Mediterranean Baked Cod with Tomatoes, Olives and Lemon

SEO Title: Mediterranean Baked Cod with Tomatoes, Olives & Lemon

Meta Description: This easy Mediterranean baked cod is loaded with juicy tomatoes, green olives, fresh lemon, garlic, herbs, and olive oil. A flavorful one-pan fish dinner ready in about 30 minutes.

Introduction

There are some dinners that look like you spent all afternoon in the kitchen, even though they’re actually incredibly simple. This Mediterranean baked cod is one of those recipes.

I usually turn to this kind of fish dinner when I want something light but still packed with flavor. The combination of flaky white fish, roasted cherry tomatoes, briny green olives, lemon, garlic, and fresh herbs is honestly hard to beat. As everything bakes together, the tomatoes become wonderfully juicy and the olive oil turns into a delicious pan sauce that you’ll want to spoon over every bite.

It’s also the sort of recipe I make when I don’t feel like dealing with a mountain of dishes. Everything cooks together in one baking dish, which is always a win in my kitchen.

The best part? You can have this Mediterranean baked cod on the table in roughly 30 minutes.

Ingredients

For the Fish

• 2 large cod fillets, about 6–7 ounces each
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Mediterranean Topping

• 1½ cups cherry tomatoes
• ½ cup green olives, pitted
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 2–3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1–2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

How to Make Mediterranean Baked Cod

1. Preheat the oven

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).

Lightly grease a large baking dish with a little olive oil. I like using a dish that’s large enough to give the fish and vegetables some room rather than packing everything tightly together.

2. Prepare the seasoning

In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, minced garlic, paprika, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.

This simple mixture does a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to flavor. Honestly, I like making a little extra because some of it inevitably ends up drizzled over the tomatoes too.

3. Season the fish

Pat the cod fillets dry with paper towels. This helps the seasoning stick and also prevents the fish from becoming unnecessarily watery while baking.

Place the cod in the prepared baking dish and rub the garlic and herb mixture generously over the tops of the fillets.

4. Add the tomatoes, olives, and lemon

Arrange the cherry tomatoes and green olives around the fish.

Tuck the lemon slices between the tomatoes and fish, then scatter the fresh thyme and rosemary over everything.

Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the vegetables.

5. Bake

Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 15–20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your cod fillets.

The fish is ready when it flakes easily with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C).

The tomatoes should be softened and beginning to burst, while the olives and herbs will have flavored the olive oil beautifully.

6. Finish with fresh herbs

Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the fish rest for a couple of minutes.

Sprinkle generously with fresh parsley and, if you like, a little additional lemon juice.

Spoon some of the warm tomato-and-olive juices over the fish before serving.

That little bit of pan sauce is one of my favorite parts of this recipe.

Cooking Tips

Choose thick cod fillets

Try to use fairly thick, evenly sized pieces of cod. Thin pieces can cook much faster and may become dry before the tomatoes have had enough time to roast.

Pat the fish dry first

This small step makes a difference. Removing excess moisture helps the seasoning adhere to the fish and encourages better browning.

Don’t overcook the cod

Cod is naturally lean, so it can go from perfectly flaky to dry surprisingly quickly. Start checking it around the 15-minute mark, especially if your fillets are on the smaller side.

Use fresh lemon

Bottled lemon juice works in a pinch, but fresh lemon slices add much more flavor. The slices also release their juices into the olive oil as they bake.

Add more vegetables if you like

This recipe is very flexible. Bell peppers, zucchini, red onion, artichokes, or spinach can all work nicely with the Mediterranean flavors.

Let the tomatoes do their thing

Don’t worry if some of the cherry tomatoes burst in the oven. That’s exactly what you want. Their juices mix with the olive oil, garlic, lemon, and herbs to create a simple sauce for the fish.

Serving Suggestions

I usually serve this baked cod with something that