Zesty, flavorful Chili Lime Baked Cod marinated in a quick and simple marinade. This easy baked cod recipe results in perfectly tender and flaky fish that it ultra mouth-watering and healthful. Serve it with your favorite side dishes for a delicious complete meal!
In case you missed my Easy Baked Cod recipe I posted a couple of weeks ago, cod has recently become a big staple in my own diet.
Cod is ultra high in protein, mega low in fat. The low fat content comes from omega-3 fatty acids, which is anti-inflammatory. Omega-3 fatty acids are great for your gut lining, marvelous for brain health, hormone health, digestion, and more!
Due to its leanness and high protein content, cod is the best fish for protein.
Not to mention, cod is high in Vitamin B12, Vitamin B6, selenium, and phosphorous. It is a superfood and great fuel for your body!
In addition, cod is lower in mercury than many other types of fish or seafood (like tuna).
The way I see it, this mild white fish is ideal for busy weeknights as it takes no time at all to prepare and can be flavored in various ways.
I love that cod is very light and subtle in flavor, which makes it very easy to mix up the flavor to your heart’s delight.
This episode of baked cod features fresh lime juice, chili powder and garlic. Simple ingredients, BIG flavor! I have a feeling you’ll love this baked cod recipe so much that you’ll put it on constant rotation (I do!).
It’s a great way to get in lean protein while still enjoying a flavorful, wholesome meal.
Let’s have at it!
Ingredients for Chili Lime Baked Cod:
Cod Fillets: The main event here is fresh cod! I buy wild-caught cod from the seafood counter of Whole Foods. It comes in one large fillet. You can also purchase smaller fish fillets or frozen cod. Just be sure to thaw the cod fully if you’re using frozen.
Avocado Oil: Adding fat to help flavor and lubricate the fish, I love using avocado oil because it has a very subtle flavor and is also a high-temperature cooking oil.
Because we are baking at 400 degrees, it is important to use an oil that has a high smoke point. Olive oil works too. If you prefer melted butter on your fish, feel free to use unsalted butter.
Chili Powder: Chili powder is a combination of many spices, including garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, paprika, and more. It is an amazing seasoning for animal protein and works nicely in marinades! It provides a great deal of flavor in this recipe.
Lime Juice & Zest: Contributing tang and zestiness, lime juice and lime zest provides acidity, which rounds out a marinade nicely. You can also use lemon juice and lemon zest if you prefer.
Garlic: All it takes is one clove of garlic to add nice flavor to the fish! If you’re a garlic fanatic, add another 2 to 3 cloves!
Paprika, Dried Oregano & Sea Salt: Adding additional flavor, herbiness and enhancing the flavor, paprika, dried oregano and sea salt are great additions to the marinade. If you like lemon pepper, or Cajun seasoning feel free to add it!
Don’t forget to pick up a whole lemon to the fish with lemon slices.
How to Make Chili Lime Baked Cod:
Remove the cod from its packaging and pat it dry with paper towels.
Stir together all of the ingredients for the marinade in a measuring cup or a mixing bowl until well combined.
Place cod filets in a sealable container or zip lock bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag (or container) and move it around until everything is well-coated in marinade.
Because cod doesn’t have much flavor on its own, this delicious marinade will step up the whole experience!
Refrigerate at least 30 minutes, up to 10 hours.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Transfer the fish, along with the marinade, to a large casserole dish, baking dish, or baking sheet. Bake on the rack that’s second closest to the top of the oven for 15 minutes, or until fish is completely cooked through.
Cod is considered fully cooked once it reaches an internal temperature of 140 to 145 degrees Fahrenheit. To check the internal temperature, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the largest filet and wait until the numbers top moving.
The exact cooking time depends on the thickness of the fillets are and their temperature going into the oven.
Sprinkle the baked cod with green onion and/or fresh parsley and serve with choice of side dishes for a complete meal!
Serve with lemon wedges or a fresh lemon juice for drizzling.
I recommend enjoying this Chili Lime Baked Cod recipe with a side salad, steamed white rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice, and steamed or roasted veggies.
Store leftover cod in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Below are some of my favorite side dishes that pair nicely with the baked cod.
Serving Suggestions:
- Lemon Garlic Rosemary Rice
- Coconut Rice
- Pineapple Fried Rice
- Roasted Vegetables with Garlic Ginger Glaze
- Mango Edamame Quinoa Salad
- Greek Potato Salad
Superfood for the soul!
And that’s it! The best baked cod, ready in no time at all! This delicious cod fish recipe is a great dinner idea the whole family can enjoy. It’s a healthy meal made with minimal effort!
This paleo, keto, whole30, low-carb dinner recipe is a health-conscious meal, high in protein and low in fat.
If you love fish recipes, also try my Crispy Sesame Salmon and my Garlic Butter Baked Halibut.
Chili Lime Baked Cod
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs cod cut into fillets
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1 tsp lime zest
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 large clove garlic minced
- 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Stir together all of the ingredients for the marinade in a measuring cup or a mixing bowl until well combined.
- Place cod filets in a sealable container or zip lock bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag (or container) and move it around until everything is well-coated in marinade. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes, up to 10 hours.
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Transfer the fish, along with the marinade, to a large casserole dish. Bake on the rack that’s second closest to the top of the oven for 15 minutes, or until fish is completely cooked through.
- Serve with choice of side dishes. Go with roasted asparagus and cauliflower rice for a low-carb option, or I suggest my Lemon Garlic Rosemary Rice
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Awesome! Next time I might make fish tacos using this recipe.
Ooh, I love that idea! Thanks for the inspiration, Kris!
Delicious. We used it with rockfish and grilled it. I used about olive oil instead of avocado oil, because that’s what I had on hand, and only 2 tsp of it.Also, in addition to the regular paprika, I added a small amount of smoked paprika which gave it an even deeper flavor.
Sounds amazing, Sheri! Thank you for sharing!
A staple recipe in our house! I make it with salmon and it works perfectly. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing, Abigail! I’m thrilled to hear your family enjoys it. I must make it with salmon too! xo
My family did not like this at all. May it needs to marinate for longer than 30 minutes. The flavor was bland
Hi Brandi! My recipe states to marinate the fish for at least 30 minutes, and up to 10 hours. 30 minutes was given as a minimum, mostly for folks who are trying to get dinner on the table ASAP. It seems highly inappropriate to leave a 1-star review when the recipe explicitly states to marinate the fish for 30 minutes or longer. Just my subjective opinion.
Absolutely Perfect!!!
Thank you for the recipe:)
My pleasure, Keith! Happy you like it!
Delicious and easy. I baked it over sliced bell peppers and served over rice. I think I’ll make extra marinade to pour over the veggies next time.
Ooh, sounds delicious, Sandy! Thank you for sharing! xo
this was absolutely delicious! i used 2 tbsp olive oil, instead of 1/4 cup avocado oil. i didn’t feel like it needed the extra oil. i also air-fried it at 400°. it turned out wonderfully, thank you!
Love that! Thank you for sharing!
Maybe it was the fact that it used a cod but overall, very little flavor.
I hear ya – cod is definitely lacking in flavor. I’d recommend marinating it for up to 24 hours and adding either more chili powder or minced garlic or both 🙂
We liked this a lot. I like the hand off baking method. Marinade flavorful withot being overpowering or salty. I skippped the garlic by accident, stll good. I didn’t add the oil except for avocado spray on fish and in bottom of pan. Just a calorie saving for me. Baked for 20 minutes as my fish was very thick. We had it with a lime cabbage carrot slaw and some left over mexican quiona bake I had to use up. Next maybe in some tacos. Easy and will make again. .
Thanks so much for sharing, Frances! The cabbage carrot slaw sounds like the perfect side! 🙂 xoxo
**5 STARS**
I made this marinade last night, exactly as written – soooo good! I used haddock as that’s what was on already taken out for supper.
Our family doesn’t really like the ‘fishy’ taste, but this marinade helped tame down that taste. It’s the first time my daughter has ever eaten her full serving of fish, and went back for seconds to boot!
Thank you so much for sharing a fantastic recipe. I’ll definitely be using it again! 🙂
I’m so happy you enjoy it, Marg! Thanks so much for the glowing review and for sharing your experience! xo
We love this! While the fish is cooking, I slice some zucchini, toss it with olive oil, salt, and garlic seasoning. Put it on a baking sheet next to the fish for 10 minutes. Take both out of the oven. Add good parmesan to the zucchini and broil for 2-3 minutes. So good!
Ooh, I love that! Sounds great! Thanks so much for the sweet note! xo
Wow, amazing it’s wonderful. it looks so yummy and beautiful. I always inspired by your recipes and tried it for my family. these such a perfect taste and look.. It is an amazing seasoning for animal protein and works nicely in marinades.
I’m so happy you like it! xoxo