Easy Baked Cod Recipe Turkish Style

4.78 from 18 votes
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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. 

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. 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. 

Turkey trip photo

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”.
Baked cod in a clay pan with tomatoes, onions and peppers.

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.
ingredients contain cod, onion, garlic, peppers, spices and lemon.

How to make the best baked cod

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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. 
saute onion add bell pepper and tomatoes. Add in oregano and season the cod. Place cod on the sauce and bake.

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 1/4 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.

a pan of cooked white fish in a tomato sauce.

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.

Can I use butter instead of olive oil?

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.

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

More seafood recipes

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4.78 from 18 votes

Turkish Baked Cod Recipe

This Turkish-style baked cod recipe is a keeper. Tender cod pieces are cooked in a delicious pepper and tomato sauce.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
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Ingredients 

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 tsp 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. 

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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About Shadi HasanzadeNemati

I'm here to show you how to make delicious Persian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food at home. My easy to follow recipes will bring exciting new flavors to your table!

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4.78 from 18 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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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.

  2. 5 stars
    Such great Mediterranean flavors in this dish. I love baking fish over frying and this recipe doesn’t disappoint.

  3. 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!