American · main

Lemon Butter Baked Cod

Lemon Butter Baked Cod reads citrus 7.9, sourness 7.2 and fruity 6.4 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a American main, about 18 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 5.1 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 6.7 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 10.0 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 0.9 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.7 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.4 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Citrus 7.9 · Sourness 7.2 · Fruity 6.4 · Richness 5.6 · Umami 4.5 · Allium 3.8 · Salinity 3.7 · Marine & Briny 2.7 · Herbaceous 2.6 · Floral 1.7 · Heat 1.6 · Warm Spice 1.6 · Sweetness 1.0 · Bitterness 0.8 · Earthy 0.7

What's in it (10)

• cod fillets — 680 g
• salt — 5 g
• black pepper — 3 g
• paprika — 3 g
• unsalted butter — 68 g
• garlic — 12 g
• lemon — 65 g
• red chili flakes — 1 g
• parsley — 7 g
• lemon — 65 g

Time & effort: about 18 min (15 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 225.2 kcal, 47.4 g protein, 8 g fat, 2.1 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking dish with foil or butter it lightly. Pat the cod fillets completely dry with paper towels, then season both sides with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, the pepper, and the paprika.
2. In a small skillet over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant and just turning golden at the edges, about 1 minute — pull the skillet off the heat right away so it doesn't burn.
3. Stir half the lemon zest into the garlic butter, then arrange the cod fillets in the prepared baking dish and spoon the garlic butter evenly over each fillet.
4. Lay 4-5 lemon slices over and around the fillets, then bake until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork and reads 145°F on an instant-read thermometer, 12-15 minutes depending on thickness.
5. For the last 1-2 minutes of baking, switch the oven to broil to lightly color the tops of the fillets and the lemon slices — watch closely so they don't scorch.
6. Remove the dish from the oven and immediately drizzle the fillets with the fresh lemon juice and the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter, letting the residual heat marry the sauce.
7. Scatter the remaining lemon zest and half the parsley over the fish, then let rest 2 minutes before plating; spoon the warm pan sauce over each portion and finish with the remaining parsley.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Pan-Seared Halibut with Brown Butter — American
• Sheet Pan Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Asparagus — American
• Lemon Pepper Baked Tilapia with Rice — American
• Baked Salmon with Brown Butter Breadcrumbs — American
• Cajun Blackened Catfish — Southern

Keep reading: what citrus, sourness, fruity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.