Cod with Lemon Butter and Crumbs
- Yield
- 2 servings
Cod fillets bake beneath lemon-garlic butter, parsley and a light layer of panko crumbs.
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Ingredients
Batches and reset
2 servings · US measures · 1 batch
Batching
Bake one batch of fillets in each 9 by 13-inch pan with space between the pieces; for a larger yield, use a second pan. Oven temperature, the 145°F (63°C) endpoint and the time range do not multiply with ingredient quantities.
Original recipe: 2 servings.
Extra salt tasted into the herb butter is excluded from the base nutrition scenario. Fine salt is the selected salt. Nutrition is incomplete because the butter left on the foil and the panko composition are not established.
Before you start
- Read through the recipe before heating the oven. Gather the baking pan, foil, paper towels, small bowl, fork, thermometer and the measured ingredients.
Directions
Read and gather
For the whole recipe
Read through the recipe and gather the equipment. Use the ingredient lines to prepare and measure everything; leave the butter out until it is soft enough to mash, and keep the cod in the refrigerator until it goes into the pan. Everything is prepared and measured before the oven heats.
Heat the oven and butter the pan
For the pan of fish
Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the middle. Line a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with foil and rub 1 tsp unsalted butter over the foil. The oven is fully heated and the foil is buttered.
Mash the herb butter
For the pan of fish
Mash 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter with 2 tbsp fresh parsley, 1 tsp lemon zest, the garlic, 1/4 tsp fine salt, 1/8 tsp white pepper and 1 tsp fresh lemon juice in the small bowl with a fork until evenly blended.
Taste the herb butter
For the pan of fish
Taste a little of the herb butter. Aim for bright lemon and garlic with a clear salty edge. If it tastes flat, mash in fine salt to taste. The butter is evenly flecked with green.
Set the cod in the pan and top it
For the pan of fish
Set the about 14 oz cod fillets in the buttered pan, spread half of the herb butter over each piece and press 2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs over the butter. The fillets are evenly coated with butter and crumbs.
Bake until the fish flakes
For the pan of fish
Bake on the middle rack at 425°F until the crumbs are golden, an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the fish reads 145°F (63°C) and the flesh is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, about 10 to 14 minutes. Start checking at the shorter time.
Serve right away
For the whole recipe
Serve the cod right away, one fillet per plate, to make 2 servings. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and reheat them gently to 165°F (74°C). The cod is served hot.
About this recipe
Why it works
A thin layer of soft herb butter seasons and bastes the lean fillets as they bake, and the panko on top browns in the hot oven while the fish stays moist.
Associated with
American home cooking
Cod has been a staple food fish for centuries for its mild, flaky white flesh; a compound herb butter and a crumb topping is a common modern way to bake the fillets.
Taste
- Sweet
- Sour
- Salty
- Bitter
- Savory
- Heat
Bright lemon and garlic in the herb butter over mild, sweet cod; the panko adds crunch. · flaky moist fish under a light crisp crumb · hot
Skill level
Easy
One pan and a hot oven; the judgment is pulling the fish when it flakes and reaches 145°F.
Allergens
Contains: milk, fish, wheat
Butter and panko are packaged products: check each label for its own allergen statement.
Diets
Vegetarian: Doesn't fit as writtenVegan: Doesn't fit as writtenPescatarian: Fits as listedDairy: See the allergen linesEgg: See the allergen linesGluten: See the allergen linesFish: See the allergen lines
Occasions
Lenten abstinence days (Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent)
Fish is not meat under Latin-rite abstinence, and no meat is listed.
Serving and keeping
Best served: Right out of the oven Serve one fillet per plate.
Make ahead: Bake and serve the fish right away; the herb butter can be mixed while the oven heats.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Reheated fish dries and the crumbs soften.
Leftovers: Refrigerate within 2 hours, use within 3 to 4 days and reheat gently to 165°F.
Food safety
- Keep the cod refrigerated until it goes into the pan.
- Bake until the thickest part reaches 145°F and the flesh is opaque and flakes with a fork.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F, and reheat them to 165°F.
We make no cross-contact statement for home kitchens. Check packaged ingredient labels.
Nutrition notes
The cod brings most of the protein.
Most of the saturated fat comes from the butter.
The salt and the panko bring most of the sodium; you can season the herb butter more lightly.
Swap notes
unsalted butter · kosher.mainstream
Use: olive oil
What changes: Less rich; the topping is less creamy.; Oil the foil instead of buttering it.
Not a swap: Butter, where your custom does not serve fish with dairy.
garlic
Use: garlic-infused oil
What changes: Milder garlic flavor.
Not a swap: Garlic powder, which is also high-FODMAP.
cod fillets · orthodox.fast_strict
What changes: Fish, butter and oil are all excluded on strict fast days; replacing all three leaves a different dish.
Not a swap: Any fish with a backbone.
These notes don't change the amounts, allergens or nutrition shown for this recipe.
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- Recipe url
- https://isthebestrecipe.com/fish/cod-with-lemon-butter-and-crumbs
- Name
- Cod with Lemon Butter and Crumbs
- Servings
- 2
- Recipe yield
- 2 servings
- Recipe ingredient
- 1 tsp unsalted butter for buttering the foil, 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter softened at room temperature, 2 tbsp fresh parsley minced, 1 tsp lemon zest finely grated, 1 clove garlic minced, 1/4 tsp fine salt, 1/8 tsp white pepper ground, 1 tsp fresh lemon juice, about 14 oz cod fillets in pieces of about 7 ounces each, patted dry with paper towels, 2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
- Copy action wording
- Copy recipe and estimated nutrition
Sources
- Baked Cod with Lemon Herb Butter (recipe page) (Allrecipes (Dotdash Meredith), 2023-03-29)
- Cod as food (Wikipedia (English), 2026-05-30)
- Food Allergies: What You Need to Know (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026-03-11)
- Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA) (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2022-11-29)
- Open Food Facts product 0034500151023: Land O Lakes Unsalted Butter (Open Food Facts (crowd-sourced label transcriptions), 2026-09-17)
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex II: Substances or products causing allergies or intolerances (The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), reproducing the EU regulation, 2011-10-25)
- Leftovers and Food Safety (Internet Archive snapshot 2026-10-08) (USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service)
- Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart (Internet Archive snapshot 2026-10-06) (FoodSafety.gov (U.S. HHS with USDA, FDA, CDC), 2024-11-21)
- Selecting and Serving Fresh and Frozen Seafood Safely (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2025-01-31)
- Four Steps to Food Safety (Internet Archive snapshot 2026-10-04) (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2025-11-24)
- Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2024-09-09)
- Sodium in Your Diet (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2025-02-27)
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Nutrition Values
Nutrition estimates aren’t available for this recipe yet.
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