37 Cod Recipes to Keep Your Seafood Dinners Interesting
Even though salmon is often the most talked-about fish in the room, these cod recipes can’t be beat. The meaty, flaky, and firm fish holds up in creamy chowders, is versatile enough to star in aromatic quick braises like brothy coconut-mustard fish, and stands up to the heat of the oil in pan-fried fish sandwiches. Perhaps the reason it works so well in a whole gamut of preparations is that it’s a mild non-fishy fish. Did we mention that it’s affordable? And easy enough for weeknight dinner? And that we have healthy recipes? Yeah, you’re going to want to take a look at these 31 awesome cod recipes already.
Photograph by Isa Zapata. Food Styling by Cyd McDowell. Prop Styling by Paige Hicks1/37Cod Arracanato
This cod recipe is great for a weeknight meal served with rice, but it fancies up well if you want to pair it with something like Parmesan-braised greens at a weekend get-together. You can use Italian-style or panko breadcrumbs for the raisin-and-nut-studded topping.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Micah Morton2/37Turmeric Caramel Cod
If you’ve ever found cod fillets too plain or bland, this sticky, savory, and sweet condiment inspired by Vietnamese fish sauce caramel is your new best friend. Once you douse a simple pan-seared piece of fish with the stuff, you’ll want to spoon it on just about everything.
Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Sophie Strangio3/37Spiced-Tomato-Braised Fish
When cooked with lots of warm spices such as cumin and garam masala, store-bought tomato purée packs tons of flavor into a simple, cozy (but quick) braise.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by D’mytrek Brown5/37Brothy Coconut-Mustard Fish
This recipe is inspired by the flavors of Bengali ilish bhapa: Canned coconut milk + bottled mustard = an exquisitely simple sauce for any flaky white fish.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Micah Morton, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime8/37Cod With Scallion-Sesame Butter
Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Andy Baraghani9/37Turmeric Fish with Rice Noodles and Herbs
This delicious recipe is inspired by the Vietnamese dish, cha ca la vong. In Hanoi, where the dish originates, the fish is usually cooked tableside. Here, the fish is seared hot and fast in a skillet with ginger, dill, and more, and then served over noodles with a bright, savory sauce and crunchy peanuts.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Emily Eisen10/37Slow-Cooked White Fish with Charred Cabbage
Let the cabbage leaves char in the hot pan before you season them or start tossing things around—too much movement and they’ll steam before they develop color.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Chris Morocco11/37Fried Fish Sandwiches With Cucumbers and Tartar Sauce
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Emily Eisen13/37Skillet Cod, Clams, and Corn with Parsley
Who says clams are only good for pasta? In this seafood recipe, you’ll spoon the briny shellfish over cod, along with sweet summer corn in a butter sauce.
