Description
This Creamy Baked Cod Recipe features tender cod fillets baked in a rich, garlicky cream sauce topped with seasoned breadcrumbs for a golden, crispy finish. Perfectly flaky and bursting with flavor, it’s an easy yet elegant seafood dinner that pairs beautifully with potatoes, rice, or vegetables.
Ingredients
Scale
Fish and Topping
- 6 cod fillets
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt (or to taste)
- 4 tablespoons butter (melted)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
Cream Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cups whipping cream (or half and half)
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (grated)
- Kosher salt (to taste)
- Black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the cod.
- Prepare the Cream Sauce: In a saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Stir in 3 tablespoons of cornstarch until smooth, then gradually whisk in 2 cups of whipping cream and 1 cup of milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Keep the sauce warm.
- Prepare the Cod Fillets: Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Pat the cod fillets dry with paper towels and place them evenly in the dish. Sprinkle each fillet with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt or to taste.
- Butter and Garlic Brush: Combine 4 tablespoons of melted butter with 2 cloves of minced garlic. Brush this mixture generously over the cod fillets, reserving any leftover butter mixture for later.
- Add Breadcrumbs and Butter: Evenly sprinkle 1/2 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs over the fillets. Drizzle the remaining garlic butter mixture on top of the breadcrumbs.
- Add Cream Sauce: Pour the warm cream sauce into the spaces between the cod fillets, filling the baking dish so that only the tops of the fillets remain visible.
- Bake the Cod: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cream sauce begins to bubble.
- Broil for Golden Top: When the sauce starts bubbling, switch the oven setting to broil. Broil the cod fillets for 3 to 5 minutes, carefully watching to ensure the tops turn golden brown without burning.
- Check Doneness: Confirm the internal temperature of the fish has reached 145 degrees Fahrenheit and that the fillets flake easily with a fork.
- Serve: Remove the dish from the oven and serve the creamy baked cod alongside your choice of potatoes, rice, or vegetables for a complete meal.
Notes
- This recipe consistently produces moist, tender, and flaky cod with a rich, flavorful cream sauce that’s a family favorite.
- Using seasoned breadcrumbs adds a nice texture and seasoning contrast to the creamy sauce.
- Keep a close eye when broiling to prevent the tops from burning as they brown quickly.
- For a lighter option, half and half can be used instead of whipping cream without greatly sacrificing creaminess.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 fillet (approximately 1/6 of recipe)
- Calories: 531 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 764 mg
- Fat: 29 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 41 g
- Cholesterol: 157 mg
