Description
This golden crispy baked cod recipe with crunchy garlic butter panko breadcrumbs is simple to prepare and takes less than 30 minutes to make. Serve it for a family-friendly weeknight meal, or double the recipe and serve this panko-crusted cod for guests on a special occasion.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pound cod fish filet
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest plus lemon wedges for serving
- Chopped fresh herbs such as dill and parsley for serving, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or coat a 9 by 12 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Cut cod into 4 portions and season all over with salt and pepper. Place on the prepared baking sheet or dish.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, 20 seconds to 1 minute.
- Spoon about half of the garlic butter over the fish.
- Stir panko, paprika, and lemon zest into the remaining garlic butter. Spoon the panko over the cod and press into the fish to create a panko crust.
- Bake until the cod is just starting to flake, 16 to 20 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges and herbs if desired.
Notes
Ingredient Note: Regular breadcrumbs work too. You can use ½ butter and half olive oil if desired. Add 1 tablespoon shredded Parmesan to the Panko mixture if desired.
Tip: Thinner cod filet will cook more quickly than thicker portions. I found that when my cod portions were of varying sizes I had to remove the thinner portions from the sheet pan and keep them warm while the remaining thicker portions cooked a little longer.
Make Ahead: To make ahead, prepare through step 5 up to 4 hours ahead. Keep refrigerated. (We find the baking dish is easier for this option as it can easily be moved into the refrigerator. Just make sure your baking dish is refrigerator-to-oven safe!)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 5oz piece of fish
- Calories: 237
- Fat: 12 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Protein: 26 g