• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Food Banjo

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Air Fryer Recipes
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Air Fryer Recipes
    • Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
    • Air Fryer Salmon Recipes
    • Air Fryer Vegetable Recipes
    • Air Fryer Dessert Recipes
    • Air Fryer Breakfast Recipes
  • Air Fryer Guide
  • About
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Air Fryer Recipes
    • Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
    • Air Fryer Salmon Recipes
    • Air Fryer Vegetable Recipes
    • Air Fryer Dessert Recipes
    • Air Fryer Breakfast Recipes
  • Air Fryer Guide
  • About
×
Home » Dinner

Baked Cod with a Lemon Herb Butter Sauce

Published: Jun 11, 2019 · Last Updated: Dec 31, 2023 by Aimee - This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

This baked cod with a lemon butter herb sauce is so easy to make. A simple seafood weeknight dinner that seems much fancier than it is, but is extremely delicious. An easy dinner for two!

Cod with a Lemon Butter Shallot Sauce and a black fork.

Baked cod is such an easy, delicious fish to make. Every time it turns out flaky and delicious.

And the taste of cod is mild, so it easily takes on flavors from other foods! In this recipe, I paired it with a lemon butter shallot sauce that brings bright flavors. The parsley adds a beautiful touch of green.

It's a delicious seafood pescatarian meal for any time of the year. Have it in summer with a nice glass of white wine and a side salad or grilled veggie, or have it in winter to bring in some bright flavors.

Ingredients:

  • Cod filets
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Unsalted butter
  • Shallots
  • Chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
  • Lemon (zest and juice)
  • Thyme sprigs

What to serve with the lemon cod

I love serving this cod dish with a simple arugula salad, or alongside some delicious veggies like oven roasted asparagus, roasted green beans, harissa tomatoes, or even peri peri rice.

Recipe tips:

  • Get your timing right! Know that the herb butter sauce takes about 8-10 minutes to make, so try to time it to be ready for a few minutes after the fish comes out of the oven. That way your fish has a chance to rest for a couple of minutes, but doesn't get cold.
  • Watch your shallots carefully when you add them to the sauce. The first time I made this, I started to burn the shallots. Oops. Don't be like me.
  • Serve with lemons at the end! I liked a little more lemony flavor with mine, so it was nice to have a lemon half to squeeze over the fish. Josh thought it was perfect the way it was, so he didn't bother with the extra lemon. It's nice to give your dining guests an option!
  • Don't forget to remove the thyme sprigs from the sauce before plating!
Cod with arugula salad on the side.

Can you use frozen cod?

Yes! Just let it thaw ahead of time, so it's all thawed and there are not any frozen parts prior to cooking. The recommended way is usually to thaw in the refrigerator.

Can you use other fish, like salmon or trout?

Absolutely. I like to try out different fish. I think the flavors would pair well with salmon and trout, and also any flaky white fish. I also think the sauce would go well served over shrimp, if you want to go that route.

I don't have fresh thyme, can I use dried?

You CAN, but dried thyme sometimes has that harder texture which can be weird with a flaky fish. If you don't have fresh thyme, you may want to substitute out another herb, or use dried tarragon, dried parsley, or dried oregano.

cod with a parsley sauce up close.
Cod with a Lemon Butter Shallot Sauce and a lemon half

Other seafood recipes to try:

  • Pan fried salmon with roasted veggies
  • Garlic butter shrimp scampi
  • Panko crusted cod
  • Salmon cooked in parchment
  • Air fryer blackened cod
  • Air fryer salmon
  • Air fryer cod

Recipe adapted from Food and Wine magazine.

Cod with a Lemon Butter Shallot Sauce

Baked Cod with a Lemon Herb Butter Sauce

Recipe by Aimee
This baked cod with a lemon butter herb sauce is so easy to make. A simple weeknight dinner that seems much fancier than it is, but is extremely delicious. An easy dinner for two!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins
Course low carb, Main Course, Seafood
Cuisine American
Servings 2
Calories 551 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 6-8 oz cod filets
  • ½ tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • ½ cup unsalted butter 4 oz
  • 2 tablespoon shallots minced
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
  • 2 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 4 thyme sprigs
  • 2 lemon halves

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven at 400 degrees F. In an ovenproof dish, coat the bottom with olive oil so the fish doesn't stick. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the fish. Once oven is preheated, add the fish to the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
  • While fish is baking, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the shallot and cook 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not let shallot burn.
  • Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, and thyme sprigs. Stir to combine, then let sit for 5 minutes. Remove thyme leaves.
  • Once fish is done, let rest for 2-3 minutes, then spoon the herb butter sauce over the fish. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Serve with lemon halves, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 551kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 22gFat: 50gSaturated Fat: 30gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 171mgSodium: 74mgPotassium: 604mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 2198IUVitamin C: 32mgCalcium: 67mgIron: 2mg

If nutrition info is shown, values are based on an online calculator and are estimates. Please verify using your own data.

Tried this recipe?Tag @foodbanjo on Instagram and share your photos!
« Icebox Limeade Pie with Cool Whip
Lemon Drop Mocktail »

Reader Interactions

5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hello!

foodbanjo-authors
Hi! I'm Aimee, and I'm so glad you stopped by! I love sharing easy recipes that are flavorful and delicious.
Read more about Food Banjo!

Air Fryer

Air fryer pesto shrimp

Air Fryer Pesto Shrimp

Feta stuffed mini peppers topped with basil.

Air Fryer Stuffed Mini Peppers

Air fryer bell peppers on a plate

Air Fryer Bell Peppers

Air fried boneless pork chops

Air Fryer Boneless Pork Chops

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Nutrition Disclaimer

Recipes

  • Air fryer recipes
  • Ninja Creami recipes
  • Recipes for one
  • Recipes for two

Follow us

  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 Food Banjo® and Raspberry Picnic LLC

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.