Creamy Lemon Garlic Cod comes together in 30 minutes or less and makes for an incredibly nutritious meal! This easy cod recipe is a marvelous weeknight staple, yet is fancy enough for date night!
I’m just going to come out and say it. I’m not the biggest fan of cod that ever did walk the earth.
I mean…it’s alright. I certainly don’t dislike it. But neither the flavor nor the texture make my mind buds go bonkers without much doctoring.
Enter: this Creamy Lemon Basil Garlic Cod recipe. Cod all doctored up in a creamy lemon basil garlic sauce is just what I need to take an interest in the fish.
It’s simple to make, the flavors are magnificent, and when paired with brown rice and veggies, this easy fish recipe is exactly what we need to hit our well-rounded meal goals with flying colors.
We’re getting lean protein, healthy fats, fiber from whatever vegetables we choose to enjoy, and complex carbs from the brown rice.
If you’re like me and you’re all about incorporating different, nutritious foods into your diet but you need to feel an emotional connection to the meal in order to ignite that flame, this recipe was made for you.
Pan searing cod is a guaranteed way of ending up with perfect flaky texture, because you can easily check the internal temperature of the fish along the way.
This fresh fish is finicky in the sense that it becomes dry and rubbery when overcooked, yet is a true delight when cooked to a perfect internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
For this reason, I prefer preparing cod in a skillet versus baking it in a baking dish.
Love sun-dried tomatoes? I highly recommend trying my Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Cod!
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for this easy recipe! The great news is you can find the full list of ingredients at any grocery store.
Creamy Lemon Garlic Cod Ingredients:
Pacific Cod: Procure 1 pound of cod and cut it into fillets if it isn’t already. I buy wild-caught cod from Whole Foods in the freezer section, which comes pre-portioned into 4-ounce fillets. I simply thaw the fish fillets a few hours before I make the dish.
Avocado Oil: Used to sear the fish, we use avocado oil for its subtle flavor and its high smoke point. Olive oil works too, but avoid heating it to a smoking point.
Full-Fat Coconut Milk: The creamy portion of the cream sauce! In keeping this recipe dairy-free, I use full-fat canned coconut milk which adds a subtle natural sweetness and lovely creaminess to this healthy weeknight dinner. The fish will not turn out as flavorful if you use light coconut milk, so I recommend sticking with full-fat coconut milk that comes in a can.
Garlic: What can I say? Garlic makes everything better! I use a whopping 5 cloves in this recipe, but you can scale up or down according to your tolerance for deliciousness 😉
Lemon Zest & Juice: Adding tang and acidity to the meal to brighten it up and offset the creaminess, lemon zest and lemon juice goes a long way in making this meal pop!
Basil: Fresh basil adds an earthy herbiness to the dish. If you aren’t into basil, use baby spinach!
Sea Salt & Black Pepper: Enhancing the flavor, a little sea salt and black pepper go a long way in bringing the whole thing together. Add both to taste! Adding onion powder is a great idea too!
Green Onion: A little green onion adds more flavor to really give the whole meal a well-rounded palatable experience. Because green onion doesn’t need to be sautéed the way yellow or red onion do, it adds that lovely onion flavor without also adding prep time.
Looking for different ways you can customize this healthy meal? Here are some good choices.
Recipe Customizations:
- Other kinds of fish work here too! Use any type of white fish such as tilapia or halibut, or use salmon or sea bass.
- Replace the full-fat canned coconut milk with 1 and 1/2 cups of heavy cream if you do dairy.
- Add 1/3 cup of dry white wine such as sauvignon blanc if you enjoy cooking with wine.
- Replace the fresh garlic with 2 teaspoons of garlic powder if need be.
- Add 1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes or drained sun-dried tomatoes to the sauce for extra spunk.
- Sauté 1/2 cup of yellow onion prior to adding the garlic to the skillet.
- Add 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter with the avocado oil when preparing the lemon sauce for a garlic butter sauce.
- Stir in additional fresh herbs such as fresh parsley.
- Looking for a little heat? Add red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to your personal taste.
Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients, let’s make this easy weeknight meal! I personally find this is the best way to cook cod for flaky texture and so much flavor.
How to Make Cod:
Remove the cod fillets from its packaging and pat the fish dry with a paper towel and sprinkle both sides with sea salt. Place the fillets on a plate until you’re ready to cook.
Add the avocado oil to a large non-stick skillet and heat to medium-high heat. Carefully place the cod on the hot skillet flesh-side down (if your cod doesn’t have skin, no worries…either side will work).
Cook 3 minutes, until the cod is slightly golden brown. Carefully flip using a spatula (the cod is very tender and will likely break if you aren’t gentle) and cook another 3 minutes. There is no need to cook the fish all the way through just yet. Transfer the seared cod to a plate and set aside.
Place the skillet back on the heat and add a little more avocado oil. Leave the stove top setting at medium-high heat. Transfer the minced garlic to the skillet and sauté for 1-2 minutes, or until very fragrant.
Add the coconut milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the skillet and stir well. Bring the sauce to a full boil, then reduce the heat to cook the sauce at a gentle boil for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Note: if you have more time, cook the sauce for 15-20 minutes for even more flavorful sauce. Transfer the seared cod to the skillet with the sauce and use a spoon to spoon the sauce over the white fish.
Continue cooking until the cod flakes easily when poked with a fork. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the cod fillet.
Cod is cooked through once it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the center of the fish to check its internal temp.
Stir in the fresh basil and the green onions right before serving. Taste the sauce for flavor and add sea salt and black pepper to your personal taste.
Serve with choice of side dishes such as rice, cauliflower rice, or roasted vegetables, and enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
And that’s it! A simple recipe for perfect flaky cod that can easily be prepared on busy weeknights.
Prepare it for meal prep for a great way of getting in lean protein.
Also be sure to check out my Chili Lime Cod recipe! It’s tangy, it has just the right amount of kick, it makes you feel like you’re throwing a fiesta in your mouth!
More Healthy Fish Recipes:
- Mediterranean Salmon in Parchment Paper
- Orange Ginger Baked Halibut
- Crispy Skillet Salmon with Lemon Caper Dill Sauce
- Mediterranean Shrimp Skillet
- 4-Ingredient Mediterranean Stuffed Salmon
May all the delicious cod recipes be with you.
Creamy Lemon Garlic Cod
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 pound cod cut into 4 fillets
- 1 (14-oz) can full-fat coconut milk light or full-fat both work
- 5 cloves garlic
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cup fresh basil or spinach
- ½ tsp sea salt to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 3 stalks green onion chopped
Instructions
- Remove the cod fillets from its packaging and pat the fish dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle both sides with sea salt.
- Add the avocado oil to a large non-stick skillet and heat to medium-high heat. Carefully place the cod filets on the hot skillet flesh-side down (if your cod doesn’t have skin, no worries…either side will work).
- Cook 3 minutes, until the cod is slightly golden brown. Carefully flip using a spatula (the cod is very tender and will likely break if you aren’t gentle) and cook another 3 minutes. There is no need to cook the fish all the way through just yet. Transfer the seared cod to a plate and set aside.
- Place the skillet back on the heat and add a little more avocado oil. Leave the stove top setting at medium-high heat. Transfer the minced garlic to the skillet and sauté for 1-2 minutes, or until very fragrant. Transfer the seared cod to the skillet with the sauce and use a spoon to spoon the sauce over the white fish.
- Add the coconut milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the skillet and stir well. Bring the sauce to a full boil, then reduce the heat to cook the sauce at a gentle boil for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Note: if you have more time, cook the sauce for 15-20 minutes for even more flavorful sauce.
- Continue cooking until the cod flakes easily when poked with a fork. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the cod fillet. Cod is cooked through once it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the center of the fish to check its internal temp.
- Stir in the fresh basil and the green onions right before serving. Taste the sauce for flavor and add sea salt and black pepper to your personal taste.
- Serve with choice of side dishes such as rice, cauliflower rice, or roasted vegetables, and enjoy!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
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Is it possible to double up and freeze?
Hi there! You can freeze the recipe 🙂 Because it contains a fatty sauce, it saves well in the freezer and reheats nicely too. I would freeze the fish in the sauce in a zip lock bag for up to 3 months. xo
Wonderful – made it as written with spinach and a little fresh basil. Served it over cauliflower rice. Family asking for it again!
I love hearing that! Thanks so much for sharing, Lisa! xo
I followed the recipe but was disappointed with the turnout. It was WAY too lemony. My husband couldn’t even eat it, while I choked it down since I made it. We used light coconut milk and spinach (didn’t have fresh basil) with dried basil. Not sure if the coconut milk type makes a difference in lemon flavor absorption? I’d like to make it again but omit the lemon until the very end – maybe just a squeeze on top after it’s all done cooking. I liked how easy it was though! And it smelled so good while cooking.
Hi Morgan! Thanks so much for the feedback. I’m sorry the recipe didn’t turn out as you had hoped. Using light coconut milk can definitely make an impact because there is less fat to offset the acidity. In this sense, rather than resulting in a creamy citrus sauce, you’re left with a sauce that tastes acidic.
I don’t understand the recipe calling for either basil or spinach? Those are two very different flavors, which don’t sound interchangeable…
Hi Sarah,
I totally get the confusion. This is just an option depending on what you’re going for versus an exchange of flavors. Some may want to add spinach to the dish in order to boost their vegetable intake, as spinach is very rich in Vitamins and minerals. Others may enjoy the flavor of basil and may therefore want to add it. You can add both or neither if you’d like 😉
Absolutely delicious! I added fresh ginger.
Wahoo!! Ginger sounds like an amazing addition! I’m happy you like it!! xoxo
I made this with a piece of Alaskan halibut
And it was delicious!