seasonal ingredients that makes it ten times more delicious.
And if that's not enough, here are a few more reasons to love this baked cod recipe:
- It's healthy: With a combination of fish and vegetables baked in the oven with very little oil, this is a healthy choice for dinner.
- Easy to prepare: No special kitchen skills is required to make this recipe. It's as simple as chop, saute and bake!
- Gluten free: If you need a dinner recipe that's gluten free, this is right up your alley!
- Packed with amazing flavors: Like many other Mediterranean recipes, this recipe uses a lot of onion, garlic and tomatoes and usually flavor it with oregano and lemon. These Mediterranean flavors combine perfectly and make this the best cod recipe you've ever tried!
The benefits of cod
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 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 which fishes are good to eat on a regular basis.
3 tips for buying good cod
When buying white fish (or basically any kind of fish), 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".
Ingredients and substitutions
- Onion and garlic: sweet yellow onions are my favorite for this recipe. But, 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 peppers. Fresh juicy tomatoes such as roma are the best for this recipe. I used both green and red bell pepper. You can use either. I like the addition of green bell pepper because of its flavor.
- 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.
- 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 the best baked cod
- Start by heating the olive oil in a pan and sauté 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.
- Season the cod pieces with salt and pepper. Transfer the vegetables to an oven safe pan and top them with seasoned cod fish. Top with lemon slices.
- Bake the cod fish and veggies in the oven at 375°F until the cod is fully cooked and flaky. The fish is cooked when it looks completely white and flakes easily.
Variations
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 ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper along with the rest of the spices. Add more if you need it spicier.
Serving suggestions
This dish 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 potato salad or Turkish white bean salad would be good for a light dinner as well.
Frequently asked questions
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.
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.
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.
I don't recommend using butter instead of olive oil as it will alter the flavors. Mediterranean cuisine tends to favor olive oil over butter.
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Step-by-Step Recipe
Turkish Baked Cod Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 4 Roma tomatoes chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 lb cod fillets
- 2 lemons sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Saute onion and garlic until translucent. Add in chopped bell pepper and tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes are soft.
- Add in salt, pepper and oregano. Stir well.
- Transfer the veggies into an oven safe dish.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper on the cod fillets.
- Place the cod fillets on top of the veggies and top the fillets with lemon slices.
- Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until the fish is fully cooked.
- Serve with your favorite side dish.
Video
Notes
- 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 the fish 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 two days.
Katie
I absolutely love the Mediterranean flavors in this. So fresh and delicious!
Izzy
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!
Sophie Heath
A fun spin on cod! My family loved it!
Robin
Thanks we enjoyed this exotic way to cook this usually bland fish.
Taylor
So fresh with amazing flavor! YUM!!
alyss
This was such an easy and delish dinner! Adding to our regular rotation
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Glad to know you enjoyed it!
Ashley Judd
This was a hit at my house! Two thumbs up from the family!