Garlic Herb Butter Cod (Printable)

Tender cod baked with garlic herb butter, served with green beans and baby potatoes.

# What You Need:

→ Fish & Marinade

01 - 4 cod fillets (about 5.3 oz each), skinless
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
04 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
05 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Garlic Herb Butter

06 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
09 - 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped
11 - 1 teaspoon lemon juice
12 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Vegetables

13 - 1 lb baby potatoes, halved
14 - 10 oz green beans, trimmed
15 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
16 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
17 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
02 - Toss baby potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread on half of the tray. Roast for 10 minutes.
03 - In a small bowl, mix softened butter with minced garlic, parsley, dill, chives, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until well combined.
04 - Pat cod fillets dry with paper towels. Rub with 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
05 - After potatoes have roasted for 10 minutes, add trimmed green beans to the tray. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.
06 - Place seasoned cod fillets on the tray. Top each fillet with a generous dollop of garlic herb butter.
07 - Return tray to oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until cod is just opaque and flakes easily with a fork, potatoes are golden brown, and green beans are tender-crisp.
08 - Transfer to serving plates immediately. Spoon any melted herb butter from the tray over the cod and vegetables.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Everything cooks on one tray, which means minimal cleanup and maximum flavor transfer between components.
  • The garlic herb butter does almost all the work, infusing the delicate cod with richness while the vegetables roast until they're golden and tender.
02 -
  • Wet fish steams rather than roasts, so patting those fillets dry is the secret to a better texture and more delicate flavor.
  • Don't peek constantly or rotate the tray; trust the process for 12 to 15 minutes and you'll have evenly cooked, tender fish.
03 -
  • Make the herb butter the night before so the flavors have time to meld, and you can simply scoop and dollop it on the fish without any last-minute fussing.
  • The moment you see the cod fillets just barely opaque and the potatoes deeply golden, pull everything from the oven; a few seconds of overcooking changes the texture from tender to dry.
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