Go Back
Overhead view of flaky cod fillets in a chunky tomato-caper sauce with olives and lemon slices, in a white dish

Easy Mediterranean Baked Cod with Lemon and Capers

Cod fillets bake in a chunky tomato, olive, and caper sauce with lemon, ready in about 30 minutes in one dish.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 117
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cod fillets, skinless (170 g / 6 oz each)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil divided
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 300 g cherry tomatoes / 2 cups; halved
  • 3 tbsp capers / 30 g; drained
  • 1/3 cup Kalamata olives / 40 g; pitted and halved
  • 1 lemon whole; half thinly sliced, half juiced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes optional
  • 1/2 tsp salt plus more to taste
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped, for serving

Method
 

Make the Tomato-Caper Sauce
  1. Heat the oven to 200C/400F.
  2. In a 33 x 23 cm / 13 x 9-inch baking dish, toss the cherry tomatoes, capers, olives, garlic, 1 tbsp of the olive oil, oregano, and red pepper flakes.
  3. Roast for 8 minutes, until the tomatoes soften and start to release their juice.
Bake the Cod
  1. Remove the dish from the oven. Push the tomato mixture to the edges and tuck the cod fillets into the center.
  2. Season the fish with salt and pepper, drizzle with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, and lay 4 to 5 lemon slices over the top.
  3. Return to the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cod turns opaque and flakes easily with a fork. It should reach an internal temperature of 145F/63C.
  4. Remove from the oven. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon half over the dish and scatter the parsley on top.
  5. Spoon the sauce over each fillet and serve right away.

Notes

  • Pat cod dry before seasoning so it browns instead of steaming.
  • Thick fillets need a few extra minutes past the 12-minute mark.
  • Don't skip roasting the tomatoes first, it builds a deeper sauce.
  • Rinse capers if they taste too salty for your liking.