Baked Cod with Crispy Garlic Herb Panko is one of my go to dinners on busy evenings. Top mild tasting cod with a buttery and crunchy panko topping for a quick and delicious dinner. The whole family will love this recipe!
>>Scroll down for my step by step video<<
This post was first published on amycaseycooks in October 2013. It has been updated with new photos and recipe notes. The recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight dinner or a special weekend supper with friends.
panko crusted cod recipe
When I need a quick dinner on a busy night, seafood is my go-to ingredient. It can be prepared in a variety of ways including baking, poaching, grilling and sautéing. It lends itself well to many ethnic flavors such as Korean Barbecue Shrimp, Italian Mussels Marinara, French Lemon Cod Francese, and Mediterranean Baked Feta and Tomato Shrimp.
And best of all, most seafood cooks in about 10 to 15 minutes no matter which method of cooking you use. An all time family favorite seafood dinner recipe is Baked Cod with Crispy Garlic Herb Panko.
the ingredients for baked cod with panko
Most well stocked pantries will have all the ingredients needed for this delicious seafood entrée. Garlic infused butter and fresh parsley flavor the delicate and crisp panko crumb topping. A squeeze of lemon adds a touch of brightness to dish.
You will need ~
- salted butter
- cod
- lemon
- kosher salt
- pepper
- garlic
- plain panko
- fresh parsley
how to pick fresh fish at the market
A good rule of thumb when buying fish is to make sure it is the freshest available. Get to know your fishmonger. A knowledgeable fish merchant will be invaluable in helping pick the freshest fish. The seafood should not have a fishy or ammonia smell. The fish should be firm to the touch, and the color should be vibrant. If it still has its skin, the scales should be shiny. If there is any liquid surrounding the fish, it should be clear and not milky.
chef cooking tips for making baked cod with panko
In about the time it takes to go to the drive through of your local take out restaurant, you could be enjoying Baked Cod with Crispy Garlic Herb Panko for dinner instead.
- Use any firm fish in this versatile recipe. Options are halibut, haddock, salmon, swordfish, and mahi mahi.
- As soon as the butter melts, turn off the heat. You just want to infuse the butter with the garlic as opposed to sautéing it.
- A digital thermometer is indispensable when cooking fish. Overcooked fish will be dry. Perfectly cooked fish will be moist and opaque and have an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
Only 15 minutes is needed to bake the cod and turn the buttery garlicky panko a crunchy golden brown. Serve with your favorite steamed green vegetable like asparagus or broccoli and this tasty cauliflower rice pilaf.
If you make this easy delicious baked cod with panko recipe, I’d love hearing from you all. Be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ~ I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram. I’ll add the photos to my Insta stories as I love seeing all your creations.
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Baked Cod with Crispy Garlic Herb Panko
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Baked Cod with Crispy Garlic Herb Panko is an easy weeknight dinner. Mild tasting cod is topped with a crispy coating of panko, fresh herbs and garlic for a healthy and delicious dinner.
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons salted butter, divided
- 4 (6 ounce) cod fillets
- 1 lemon, cut in wedges
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup plain panko
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Coat a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with 1 tablespoon of butter. Place the cod in the dish and season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- In a small sauté pan over medium low heat, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. When the butter has melted and just begins to foam, turn off the heat and add the garlic. Let garlic infuse the butter for a minute or so.
- Add the panko and lightly toss until all the butter has been absorbed. Stir in the chopped parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Evenly divide the panko mixture on top of each cod fillet. Press down lightly.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until panko crumbs are golden brown and fish is just cooked through. Using a digital thermometer, the internal temperature of the fish should be 145 degrees F.
- Remove the fish from the oven and serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
- Use any firm fish in this versatile recipe. Options are halibut, haddock, salmon, swordfish, and mahi mahi.
- As soon as the butter melts, turn off the heat. You just want to infuse the butter with the garlic as opposed to sautéing it.
- A digital thermometer is indispensable when cooking fish. Overcooked fish will be dry. Perfectly cooked fish will be moist and opaque and have an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Entree
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece of fish
- Calories: 269
- Sugar: 0.7 g
- Sodium: 504 mg
- Fat: 15.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 9.3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 5.6 g
- Fiber: 0.9 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 92 mg
Keywords: cod recipe, easy fish recipe, panko fish, baked cod, dinner recipe
Great recipe but not so great on sole…meat too thin and cooked through long before panko could brown up. Will add a dash of dill too next time.
★★★★★
Thanks for your comment Dave. I suggest browning the panko along with the butter and garlic ~ just cook it for a few minutes while stirring. And the dill sounds delicious!
This is a dish I always order at a local restaurant here, but never knew how easy it was to make at home! So good..will definitely make again!
★★★★★
Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed my recipe 🙂
We loved this. I used gluten-free panko and it was so simple to make and delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Great substitution for a gluten free recipe ~ so glad you enjoyed my recipe.
Thank you so much for sharing your genius recipe of baked cod with panko! It taste amazing and the recipe is very understandable! Thanks again!
★★★★★
You are welcome! Thanks for your kind compliments 🙂
Usually my cod can come out so flavorless but this was so yummy with the panko crust.
I feel the same way. The recipe is an easy way to get delicious crunchy fish without deep frying.
Delicious and beautiful dish, the whole family loved it! It was simple and easy to prepare, and we loved the crunch from breadcrumbs!
★★★★★
This is the recipe that got my kids to love seafood 🙂
A simple and delicious dish to make for everyone this weekend. I love it and so excited to make this for my family.
★★★★★
Thanks Amy~ we make this one all the time!
The cod came out really great. The whole meal was terrific. The butter-panko -garlic combination is incredible! Thanks so much; it’s a great recipe.
★★★★★
Thanks Jenny! You can’t go wrong with butter and garlic 🙂
What a lovely but easy weeknight meal. I made this oven baked cod for dinner on Friday and we enjoyed it a lot. I’d like to try the panko mixture on some other white fish. I think it would be delicious on sole fillets too!
★★★★★
This fish looks tasty and is recipe I can see paired well with a variety of other dishes or sides. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
This dish is right up my alley, I just so happen to have some halibut that will work really well. It’s meaty, succulent and maybe I will do it in an air fryer!
Thank you so much for the wonderful inspiration!???
★★★★★
This recipe was so easy, and so good. I served it with 7 layer salad and pickled beets. The beets were already made, so the whole dinner came together in 20 minutes. Don’t nibble on fallen breadcrumbs that are overtoasted, the garlic will be bitter. The crumbs on the fish were perfect.
★★★★★
Thanks for your comment Loretta. I love a 7 layer salad!
This is a quick, powerful recipe that tastes fabulous! The panko was buttery and crispy with a garlicky twist. I
learned something new here by turning off the pan when you add the garlic for infusion so it won’t burn. Well hot damn! Thanks for the awesome tip! Didn’t change any ingredients but I did flash I under the broiler for 1.5 minutes which made it perfect! I wanted to take a picture, but we ate it too fast ?. Going to try the panko topping on thin chicken breast ?. Thanks for a straightforward recipe that’s a proven winner in my book. Definitely adding it to our rotation ?
★★★★★
Thanks so much for your comment Lisa. I’m so glad you liked my recipe. Can’t wait to hear how you like it on chicken.
This is so easy and my husband ate every bit of it and he’s not a big fish fan.
★★★★★
That is an awesome review Mary. Thanks for sharing 🙂