Mediterranean baked cod olives herbs (Printable)

Tender cod fillets baked with tomatoes, olives, lemon, and fresh herbs for a vibrant Mediterranean meal.

# What Goes In:

→ Fish

01 - 4 cod fillets (approximately 5.3 oz each), skinless and boneless
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

04 - 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
06 - 3 garlic cloves, minced

→ Olives & Flavorings

07 - 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
08 - 2 tablespoons capers, drained
09 - Zest of 1 lemon
10 - Juice of 1/2 lemon

→ Herbs

11 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
12 - 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped, plus extra for garnish
13 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano

→ Garnish & Serving

14 - Lemon wedges for serving

# How to Make It:

01 - Set oven temperature to 400°F and allow it to reach full heat.
02 - Pat cod fillets dry with paper towels and season both sides evenly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
03 - Lightly coat a large baking dish with olive oil and arrange cod fillets in a single layer.
04 - In a medium mixing bowl, combine halved cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, minced garlic, halved Kalamata olives, drained capers, lemon zest, lemon juice, chopped parsley, chopped basil, dried oregano, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Gently toss until evenly combined.
05 - Distribute tomato-olive mixture evenly over and around the cod fillets in the prepared baking dish.
06 - Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until cod is opaque throughout and flakes easily when tested with a fork.
07 - Remove from oven and garnish with additional fresh basil. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The fish stays impossibly tender while everything else around it gets jammy and concentrated, creating a one-pan dinner that feels way more involved than it actually is.
  • Those briny olives and capers do all the seasoning heavy lifting, so you taste ocean and herbs instead of relying on salt and spices.
  • It's done in under 40 minutes total, which means you can have something restaurant-quality on the table before anyone gets too hungry to help.
02 -
  • Pat your fish completely dry before it goes in the oven—any moisture on the surface will steam the fish and keep it from tasting anything but bland, which ruins everything you've done.
  • Don't stir the tomato mixture once it hits the baking dish; let it settle around the fish and caramelize slightly without getting constantly disturbed.
  • Fresh fish is everything here since there's nowhere to hide; ask the fishmonger when it came in, and if they won't tell you, go somewhere else.
03 -
  • Taste the tomato mixture before it goes on the fish—if it needs more salt, add it now while you can adjust, not after everything's baked together.
  • Use a instant-read thermometer if you're nervous: fish is done when the thickest part reaches 63°C (145°F) internally, no more.
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