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    Baked Cod and Asparagus with Garlic Lemon Caper Sauce

    Published: May 24, 2018 / 31 Comments

    18.6K shares
    • Facebook344
    Recipe Print
    This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our affiliate policy.

    Baked Cod and Asparagus with Garlic Lemon Caper Sauce.  Use pacific cod or black cod.  Each cod fillet (together with asparagus and caper sauce) is baked in an individual foil pocket. One individual foil pocket with cod and asparagus equals one serving.

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    A delicious and easy recipe to cook any white fish - Pacific Cod (on photos), black cod, tilapia, halibat, mahi mahi, sea bass, etc. Healthy, low carb, gluten free recipe!

    Ingredients you need to make baked cod

    This delicious recipe will provide you with both the main dish (baked cod) and the side dish (asparagus) - and everything is baked together at the same time. There are only 7 ingredients:

    • pacific cod fillets (you can use black cod, sea bass, or halibat)
    • asparagus, ends trimmed
    • Italian herbal seasoning (usually includes herbs like thyme, oregano, basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary - all of them or just a combination of some of them)
    • garlic cloves, minced
    • thinly sliced lemon
    • capers, drained
    • butter

    Tips for making a perfect baked cod

    • I wrap each individual cod fillet in a foil packet.  This helps to keep all the juices around the cod and asparagus together while baking, and also makes it convenient to serve individual portions.
    • Cod is such a flavorful, buttery fish, it doesn't need much to taste good.  I enhanced cod flavor only by using simple ingredients, such as capers (make sure to drain them), minced fresh garlic, freshly squeezed lemon juice.
    • Do not overbake the cod.  Bake it for 15-20 minutes in the preheated oven at 400 F.  Your fish could be ready in 15 minutes depending on your oven and the thickness of a fillet.  When your cod is done baking, it should cooked through and flaky.

    How to bake cod

    I use aluminum foil to bake each of 4 individual cod fillets separately, as individual portions, which can be handy.  It also helps keep the juices inside each individual foil pocket.

    First, preheat oven to 400 F.  Prepare 4 separate foil pieces.  Place equal portions of asparagus in the center of each foil. Season the asparagus with salt and pepper.

    asparagus, how to cook asparagus, fish and veggies, fish and vegetables

    Place each cod fillet on top of asparagus. Season each cod fillet with a pinch of Italian herbal seasoning, salt, and pepper.  Then, sprinkle minced garlic over each fillet and asparagus.  Top each fish fillet with a thin lemon slice.

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    Next, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of capers over each cod fillet. Top each fish fillet with 1 tablespoon butter, thinly sliced.  Wrap the foil over the cod to completely enclose it but do not wrap it too tightly or too close to the fish - leave some space.

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    Place foil-wrapped cod fish fillets on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 F until the fish is cooked through and flaky. Could be ready in 15 minutes depending on your oven and the thickness of fillet.

    Side dishes to serve with baked cod

    What is really great about this recipe is that you're already cooking one side dish (the asparagus) together with the baked cod.   So, you're saving time and effort right there!  If you want more side dishes, you could make a side of rice or mashed potatoes - both will go beautifully with the juices from the baked cod. If you want rice with flavor, I recommend this cilantro lime and black bean rice or this sun-dried tomato and basil rice.  Also try this cilantro lime potato salad - it's an excellent side for this fish!

    More cod recipes

    I am in love with cod thanks to its rich buttery texture, and I've cooked it many times. Check out the following cod recipes I made - they are all very different from this one and from one another:

    • If you want a rich and sophisticated black cod dinner, I have a wonderful recipe for Black cod with balsamic shallot and pomegranate sauce .
    • If you want something refreshing, like a perfect Summer cod recipe, try this Pan-Seared Black Cod with Tropical Fruit Salsa - it's a Mediterranean style fish with the cilantro lime pineapple salsa.
    • For an Asian cod, make this Asian Black Cod and fettuccine noodles coated with the homemade peanut sauce.
    baked cod
    4.81 from 41 votes

    Baked Cod and Asparagus in Garlic Lemon Caper Sauce

    Baked Cod and Asparagus with Garlic Lemon Caper Sauce.  Use pacific cod or black cod.  Each cod fillet (together with asparagus and caper sauce) is baked in an individual foil pocket.  Easy, healthy, delicious!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Mediterranean
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories per serving 278 kcal
    Author: Julia

    Ingredients

    • 4 fillets cod (I used pacific cod)
    • 1 lb asparagus (ends trimmed)
    • salt and pepper
    • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (thyme, oregano)
    • 4 garlic cloves , minced
    • 1 lemon , thinly sliced
    • ¼ cup capers , drained
    • 4 tablespoons butter

    Instructions 

    • Preheat oven to 400 F.
    • Prepare 4 separate foil pieces (large enough to completely cover each fish fillet, when folded).
    • Place equal portions of asparagus (ends trimmed) in the center of each foil. Season asparagus with salt and pepper. Place each fish fillet on top of asparagus. Season each fillet with a pinch of Italian herbal seasoning, salt, and pepper, and sprinkle minced garlic over each fillet and asparagus.
    • Top each cod fillet with a thin lemon slice. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of capers over each fillet. Top each fillet with 1 tablespoon butter, thinly sliced.
    • Wrap the foil ends over the top of the cod to completely enclose it but do not wrap too tightly or too close to the fish - leave some space.
    • Place foil-wrapped fish fillets on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 F until the cod is cooked through and flaky. Could be ready in 15 minutes depending on your oven and the thickness of cod fillet.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Information
    Baked Cod and Asparagus in Garlic Lemon Caper Sauce
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    278
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    12
    g
    18
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    7
    g
    44
    %
    Cholesterol
     
    103
    mg
    34
    %
    Sodium
     
    498
    mg
    22
    %
    Potassium
     
    980
    mg
    28
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    8
    g
    3
    %
    Fiber
     
    3
    g
    13
    %
    Sugar
     
    2
    g
    2
    %
    Protein
     
    33
    g
    66
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    1290
    IU
    26
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    23.8
    mg
    29
    %
    Calcium
     
    83
    mg
    8
    %
    Iron
     
    3.7
    mg
    21
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Nutrition Disclaimer:

    The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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    Tried this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment and provide a Star Rating below - I love your feedback and try to respond to every comment!

    This recipe was originally published on July 20, 2016, and republished with updates, cooking tips in May 2018.

    « Strawberry Spinach Salad with Mango and Avocado
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    Please share your comment and Star Rating in the comments section below.

    I appreciate your feedback!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jim C

      July 16, 2022 at 10:42 am

      I made it. Easy and tasty! Maybe a bit less salt next time as I didn't realize capers are so salty!

      Reply
      • Julia

        August 22, 2022 at 6:03 pm

        Jim, I am glad you gave this recipe a try and liked it! Very good point about not using too much salt. The capers are already salty!

        Reply
    2. Laura

      November 03, 2021 at 6:04 pm

      Trying this tonight! Smells delicious cooking, can’t wait!

      Reply
      • Julia

        November 05, 2021 at 4:32 pm

        Enjoy! I hope you liked it! 🙂

        Reply
        • Lydia

          March 09, 2022 at 4:45 am

          What's the protocol if I'm using frozen cod filets?

          Reply
          • Julia

            March 21, 2022 at 11:46 pm

            Defrost them completely, in the fridge. Drain them of any liquid from the defrosting process. Then, just proceed with the recipe.

            Reply
    3. Celeste Ciulla

      April 10, 2021 at 10:05 pm

      Splendid! So good. Thank you! Served with Mashed Potatoes.

      Reply
    4. Mimi

      March 20, 2021 at 8:07 pm

      Outstanding, delicious and easy.

      Reply
    5. Dana

      January 09, 2021 at 6:24 am

      Julia, this recipe is fabulous! As soon as I saw it, I knew I needed to try it. My husband loves capers. This will definitely be going in our rotation. We are both on Keto and this is the best cod recipe we have tried by far. So tasty!

      Reply
    6. Judy Strand

      June 05, 2020 at 4:23 pm

      If cooking this on a covered grill, how long do you leave it to cook?

      Reply
    7. Paul K.

      November 28, 2019 at 12:25 am

      I just made this for dinner tonight for my family and I, it was great. I didnt have lemon or capers, but it was the best baked fish i have made. The asparagus in the butter at the bottom was really good as well. I made plain white rice with it, and the butter from the foil really made the rice tasty. Thanks for the recipe, it will likely be a new go to for when I make cod.

      Reply
      • Julia

        February 20, 2020 at 11:47 pm

        So glad you tried this recipe and liked it! Thank you for stopping by and sharing your comment.

        Reply
    8. Sandra

      March 17, 2019 at 7:09 pm

      Tried this tonight it was delicious

      Reply
      • Julia

        March 25, 2019 at 6:16 pm

        So happy to hear that!

        Reply
    9. Jen

      December 19, 2018 at 1:44 pm

      Hi Julia!
      I’m planning to make this tonight- new to preparing fish. Is it okay to use frozen cod fillet for this recipe or does it require thawed fillet?
      Thanks so much!
      Jen

      Reply
      • Julia

        January 11, 2019 at 7:50 pm

        You have to use thawed fillet. Enjoy!

        Reply
    10. Karen

      June 22, 2018 at 6:55 pm

      I made this fish along with your cilantro and black bean rice. All I can say is yyyyyuuuuuummmmm!! Thanks for sharing your recipes!

      Reply
      • Julia

        July 16, 2018 at 7:09 pm

        You're very welcome, Karen! Love reading comments like yours! 🙂

        Reply
    11. Carol

      May 26, 2018 at 12:48 pm

      Can i put this on the grill?

      Reply
      • Julia

        May 26, 2018 at 7:55 pm

        Yes, you can do this on the grill.

        Reply
    12. Emmie

      May 25, 2018 at 7:55 pm

      I made this with cooking spray and 1 tbsp of olive oil in place of all that butter, tasty. I do think your calorie count is off, though, since each tablespoon of butter has 100 calories and is loaded with saturated fat.

      Reply
      • Julia

        May 26, 2018 at 8:00 pm

        I am glad you liked it! The calorie count is per 1 serving, so there is 1 tablespoon of butter per serving, which is reflected in the calorie count.

        Reply
    13. hidaya

      May 25, 2018 at 8:57 am

      Thank you! I’ll try this ASAP!

      Reply
      • Julia

        May 26, 2018 at 8:02 pm

        Enjoy!

        Reply
    14. max

      August 05, 2016 at 1:12 pm

      thanks for sharing this recipe! It looks delicious !

      Reply
    15. Carina Simeon

      July 30, 2016 at 9:05 am

      Oh Julia - what a beautifully presented fish treat. It has all the ellements we both love. Jo, my husband, as a Keralite, HAS to have his daily 'fix' of fish and since I introduced him to Capers in Italy years ago, he can not get enough of them :). So within the next few days no doubt I will be using a nice piece of Tilapia for your recipe. Thank you, Carina

      Reply
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    Julia is the author of JuliasAlbum.com (a food blog focused on easy dinner recipes, pasta dishes, salads made with seasonal ingredients). In this photo, Julia is pictured wearing a yellow sweater against an Autumn background.

    Hi, I'm Julia!

    I am a full-time food blogger living in beautiful Colorado. I founded this website in 2012. I focus mostly on savory recipes (protein-based main dishes, pasta, salads) and seasonal ingredients (with lots of vegetables and fruits). Many of my recipes are 30-minute ONE-PAN meals. Find out more about me and my cooking philosophy. 

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