Baked Sablefish with Ginger and Lime
If you’ve treated yourself to Black Cod, you’ll want to cook it perfectly! Keep reading for our top tips on preparing a delicious black cod fish marinade. You’ll also find step-by-step photos and expert advice on how to bake sablefish to a flaky, moist perfection.
I’ve made this recipe four times now. I’m hooked! ~Bambi
I originally shared this recipe on January 30, 2015. I have updated the images and text today to share it again with you. Enjoy!
Table of contents
Recipe Highlights For This Black Cod Recipe
- The flavor of the easy 30-minute marinade, made with garlic, lime zest and juice and fresh ginger is delicious with the rich-tasting fish.
- There is only 10 minutes of hands-on prep work to make this recipe. Most of the time is hands-off while the cod marinates and then bake.
- Black cod, also known as Butterfish or Sablefish, is actually high in Omega-3 Fatty Acids; the same levels as salmon, actually! And it is low in mercury too!
- Black Cod is also on the “Best Choice” list from Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch list, which means it is a sustainable choice and isn’t overfished. So you can feel at ease when you see it in the market!
- It goes with so many tasty side dishes. We have lots of serving suggestions.
Black Cod Recipe Ingredients
- Black Cod – Due to its high oil content and buttery texture, it is sometimes also called butterfish or Alaska Cod. Black cod is commonly sold as sablefish too. It is not actually part of the cod family. It is the genus Anoplopoma fimbria and is fished in the Pacific Ocean and off the shores of British Columbia. If you love Chilean Sea Bass, you will LOVE the texture of black cod, because they are very similar. It is buttery and fatty, but still velvety in texture. It is not dry like cod can be because it is not as lean. It is usually sold with the skin on. For this recipe, you will need four portions, each weighing 4 to 5 ounces. You can also purchase one larger piece of fish (1 to 1.25 pounds) and cut it into portions.
- Lime and Lime Zest – We all know that lemon and fish are a match made in heaven, but lime happens to be too! For maximum lime flavor, use a rasp-style grater to remove the zest from the outside of the lime, then squeeze it. Note: I recommend buying Certified Organic citrus for zesting because the skin of conventionally grown citrus fruit can harbor pesticide residues.
- Ginger – The other main flavor component is the fresh ginger root. Use a spoon to scrape the papery skin from the root, then grate it with the microplane grater. You will need 1 1/2 teaspoons for the marinade.
- Garlic – To round out all the flavors, add in a clove of garlic. You can chop this by hand with a knife, or while your rasp grater is out, you can grate it! Either work!
How to Cook Black Cod
Step 1: Make the marinade by whisking together the lime juice, lime zest, agave, olive oil, garlic, ginger and salt.
Step 2: Place the cod in a re-sealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Press the air out of the bag and seal it shut. Agitate the bag to make sure the fish is coated in the marinade. Refrigerate it for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Step 3: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Drain the fish and discard the marinade. Lay the fish skin side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
Step 4: Bake the fish until it just flakes apart when tested with the top of a knife. Serve immediately with cilantro.
Black Cod Fillet Tips
Black cod fish can vary in size from 8 to 55 pounds which causes a wide varieties of thickness in the fillet you buy at the local fishmonger. Center cut pieces can be nice and thick (more than 1-inch thick) while tail pieces can be under 1 half inch thick. This being the case it is important to note thicker pieces will cook more slowly.
If you have pieces that are different thickness, you may need to bake the thinner pieces for 10 to 12 minutes, while the thickest black cod fillet will take 15 minutes or longer to cook through.
Serving Baked Sablefish
It can be served with lemon quinoa with this radish and carrot salad or roasted asparagus. Or serve it with sesame noodles and Asian Coleslaw or Simple cucumber salad.
The buttery fish and citrus goes great with earthy roasted root vegetables. These sweet Roasted Parsnips are a popular recipe! The peppery flavors in these roasted turnips would also pair well with the fish.
How to store Baked Black Cod
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container up to 1 day. We like to enjoy the leftover black cod fish served cold, flaked over a salad or with lentils, vegetables or noodles for lunch.
Sablefish Recipe FAQs
Most Black Cod is fished in the Pacific, so unless you are in a larger metropolitan area or on the West Coast of the US you will likely have to buy it frozen. It is often available in mail order direct to customer fish companies.
If you cannot find black cod (sablefish), sub another mild buttery fish such as Monkfish (Anglerfish) or Chilean Sea Bass (Patagonian Toothfish), make sure to check the Seafood Watch App from Monterey Bay Aquarium to source Best Choice or Certified sustainable fish.
Black Cod (Anoplopoma fimbria) is a different fish entirely. Atlantic Cod (Gadus Morhua) is from the Atlantic Ocean and much less fatty. It is flaky and a little dry by comparison. It doesn’t make a great substitute.
We do not recommend making this ahead. But you can prep the marinade and cut the fish in advance.
Fish can take on rich flavor from marinade in as little as 30 minutes. It is best not to marinate fish in acidic ingredients (like lime) for more than an hour as doing so can denature the proteins on the outside of the fish filets and make it tough. The exception for longer marinating times would be in marinades that do not have any vinegar, wine, citrus or other acid in them.
More Healthy Fish and Seafood Recipes
- Our Cod Fish Tacos with easy Avocado Crema are ready in only 20 minutes.
- This family friendly Baked Fish Sticks recipe works with any variety of flaky white fish.
- This Fish Casserole is a take on my grandmother’s recipe. It is topped with Swiss cheese, caramelized onions and fresh bread crumbs and it is marvelously good!
- This Shrimp and Garlic Sauce is one of the fan favorites here on the blog from years and years ago. Try it over pasta!
- Our Baked Salmon in Foil is a foolproof way to bake salmon in the oven.
At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie
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Baked Black Cod Recipe with Ginger Lime Marinade
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
In this simple recipe for Ginger lime marinated Black Cod, the fish is quickly marinated with garlic, lime and fresh ginger. The flavor combination is truly delicious with the rich-tasting fish. Serve with fresh chopped cilantro on top. It is a simple way to bake sablefish it in the oven with only 10 minutes of preparation time.
Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated with a rasp style grater
- 1/2 teaspoon lime zest
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons agave syrup
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger root
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 4-5 ounce portions black cod or sablefish fillet, about 1 pound
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Whisk garlic, lime zest, lime juice, agave syrup, olive oil, ginger and salt in a small bowl.
- Place sablefish in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour the lime mixture over the fish, press the air out of the bag and seal. Agitate bag to coat the fish in the marinade. Refrigerate, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove fish from the marinade and discard the marinade. Place fish, skin side down on the parchment and transfer the baking sheet to the oven.
- Bake until the fish is cooked through and just flakes apart when pierced with the tip of a knife, 12 to 15 minutes. Garnish with cilantro
Notes
If you cannot find black cod (sablefish), sub another mild buttery fish such as Monkfish (Anglerfish) or Chilean Sea Bass (Patagonian Toothfish), make sure to check the Seafood Watch App from Monterey Bay Aquarium to source Best Choice or Certified sustainable fish.
Black Cod is often sold with the skin on, but it is not necessary in this recipe, so if yours comes skinned, that is totally fine!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Main Couse
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 ounces
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 7 g
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 25 g
The images in this post were taken by Foolproofliving.com.
Sorry, I replied to another comment by accident.
Would maple syrup be a suitable substitute for agave syrup in this recipe?
Yes you can use maple syrup. That would work fine.
Have made this twice and it is our favorite
I would suggest a little higher temperature (425/450) and shorten time to 9-10 minutes.
Also we cut the Agave in half.
Delicious way to bake black cod. I marinated the fish for one hour, just long enough for a perfect balance of citrus and sweet. I served it with Katie’s Sesame Noodles, and sautéed zucchini. My taste buds were dancing with glee!
Sounds like a heavenly combo Patty!
Awesome recipe! Based on another review, I reduced the leftover marinade and thickened it with arrowroot starch. I’m on the AIP diet so I’m quite limited in what I can make. I’m also a foodie so it’s a necessity for me to have variety of flavours and tasty dishes to choose from. This was truly a treat! I use the marinade on salmon as well but to be totally honest, black cod has become my new favourite fish. Even my daughter and husband love it. I’ve made this recipe four times now. I’m hooked! Highly recommend and trust me on making the marinade into a glaze. Super delicious! Thank you Katie
Hi Bambi. Thank you for coming back to let me know you tried it and that you liked it. I appreciate it, and love the tip about simmering down the remaining marinade to use for a sauce/glaze. That sounds like an awesome idea. I have a maple glazed salmon recipe where I do that and it is so good!
Excellent flavors! A little too sweet for me so I will cut the amount of agave syrup next time I make this. Instead of throwing out the marinade, I reduced it and added just a touch of cornstarch to thicken and make a glaze for the cooked fish. I love that a different fish and a new set of flavors are now part of my recipe collection. Thank you!
That sounds delicious, Linda! Thank you for trying my recipe.
Perfect for a week night dinner ! We had lime , ginger and garlic .Love this recipe as it requires staples. I will try it with maple syrup and a dash of chili peppers next time. 425° for 10 minutes.
Hi there, Aviva. Thank you for letting me know that you liked it. Let me know what you try next.
Love ginger and lime with fish! Adding this to my weeknight dinners.
That’s great to hear! Thanks Donny!
Ooh, I love black cod and can’t wait to try this recipe -ginger and lime are such a fantastic combo!
Thank you Jennifer!
Black cod is one of our favorites. I agree, the texture is one of the best of all fish, so lovely. Thanks for this new way to enjoy it!
I am glad to hear you like it too! Thanks Megan!
Such a delicious and easy recipe! The lime flavor is a must.
Oh my gosh. This was amazing. I don’t like fish but I cook it for my family. I actually ate a couple bites of this. My husband said it was excellent. Definitely will make this again.
I am so glad to hear it! Thank you!
Would maple syrup be a suitable substitute for agave syrup in this recipe?
This was pretty easy and quite delicious! I like that the marinade only takes 45 min. to an hour and provided a new twist on this fish! I only had to bake the almost 1 # fish for 10 minutes, since I had to slice it in two when I put in the ziploc bag to marinade. I thought the whole process and the resulting dish was a decadent Monday night meal!
Weeknight dinner for the win! We love cod and this recipe will definitely be a repeat!!