How to Cook Cod Fillets

Cod is a popular white fish that is meaty and contains very few bones. It's a versatile fish that can be cooked in a number of ways that include pan-frying, broiling, and poaching. Although cod is high in cholesterol, it is low in saturated fat, high in Omega 3 oil and an excellent source of vitamins and minerals.[1] If you want to know how to cook cod fillets in a number of ways, just follow these steps.

Ingredients

Pan Fried Cod Fillets

  • 2 cod fillets (total of 1 lb. or 450 g)
  • 1/4 c. (59 ml) milk
  • 1/2 c. (30 g) cornmeal
  • 1 tsp. (4.7 g) black pepper
  • 1 tsp. (4.7 g) salt
  • 2 tbs. (30 ml) vegetable oil
  • Half juiced lemon
  • 4 sprigs parsley
  • 1 tsp. (4.7 g) chili powder (optional)

Broiled Cod Fillets

  • 2 cod fillets (total of 1 lb. or 450 g)
  • 1 tsp. (4.7 g) black pepper
  • 1 tsp. (4.7 g) salt
  • 2 tbs. (30 ml) butter, melted
  • 1 tsp. (4.7 g) paprika
  • 1 tsp. (4.7 g) dill weed
  • Half juiced lemon
  • 3 lemon wedges
  • 3 sprigs dill

Poached Cod Fillets

  • 6 cups cold water
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 3 thinly-sliced medium shallots
  • 3 sliced medium red potatoes
  • 1 sliced medium carrot
  • 2 tbsp. kosher salt
  • 2 medium bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp. black peppercorns
  • 4 (6 oz.) cod fillets
  • 1/2 sliced medium lemon
  • 6 chopped parsley sprigs

Baked Cod Fillets

  • 2 cod fillets (total of 1 lb. or 450 g)
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/8 tsp. white pepper
  • Paprika to taste
Method 1
Method 1 of 4:

Pan Fried Cod Fillets

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    Prepare the cod fillets. Rinse them under running water for a few minutes and pat them dry with a paper towel to absorb any excess water.
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    Pour the milk into a shallow dish.
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    Soak the fillets in the milk for 15 minutes. The milk takes away strong “fishy” odors.
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    Combine the cornmeal, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. You can transfer the seasoned meal to a plate if you don’t have a suitable bowl. It's easier to coat the fillets with the cornmeal in a shallow bowl or a plate.
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    Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium-high heat for about 3 minutes.
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    Dredge the milk-soaked fillets in the seasoned cornmeal. Turn them over several times so that each side is completely coated with the cornmeal.
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    Fry the fillets for 5 minutes on each side.
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    Transfer the fillets to a serving platter.
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    Drizzle with lemon juice.
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    Garnish with fresh parsley, and enjoy.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 4:

Broiled Cod Fillets

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    1
    Prepare the cod fillets. Rinse them under running water for a few minutes and pat then dry with a paper towel to absorb any excess water.
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    Preheat your broiler on high.
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    Spray your broiler pan with a spray cooking oil. This will prevent the fish from sticking to the pan. You can also line the pan with aluminum foil.
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    After rinsing the fillets under running water for several minutes, place the fillets on the broiler pan.
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    Coat the fillets with the melted butter using a pastry brush.
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    Drizzle the lemon juice over the fillets.
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    Sprinkle the salt, pepper and paprika on the fillets.
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    Top each fillet with dill weed.
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    Place the broiler pan under the broiler (about 4” (10 cm) from the heating element.)
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    Broil the fish for 5 minutes. The cod is done when it flakes easily when pierced with a fork.
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    Transfer the fillets to a serving platter. Use a spatula—the fish will be tender and flaky.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 4:

Poached Cod Fillets

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    1
    Prepare the cod fillets. Rinse them under running water for a few minutes and pat them dry with a paper towel to absorb any excess water.
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    2
    Combine the water, wine, shallots, potatoes, carrot, salt, bay leaves, and peppercorns in a large, shallow-sided pot.
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    Bring the ingredients to a boil over high heat.
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    Reduce the heat to low until the liquid begins to simmer.
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    Add the cod fillets to the liquid in a single layer. Make sure that the fillets are completely covered with liquid.
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    Poach the cod fillets until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily. This should take about 7 minutes. The internal temperature of the cod fillets should be 175ºF. The vegetables should also be tender when poked with a fork.
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    Serve. Place one cod fillet in each bowl and divide the veggies and broth evenly among the four bowls. Garnish the dish with the sliced lemon and chopped parsley.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 4:

Baked Cod Fillets

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    Prepare the cod fillets. Rinse them under running water for a few minutes and pat them dry with a paper towel to absorb any excess water.
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    Preheat your oven to 350ºF (176ºC).
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    Mix the butter and lemon juice. Stir the melted butter and lemon juice together in a small bowl until the ingredients are completely combined and you've made a smooth butter mixture.[2]
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    Mix the flour, salt, and white pepper together in a different bowl. Do the same with these ingredients until you've made a smooth flour mixture.
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    Dip the cod fillets into the butter mixture and then coat the fish with the flour mixture. The butter will make the flour mixture stick to the fish. Gently shake the fish to remove any excess mixture.
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    Place the fish in an 8" x 8" x 2" (20 cm x 20 cm x 5 cm) ungreased square baking dish.
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    Pour the remaining butter mixture over the fish. Sprinkle the fish with paprika to taste.
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    Bake the cod fillets uncovered for 25-30 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
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    Serve. Garnish this fish with parsley sprigs and lemon slices and enjoy it while its warm.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    What is the baking time and temp for cod fillets?
    Michele
    Michele
    Top Answerer
    350°F (176°C) for 25 - 30 minutes.
  • Question
    How much butter and lemon juice?
    Michele
    Michele
    Top Answerer
    It's a matter of personal preference. You don't want to drown the cod in either.
  • Question
    Is frozen cod as good as fresh?
    Michele
    Michele
    Top Answerer
    Fresh is always preferable, but frozen will do as well. For best results, defrost in the refrigerator before cooking.
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Warnings

  • Always keep fish refrigerated until you are ready to prepare it for cooking. Don’t freeze fish for longer than 3 months, and never re-freeze fish after you have defrosted it.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
  • Cod fillets don’t have very many bones, but take care when eating the fillets so that you don’t choke on a small bone.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
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Things You’ll Need

  • Shallow bowls for soaking and dredging
  • Medium sized skillet
  • Broiler pan
  • Pastry brush

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References

  1. ↑ http://www.capelinks.com/cape-cod/main/entry/some-codfish-facts/
  2. ↑ http://www.food.com/recipe/lemon-baked-cod-135272

About This Article

JoAnna Minneci
Co-authored by:
JoAnna Minneci
Professional Chef
This article was co-authored by JoAnna Minneci. JoAnna Minneci is a Professional Chef based in the Nashville, Tennessee area. With more than 18 years of experience, Chef JoAnna specializes in teaching others how to cook through private cooking lessons, team-building events, and wellness and nutrition classes. She has also appeared in numerous television shows on networks such as Bravo and Food Network. Chef JoAnna received Culinary Arts training from the Art Institute of California at Los Angeles. She is also certified in sanitation, nutrition, kitchen management, and cost control. This article has been viewed 1,165,726 times.
3 votes - 100%
Co-authors: 22
Updated: March 12, 2023
Views: 1,165,726
Categories: Fish and Seafood
Article SummaryX

Pan frying is one of the easiest ways to cook cod fillets. Rinse your fillets under cool, running water for a few minutes and pat them dry with a paper towel. Soak the fillets in a dish of milk for about 15 minutes to give them a sweeter, mellower flavor. In a shallow bowl, whisk together ½ cup (30 g) of cornmeal, 1 tsp (4.7 g) of black pepper, and 1 tsp (4.7 g) of salt and set it aside. Heat 2 tbsp (30 mL) of vegetable oil in a frying pan for about 3 minutes over medium-high heat. At the same time, coat the outside of each fillet in the cornmeal mixture. When the fillets are completely coated, place them in the frying pan. Fry them for 5 minutes on each side, then transfer them to a serving dish. Drizzle your fillets with lemon juice, sprinkle on a garnish of fresh parsley, and enjoy! If you want to learn more, like how to poach or broil your cod, keep reading!

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