Is there anything better than a meal that’s quick, versatile, and satisfying?! We think not! This Easy Baked Cod hits all those marks — and more! It’s fresh, features a rainbow of spring vegetables, yields perfectly cooked, flaky fish, and is ready in 30 minutes!
It’s our new favorite sheet pan meal, especially served with polenta, roasted potatoes, or lemon risotto. Let us show you how it’s done!
It starts with adding the veggies to the baking sheet. We love using bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, and red onion, but you could get creative here! We recommend keeping the red onion because it adds natural sweetness and the kalamata olives because they add a lovely saltiness and healthy monounsaturated fat, too.
For waves of flavor, we toss the veggies with lemon zest, lemon slices, fresh garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and parsley.
Then we make space for the cod fillets, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and cover with veggies to seal in moisture and yield perfectly flaky fish.
After about 15 minutes in the oven, a beautiful and nutrient-packed meal is yours to enjoy!
We hope you LOVE this baked cod with veggies! It’s:
Fresh
Herby
Lemony
Colorful
Easy
& SO satisfying!
It pairs beautifully with any carb-y sides like polenta, roasted potatoes, or lemon risotto. And if you’re craving something saucy, try topping with our Easy Green Goddess Dressing.
More Delicious Spring Meals
- Spring Buddha Bowl with Quinoa & Lemony White Beans
- Tofu Noodle Stir-Fry with Spring Vegetables
- Curry-Roasted Fennel Salad with Rosemary Tahini Dressing
- Vegan Risotto with Miso and Spring Vegetables
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Easy Baked Cod with Spring Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest (1 lemon yields ~1 Tbsp zest)
- 1/2 medium lemon, thinly sliced
- 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (thin stems are best, otherwise cut in half lengthwise // 1 bunch yields ~1 lb or 453 g)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium yellow or orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/2 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced (1/2 medium onion yields ~1 cup sliced)
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup whole kalamata olives
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 4 (4-6-oz.) cod fillets (4 fillets yield 1-1 ½ lbs)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and set out a large baking sheet.
- Zest the lemon (you should get about 1 Tbsp of lemon zest), then slice half of the lemon into thin slices. Reserve the other half for another use.
- To the baking sheet, add the asparagus, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, olives, olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon zest, lemon slices, garlic, and parsley. Toss to coat, then arrange in a single layer, leaving space for the fish fillets.
- Pat the cod dry and place on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the fillets with a pinch each of salt and pepper, then arrange some of the veggies over the fish.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily and reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F (63 C).
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with more parsley if desired. Serve the fish and veggies together. It’s especially delicious paired with our lemon risotto, polenta, or roasted potatoes. For a saucy finish, try pairing with our Easy Green Goddess Dressing.
- Best when fresh. Leftovers will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days. Not freezer friendly.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with 4-ounce fillets and the lesser amount of olives.
Debbie says
This was an amazing and so flavorful dinner! Super easy to make and the only change I made was not doing the lemon zest. I was just lazy. Definitely making this recipe again and inviting people over!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Debbie. Thank you for sharing! xo
Laura says
So good, I keep coming back to this recipe. Very pretty with all the colours, fresh flavours but always with that minimalist baker comfort feeling. Happy asparagus is back in season so I can make this again! Zero adjustments needed.
We’re so glad you love this one as written, Laura! Thank you for sharing! xo
Ziva says
I used Fresh Cod and served it with roasted potatoes. It is very a delicious meal. Will make it again for guests too. Thank you for sharing.
Lovely! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Ziva. Thank you for sharing! xo
Brooke says
This was delicious! I love that the veggies were the star of the show and the cod added protein. Was delicious with your lemon risotto recipe. Shared with others and will definitely make again.
Yay! Thanks so much for sharing, Brooke! xoxo
Jessica says
Really good. Only piece of advice is that it takes longer for some of the veggies to cook than others. Next time I’d start roasting peppers, onions and tomatoes first than add fish and asparagus.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jessica! Thank you for sharing! xo
Vicky says
Love this recipe so much, we’ve made it plenty times and wondering what other fish would be good with this? sometimes cod is not so easy to find and or costs the same as salmon, would salmon be ok to use? thanks!xoxo
Hi Vicky! We’re so glad you enjoy it! If you would like to use salmon we would suggest adding it at the 5 minute mark since it cooks quicker! You could also use haddock or bass if that’s easier to find!
Melania says
Cooked to perfection!
My cod was a little thick so I added another 5 min of cooking time and then checked with a thermometer. I also didn’t add olives because I’m not a fan of them. Everything else was the exactly the same and it was delicious everyone enjoyed it!
I made it using fresh cod I’m going to try frozen next time as buy fresh was $$$$.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Melania. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Britney says
I have cooked this several times now and am always so pleased with the vegetables and the ease of cooking everything on one pan. I do like to put a little olive oil on the cod and add some cracked lemon pepper seasoning to it as cod can be a little bland on its own..and we love like that. We always pair this with your lemon risotto and together this is a favourite dinner to make during asparagus season. Thanks so much !!
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoy both recipes. Your modification sounds lovely, too! Thank you for sharing, Britney! xo
Jordan says
It’s very easy to make, tasty and healthy. Thanks for the recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jordan! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
McCall says
I’ve been looking for the perfect way to bake cod and this is it! It really is a beautiful meal with the visual “wow” factor, and the yummy flavors of the vegetables work together so well. I sprinkled a bit of feta cheese crumbles on the veggies for that extra Mediterranean flare and it was delightful. Thanks for sharing your amazing creations with us and making dinner nights so much better. We are grateful receivers of your offerings. ♡
Aw, thank you SO much for your kind words and lovely review, McCall! xoxo
Theresa says
Made this tonight. Total win and will make it again and again. No modifications needed. Was curious about the kalamata olives being in this but turns out they were a perfect flavor addition! Thanks for the recipe!
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Theresa, we’re so glad you enjoyed!
Faith says
I made this tonight for me and my husband with Jasmine white rice. It was so easy, fresh and beautiful. We loved it! I can’t wait to make it again for friends. It is very easy to put together quickly and cooks so fast. This will be in the rotation for the spring and summer for sure. Thank you!
We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Faith. Thank you for sharing! xo
SUSAN says
hi Dana. This is SO delicious! You are right – the olives and red onion add so much flavor to the recipe. I used the veggies I had available – red onion, garlic, red pepper, mushrooms, cauliflower and parsley. I served the cod and veggies with broccoli rabe and garlic and roasted potatoes. Seriously – this was restaurant-quality food at home! Thank you for a very simple and delicious recipe. I will definitely make this again. I appreciate all the wonderful recipes you post.
Yay! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Susan. So glad you enjoyed!
Britney says
I made this with your lemon risotto…..10/10!! Favourite meal I have made in a awhile. Thank you!!
Woohoo! Thanks for two lovely reviews, Britney. We love the idea of pairing those recipes, so glad you enjoyed them both!
Julie says
Made this for Easter. Colorful, delicious, easy. Loved the lemon zest and slices. Next time I’ll put a lemon slice on top of the fish for extra flavor. Served with lemon risotto – perfect! Thank you MB!!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed both recipe, Julia! Thanks for the great review!
Meghan says
Can you use frozen cod for this recipe?
Hi Meghan! We haven’t tried this recipe with frozen cod (only thawed), so we cannot guarantee results!
Alison says
So easy and good! Followed the recipe and used walleye instead of cod because that’s what I had on-hand. Served with the lemon risotto – will absolutely make again!!
YUM. That combo sounds perfect! So glad you enjoyed both recipes, Alison!
Amy G. says
Thank you for this colorful and delicious spring recipe!
Yay! Thank YOU for the wonderful review, Amy!