Panko Baked Cod

This panko baked cod is very light, delicious, and incredibly easy to prepare! It uses a crispy and lemony panko topping, a flavorful garlic butter, and juicy cod filets. Serve it alongside a refreshing side salad and roasted potatoes for a quick and healthy weeknight dinner!

This panko baked cod is one of my go-to recipes whenever I am craving deliciously crusted cod filets that can be served alongside some of my favorite side dishes such as my herbed potato salad with mustard vinaigrette or my air fryer asparagus.

What I love most about this recipe is that it is super quick and easy to prepare without sacrificing flavor. It has a flavorful panko crust, melty garlic butter, and a hint of lemon thanks to the lemon zest used in the panko topping.

This recipe is truly a winner that always saves the day and never disappoints.

Panko Baked Cod Ingredients

To make this panko baked cod you'll need the following ingredients:

• Cod filets: You can use either fresh or frozen cod filets, just make sure that you thaw frozen cod filets before using them.
• Panko: For the crust, you'll need panko breadcrumbs. You can find them in many grocery stores or in Asian grocery stores.
• Parmesan: Parmesan is used to add flavor to the panko crust, so definitely make sure to use it!
• Butter: Butter is used to help the crust stick to the cod. It also melts beautifully and adds a delicious buttery flavor to the cod. So I'd recommend using it.
• Olive oil: For this panko baked cod recipe you'll need olive oil and olive oil spray. Both are used to make the panko breading crispy and delicious, so make sure to have both on hand when making this recipe.
• Garlic: Garlic is a must when making this panko crusted cod as it adds a lot of flavor!
• Lemon: You'll need lemon zest and lemon slices to add a delicious hint of lemony flavor to the cod filets. It perfectly complements the panko crust and white fish!
• Fresh parsley: Fresh parsley is one of the most delicious fresh herbs for enjoying fish. I use it to garnish the final dish but you could also add it to the garlic butter.
• Dried thyme: Dried thyme or dried rosemary adds flavor to the panko breading and makes it taste extra aromatic. Just pick the one you prefer, I used dried thyme.

How to make panko baked cod

Preheat. First, preheat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C). Place the cod filets in a baking dish.

Add the garlic butter. In a bowl, mix the butter, garlic, salt, and pepper. Evenly spread the garlic butter over the cod filets.

Prepare the panko breading. In a bowl, combine the panko, grated parmesan, lemon zest, dried thyme or rosemary, and olive oil. Stir until combined.

Add the panko breading. Sprinkle the panko topping over the cod filets and press it into the garlic butter. Then spray the breaded cod filets generously with some olive oil spray.

Bake. Place the lemon slices underneath or close to the cod filets. Bake the cod filets in the oven for 12-15 minutes until they are cooked. The fish should flake easily when it's done.

Serve. Spoon some of the melted butter over the cod filets, garnish with parsley, and serve with your favorite sides. Enjoy!

Tips & Notes

• Press the panko topping into the butter. This ensures that the panko breading sticks to the fish and is well-combined with the butter.
• Use olive oil spray to make the panko breading crispy and delicious. You could use regular olive oil and drizzle it over the fish but a spray works best as it evenly distributes the oil. This ensures that the panko topping turns our crispy and delicious!
• Make sure that you don't overcook the cod as it turns rubbery very quickly. As cod is very lean, it is quite unforgiving when you cook it for too long. Aim for an internal temperature of 145 °F when using an instant-read meat thermometer. When the fish flakes easily and is opaque, it's done.

Variations

• Add more spices and herbs to the garlic butter. I tried to keep the recipe as simple as possible so I didn't add a lot of ingredients to the garlic butter. But you can add more spices and herbs if you want to add some extra flavor. I sometimes like to add some fresh parsley, paprika powder, or dried herbs like rosemary.
• Switch up the flavor of the topping. You could also add more flavor to the topping by using some paprika powder, cayenne pepper, or a blend of dried herbs. Or you could turn it into a Cajun-style dish by adding some Cajun seasoning. There are many different options and it's totally up to you! Just make sure to that you always include panko, parmesan, and some olive oil.

How to serve this baked panko crusted cod

• Prepare roasted potatoes in your oven or air fryer. Roasted potatoes are a delicious side dish for this panko baked cod! When you decide to make roasted potatoes, you can bake them in the oven and add the cod during the final 10-15 minutes. You can season them with salt, pepper, paprika powder, and dried herbs like rosemary.
• Make a balanced meal by adding vegetables. You could prepare air fryer asparagus, a simple side salad with balsamic vinaigrette, white asparagus with hollandaise sauce, or broccolini. They are amazing side dishes that go really well with this herbed panko baked cod.
• Prepare a delicious potato salad that goes well with cod. I love to serve this panko baked cod with refreshing potato salads such as my herbed potato salad with mustard vinaigrette, German potato salad, or Turkish-style dill potato salad. They taste great and are super easy to make!

Frequently Asked Questions

More easy and delicious seafood recipes

If you're looking for more simple and delicious seafood recipes, be sure to check out the following posts!

• Haemul Pajeon (Korean Seafood Scallion Pancake)
• Air Fryer Salmon Bites
• Shrimp Arrabbiata
• Spicy Garlic Shrimp Pasta
• Honey Sriracha Salmon