Healthy Oven Baked Cod Recipe

Name: Healthy Oven Baked Cod Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Ingredients: 16 oz cod loin, cut into two equal portions ((adjust according to amount of servings needed)); 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 10 oz baby kale salad; 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes; 2 tbsp finely sliced red onion; 10 baby carrots, sliced into medallions, OR one large carrot sliced into medallions; 4 hard boiled eggs, quartered; 2 tsp dried dill; 2 tsp garlic powder; 2 small handfuls of microgreens (I used purple radish microgreens); 1 small pinch of chives (optional); 1 1/2 tsp anchovy paste; 1 garlic clove, minced or pressed through garlic press; 2 large egg yolks; 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice; 1 tsp dijon mustard; 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1/2 cup sunflower oil (or vegetable oil); fresh ground black pepper

This healthy oven baked cod recipe is so simple and tasty! Flaky cod fish is sprinkled with seasonings, and is then placed in the oven to bake while you make the simple salad. It’s one of the best cod recipes baked in the oven because it only takes a few minutes to prep and is SUPER healthy!

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A large bowl of salad with a piece of cooked dill cod fish, with chopped hard boiled eggs, baby kale, tomatoes and microgreens in the salad. There is a homemade caesar salad dressing in the background

What Does This Baked Cod Recipe Taste Like?

Soft baby kale is tossed with bright, raw red onion, juicy tomatoes and crunchy sliced carrots for the perfect balance of textures and acidity.

Solid warm hard boiled eggs finish the greens and provide this dinner salad recipe with more filling protein.

The lean and flaky cod is hearty yet delicate, and is carefully laid over the bed of salad.

Homemade lemony Caesar salad dressing is drizzled over the salad with fish for a creamy and bright finish.

An overhead shot of a large bowl of salad with a piece of cooked dill cod fish, with chopped hard boiled eggs, baby kale, tomatoes and microgreens in the salad. There is a homemade caesar salad dressing in the background

How To Cook Cod

Do you only have 5 minutes to prep? No problem! This healthy fish dinner is SO easy to make! Scroll down to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and instructions.

For the baked cod fillets, pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. 400 degrees F is the best temperature for baking cod. Sprinkle the top and sides of the cod with dried dill and garlic powder. Place it on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and place in the oven.
How long to bake cod? Cook it until the fish is flaky and cooked through, about 12-15 minutes, depending on the size and thickness.
Prepare the salad. Toss baby kale with red onion, carrots and tomatoes. Place chopped hard boiled eggs around the boarder of the serving bowl.
Make the homemade Caesar salad dressing: place egg yolks, minced garlic, lemon juice, mustard and anchovy paste in a dressing bowl and whisk until combined. Gradually begin adding the oil while continuing to whisk until the dressing is thick and emulsified.
When the fish is done cooking, remove the baking sheet from the oven and carefully place the cod the center of the salad. Top the salad with microgreens and chives, and serve with the caesar salad dressing! Enjoy!

A piece of uncooked cod fish sprinkled with oil and dill on a parchment paper lined baking sheet

A piece of cooked cod fish sprinkled with dill herb on a parchment paper lined baking sheet

What Makes This A Healthy Dinner Salad?

This unique and filling salad is not just a pretty plate! It is LOADED with nutrients to fuel your body and keep you energized!

Baby Kale	Kale is a super food that is extremely nutrient rich. One cup has 134% daily value of vitamin C, 684% daily value of vitamin K, 206% daily value of vitamin A (from beta-carotene) and so much more! The antioxidants found in kale have been found to have anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and potential anti-cancer properties. Read more HERE
Lemon Juice	One lemon has 30.7 mg of vitamin C! That’s a little under half of the daily recommended value! Lemon juice also helps to improve the absorption of iron from plant foods. Feel free to squeeze a little extra into your caesar dressing for more vitamin C!
Microgreens	Just because we use them as a salad topper doesn’t mean they don’t provide loads of healthy benefits! Many microgreens can be found to have zinc, magnesium, potassium and iron. They aid the body in fighting free radicals with their antioxidants, and micro greens nutrients are highly concentrated when compared to mature greens, meaning they contain more of the recommended daily amount of vital nutrients.
Cod Fish	The star of this salad is also SO good for you! 4 oz of cod has only 138 calories and can contain a whopping 24 grams of protein! Cod is actually fairly low in mercury, contains b vitamins and is a good source of vital minerals like phosphorus and selenium.
Eggs	Eggs, similar to cod, are also high in b vitamins and protein. Just one egg contains 6 grams of protein! They also contain choline, an important nutrient that many people are deficient in.

I am not a doctor or a dietitian. Please consult with your doctor before making any changes to your diet.

An overhead ingredients shot including a blue plate filled with raw cod loin, cherry tomatoes, a red bowl of microgreens, a wooden bowl filled with baby kale, a chopped red onion, baby carrots, 4 hard boiled eggs, chives, lemon and spices

When TO Serve This Healthy Cod Recipe

It’s beautiful and bright, so it makes a great salad for:

A springtime or summertime salad, as many of the ingredients are in season then. Eating seasonally not only tastes better, but it helps to support sustainability in our farming system. When food doesn’t have to travel far to get where it is going (aka eating locally and in season), it has a higher nutrient content and has the potential to stay fresh longer.

A healthy post-workout meal. It’s loaded with protein, so its fantastic for your muscles after a workout.

A beginners Mediterranean diet recipe! Many people struggle with increasing their fish consumption on a Mediterranean diet, so this recipe is a great place to start since its so easy to make!

Here is another Mediterranean baked cod recipe that you might enjoy!

Mediterranean Baked Cod Recipe

Golden cod fish is baked in a large skillet with green olives, red onion, tomatoes and parsley, and is then topped with feta cheese in this simple and delicious Mediterranean baked cod recipe! It’s healthy, colorful and ready in 30 minutes! This is definitely going to be one of the best cod recipes that you …

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the caesar salad dressing without anchovies?

You can definitely omit the anchovies if you want to. But when used properly, they can really elevate a dish. To be quite honest, Caesar salad dressing tastes nothing like plain anchovies. If you have ever had Caesar salads at a restaurant, then you have likely already had caesar salad dressing with anchovies! So I say put your preconceived notions about anchovies to the side and give it a try with the anchovy paste! But it’s totally up to you.

Is it okay that the dressing has raw eggs in it?

Similarly to the above question, if you have had caesar salad dressing at a restaurant than you likely already had raw eggs in your dressing. That is how it is traditionally made. In California, it was actually illegal to consume Caesar salad for a while because of this exact reason! The law was remediated in 1998, and Caesar salad is now thriving again on the west coast. The choice is really up to you. If you are worried about consuming raw eggs, then it is totally acceptable to use store bought dressing, or to make your own without eggs.

Baby kale vs regular kale?

If you put the two together, you wouldn’t even think they were from the same plant! The same goes for their texture and flavor. I like baby kale for salads like this because it is soft, easy to eat and the flavor doesn’t overpower the fish. But regular kale is totally fine too! Just note that it will be much denser, with a stronger, more bitter flavor. To soften it, try massaging it with your hands, or quickly blanching it (then drying).

Is this salad Mediterranean diet friendly?

It can be! Every ingredient, with the exception of eggs, is Mediterranean diet friendly. Eggs are encouraged to be consumed in moderation, along with dairy. So it is up to you if you want to include them when you make it.

Can I Use Frozen Cod Fillets?

You definitely can! Safely thaw them, and and pat them dry before using.

What’s The Difference Between A Cod Fillet & A Cod Loin?

COD FILLET – Cod fillets are vertical cuts from the body. They start at the backbone and work down towards the belly. They tend to be long and triangular in shape, and have different thicknesses.If you purchase a cod fillet, you will need to cut it into equal pieces, and bear in mind that some pieces will cook quicker than others.
COD LOIN – Cod loins are thick cut fillets from larger fish (cod can get up to 200 pounds!). They tend to be uniform in thickness and comprise of the main section of a fillet above the fish’s lateral line, which starts at a fish’s head and ends behind their dorsal fin.

A clear glass gravy jar filled with caesar salad dressing, with a brass bowl of microgreens next to it and a large serving bowl of salad in the background

How To Store Baked Cod Salad

Since we use raw eggs in the homemade dressing, I would not recommend keeping the dressing past 24 hours. To store it, place it in an airtight dressing jar or container in the refrigerator.

Baked cod also does not keep well past 24 hours, so store the cooked fish separately from the salad in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. But I recommend eating it right away.

To Serve It For A Family Or Gathering

This is a salad recipe for two, but to serve it for a family of four, just double the recipe! You may not need as much kale, especially if you are serving it as an appetizer dish.

A close up shot of a large serving bowl filled with baby kale salad, with chopped hard boiled eggs, cherry tomatoes, chives, microgreens and baked cod fish covered in dill over the top

More Healthy Recipes

Here are a few more healthy recipes that you might enjoy!

Did you make this easy cod recipe? It would mean so much to me if you would rate it below the recipe card and tag me in your creation on Instagram so I can admire your work! @RecipeHippie

Healthy Oven Baked Cod Recipe

In this healthy protein forward baked cod recipe, flaky cod fish is prepped in less than 3 minutes and is baked in the oven while you make the simple salad and dressing!

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 12

Course Dinner, lunch

Cuisine American, Mediterranean

Servings 2

Ingredients

16 oz cod loin, cut into two equal portions (adjust according to amount of servings needed)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
10 oz baby kale salad
3/4 cup cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp finely sliced red onion
10 baby carrots, sliced into medallions, OR one large carrot sliced into medallions
4 hard boiled eggs, quartered
2 tsp dried dill
2 tsp garlic powder
2 small handfuls of microgreens (I used purple radish microgreens)
1 small pinch of chives (optional)

Ingredients For Caesar Salad Dressing

1 1/2 tsp anchovy paste
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed through garlic press
2 large egg yolks
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup sunflower oil (or vegetable oil)
fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Prepare the cod: Place the cod fillets on a parchment lined baking sheet, and sprinkle the top and sides with the dried dill and garlic powder. Drizzle with about 1 tbsp of olive oil per fillet, and place the baking sheet in the oven. Cook until the cod is fully cooked through and flaky, which is about 12-15 minutes, depending on size and thickness.
Prepare the salad: Toss baby kale with red onion, carrots and tomatoes. Place chopped hard boiled eggs around the boarder of the serving bowl.
Make the dressing: Place egg yolks, minced garlic, lemon juice, mustard and anchovy paste in a dressing bowl and whisk until combined, about 60 seconds of hand whisking. Gradually begin adding the olive oil while continuing to whisk until the dressing is thick and fully emulsified. Do the same thing for the vegetable oil. Taste and adjust lemon, salt/pepper as needed.
Plate: When the fish is done cooking, carefully place the cod fillets in the center of the salad. Top the salad with microgreens and chives, and serve with the caesar salad dressing! Enjoy!

Notes

To Store It

Since we use raw eggs in the homemade dressing, I would not recommend keeping the dressing past 24 hours. To store it, place it in an airtight dressing jar or container in the refrigerator.
Fish also does not keep well past 24 hours, so store the cooked fish separately from the salad in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. But I recommend eating it right away.

Keyword baked cod, healthy cod recipe