Easy Baked Cod Recipe Turkish Style

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. 

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. 

Why this recipe works

Just like many other Turkish recipes such as Turkish potato salad and zucchini fritters, this oven baked cod recipe uses fresh and seasonal ingredients that makes it ten times more delicious than it would be if cooked its own. Since the cod is baked in the oven, very little oil is used which makes it quite healthy. 

This recipe is:

• Healthy: With a combination of fish and vegetables baked in the oven, 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
• Packed with amazing flavors: Like many other Mediterranean recipes, this recipe uses a lot of fresh herbs and vegetables alongside lemon for brightness.

Is cod 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 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.

Turkish baked cod ingredients

This recipe is made with just a few ingredients:

• Onion: sweet yellow onions are my favorite for this recipe. But, you can also use white onions.
• Garlic: We are going to mince the garlic and saute it with the onion as the base of the sauce.
• Tomatoes: Fresh juicy tomatoes are the best for this recipe because they make the sauce taste amazing.
• Bell pepper: I used a combo of 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.
• 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.

Turkish recipes use 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!

How to choose the best cod fish for a recipe

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".

How to bake cod in the oven

Sauté the vegetables

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.

Add the cod fillets

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 in the oven 

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. 

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.

Serving suggestions

This dish 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.

Reheating instructions

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?

• Greek salmon salad 
• Oven baked salmon with olives and capers
• Baked salmon fillet with lemon
• Pan seared halibut with tamarind sauce

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 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.