Nothing could be quicker or easier than this simple recipe for oven-baked cod in butter. Add lemon if you like, but Icelanders prefer their cod plain and sweet, served over a mound of mashed potatoes to catch every golden drop of butter. This dish is sometimes referred to as "Poor Man's Lobster."
The butter-baked cod we ate on our trip to Iceland changed my "I hate fish" husband into a fan of the finny food. Hooray! You might call this experience a "cod send" because I love fish! My mom was born and raised in Iceland, so I naturally developed a love for all things seafood!
Here is a simple and quick method for baking perfectly delicious cod in butter, just like they do in Iceland, where fish is the main protein served at nearly every meal.
Some people think they don't like fish, but it's often because they've never learned to cook it properly. Even restaurants don't always cook fish properly, especially in landlocked parts of the country.
Much of the fish served in restaurants is overcooked, resulting in a dry, rubbery texture. Thankfully, cooking fish the right way is a simple culinary skill that's easy to learn.
Atlantic Cod is "the fish" in Iceland. It is the most important marine resource in Icelandic waters. It is of huge economic importance in Iceland. Salted cod was featured on the Icelandic coat of arms for several centuries.
Cod is the perfect choice for this recipe for several reasons:
Today, fish is flash-frozen at its freshest and most nutritious possible moment. Many commercial fishing companies have state-of-the-art facilities for freezing fish right on the boat, minutes after the catch. This method is also used for ocean-caught fish and farm-raised fish.
Having some frozen fish on hand in your freezer is extremely convenient! That way, you don't have to make a special trip to the store to buy "fresh" fish when you are hungry for butter baked cod.
Fish is easy to defrost, and many types can be cooked directly from the freezer to the oven without thawing. If you have some fish in your freezer, you can quickly get a meal on the table because fish does not require long cooking times.
Frozen fish is often less expensive than fresh fish, especially if you live in the middle of the country, as I do. (In today's economy, we need to consider every possible advantage for saving money on groceries.)
Not all "fresh" fish is actually fresh. Some fish on display in the grocery store case have been frozen and then defrosted. A reputable grocer will label it that way. Be sure to ask how long the fish has been on ice.
This list contains only highlights from an excellent article about fresh vs. frozen fish from the always smart and dependable website, The Spruce Eats. I love them! For more information, please refer to their informative post here.
Yes! You can substitute several white-fleshed, mild-flavored fish that behave similarly when cooked. Some alternatives include:
It usually takes about 20 minutes, depending on the filet's thickness. Remove it from the oven when the fish flakes easily with a knife tip and begins to "sweat" a little.
Your best friend for cooking fish to optimum perfection is an instant-read thermometer. Do not overcook the fish. The number one mistake in preparing fish is overcooking it. The delicate fish dries out if cooked for too long, becoming tough.
Stop cooking when the internal temperature reaches 140°F. Remember, after removing the fish from the oven, it will continue to cook for a little while.
Let it stand until it reaches 145 degrees, the recommended optimal temperature for serving fish. If you don't have a thermometer, test by inserting a fork into the thickest part of the fillet and twisting it slightly. The fish should look opaque and flake easily.
This dish pairs well with rice and coleslaw, or a simple green salad. Roasted vegetables are a great compliment and add beautiful color to the plate.
In Iceland, this tender buttery fish is almost always served on a mound of mashed potatoes to catch every golden drop of butter. Here is how I make them when we have this dish for dinner. Note: The fish cooks quickly, so start the potatoes first. Here is my not-so-secret method, along with some tips, for perfect garlic mashed potatoes!
Peel and cut 2 pounds of russet potatoes into small pieces. Place them in a pot with a teaspoon of salt and just enough water to cover them, and cook over medium heat until tender. Then, drain them thoroughly. This process should take about twenty minutes.
While the potatoes are still hot, put half a stick of butter (or more), about a half cup of milk, and a teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon Roasted Garlic Base (add more to taste if you like) in the pot, put the lid back on, and let it all melt. (I'm shameless about how much butter I use in mashed potatoes.)
Use a hand masher, and don't whip them—season to taste with salt and pepper. This recipe makes about four servings. Just look at all the yummy butter-cradling nooks and crannies! 😍 The texture proves, without a doubt, that they are homemade!
I use a lightly sprayed glass baking dish for this recipe. Cut the cod into serving-size pieces and pour one-half cup of melted butter over the fish.
Sprinkle liberally with salt, pepper, and paprika, then bake at 375°F for 15 to 20 minutes. Melt another half cup of butter to drizzle over the fish and potatoes. Garnish with parsley.
I like to use pasta bowls when we have butter baked cod because they're perfect for containing all the goodness of the melted butter. I suggest the very simplest steamed vegetable as a side dish. Fresh asparagus, broccoli, or green beans would all be beautiful, colorful, and nutritious additions to the plate.
Here is a photo of the baked cod left over after my husband and I were served. Look how moist and flaky the fish is. (No worries, he always finishes the potatoes!😉) Cod is such a mild fish; the leftovers would be perfect in fish tacos or for stuffing a baked potato.
Here is a simple and quick way to bake cod in butter like made in Iceland, where fish is the main protein served at every meal.
See the post for other types of fish you can use in place of cod.
Here is my recipe for classic, country-style garlic mashed potatoes. These potatoes are not diet food.😉
Here is my recipe for classic, country-style garlic mashed potatoes. These potatoes are not diet food.
The oven time is so short in this recipe that it's perfect for busy nights, and the leftovers? Those crisp fish tacos will amaze you! I always say food is my favorite dish! What does that leave out? Not much! Here are some of my personal favorite recipes from GB's Kitchen. By the way, there's an actual GB's kitchen tucked away in my little house in Nebraska!
From my humble Nebraska kitchen to yours—thanks for cooking along with me. If you make this butter baked cod, I’d love to hear how it turned out. A quick rating and short comment help other home cooks find recipes that really work.
Real food. Real kitchen. Real easy.
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Absolutely delicious, and easy!
Thank you! I love it and what's most amazing, my husband does, too!! So glad you enjoyed it!
For the record, I HATE fish with every fiber of my being, but the hubs begged and I found your recipe. I LOVE this fish to the point of leaving vegetables on my plate to have more. You have changed my life! Thank you so much for this delicious recipe!!!!
I love comments like yours with every fiber of MY being! You made me laugh and made my day! You make me want to keep writing! Thank you, thank you for taking time to share your comment; to me it is pure gold! I'm so glad you found a way to enjoy fish!
i really want to try this recipe, but i'm thinking 1 1/2 lbs of cod might be too much for the two of us. (with the price of pretty much any kind of fish these days, i'd hate for some of it to go to waste.) can you think of any reason why i couldn't just halve all the ingredients?
or do you think leftovers could be reheated, covered, in a slow oven without the fish becoming overdone?
as ever, thank you for your help, betty!
(P.S.: i love potatoes but a melange of steamed broccoli, zucchini & summer squash would be a nice colorful side dish, or steamed sliced carrots & matchstick parsnips, sprink sprinked with dill.)
You can certainly cut the recipe in half! I forget if you are one who doesn't like using a microwave but it's a great way to reheat fish- I use 50% power. If you use the oven, yes, definitely cover it and use a very slow oven- like 200 degrees. Overcooked fish is never good.
thank you, betty. i don't like a microwave for major cooking - i prefer "hands on" as cooking is sort of a hobby & i'm usually not in a hurry, plus sometimes it seems like cooking is uneven (ex: hard areas in a baked potato) - but i do certainly use it for leftovers. i think the micto i use is not fancy enough to have 50% option.....altho maybe if i read the owner's manual.....
i think a 200 degree oven would work well enough, esp. if i took fish out of the refrigerator a little ahead of time so it was not still chilled going into the stove - and kept a close eye on it. i think i'm going to try the recipe!