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Mediterranean

Olive Tapenade Baked Cod

Cod fillets bake under a rough chop of olives, capers, and lemon so the fish stays moist and the topping stays briny.

Prep
10 min
Cook
14 min
Total
24 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Easy
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Baked cod topped with chopped olives, capers, and parsley

Why you’ll love it

  • The tapenade is a topping, not a sauce that boils the fish.
  • Cod is done when it flakes, not when it is dry.
  • Capers and olives replace a heavy breadcrumb crust.
  • It is a 25-minute dinner.

Ingredients

Servings4

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Heat the oven to 400°F. Salt the cod and set it in a baking dish.

  2. 2

    Stir the olives, capers, oil, lemon zest, and parsley together.

  3. 3

    Spoon the mixture over the fillets.

  4. 4

    Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until the fish flakes easily.

  5. 5

    Squeeze the lemon juice over the top and serve.

Pro tips

  • Pat the fish dry so the topping sits on it.
  • If your fillets are thin, check at 10 minutes.
  • Do not add more salt before you taste. Olives are salty.

Easy substitutions

Cod
Halibut
Kalamata olives
Green olives
Parsley
Basil

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate up to 2 days.

Reheating

Warm covered at 300°F for 8 minutes.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
240
Protein
32 g
Carbs
2 g
Fat
11 g
Fiber
1 g

Moderate · Oven · Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, High Protein

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Kitchen tools we love

Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.

  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

    Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.

  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

    Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.

  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

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    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

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Ingredients