Baked Cod with Bread Crumbs and Butter (Divine!) (2024)

Published: Jan 5, 2022 · Modified: Apr 8, 2024 by Mamma C · This post may contain affiliate links

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This Baked Cod with Bread Crumbs is fancy enough for company, yet easy enough for a weeknight dinner! The divine bread crumb topping includes Parmesan, Romano and white wine. You'll love its crispy texture and will swoon over the tender, flaky fish inside!

I'm SO excited to share this new cod recipe with you! My family is head-over-heels for it.

It's probably because I took the components from one of Mom's legendary dishes (not shared yet) and paired them with cod.

I had a vision, I called Mom, and we hashed out this recipe for baked cod with bread crumbs over the phone.

As usual, she provided mostly a list of ingredients without their amounts.

I had to test and tweak the bread crumb mixture until it tasted how I remembered. I knew it would be delicious, but this dish turned out to be absolutely divine.

It's perfect for Valentine's Day dinner or any meal that must impress your family or friends. But... you can whip this up in 35 minutes, so go ahead and treat yo-self on a weeknight!

And make sure to check out my wildly popular Oven-Fried Cod, Parmesan Baked Cod (Keto, Low Carb, GF) and Pan-Fried Cod!

Recipe ingredients

Cod: You'll need cod fillets or cod loins, whether Atlantic cod or Pacific cod. You can substitute any flaky white fish, however, so feel free to make baked scrod or use pollock, haddock or orange roughy.

Bread crumbs: Use plain ones, whether you buy them or use homemade bread crumbs. I'm not a fan of panko, but I'll look the other way if you need to substitute them. (Wink, wink!)

If you only have Italian seasoned bread crumbs, you can make those work. You may need to reduce the garlic powder in the recipe however, so taste the mixture to see what you think.

White Wine:I like Sauvignon Blanc here, but you can use another white wine. I haven't tried this with red wine, but you could probably use that in a pinch.

If you need to omit the alcohol, add another tablespoon of lemon juice to the bread crumb mixture.

How to make it

See the recipe card at the end of this post for full instructions, but here's an overview:

Add bread crumbs, Parmesan, Romano, wine, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley and seasonings to a medium mixing bowl.
Toss the ingredients with a fork until combined and the crumbs are evenly dampened.
Mound the bread crumb mixture all over the fish and pat it into place. Top with a pat of butter and extra paprika. Bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees F.

Recipe tips

Use a greased, foil-lined pan for easy cleanup.
Pat down the bread crumb topping on the fish to help it adhere better.
Use all of the bread crumb mixture. You'll think I've lost my mind, but once it bakes, it'll form the perfect crusted cod.

What to serve with cod

Squeeze on more lemon juice using a citrus squeezer (affiliate link) if you have one. Serve the Baked Cod with Bread Crumbs with side dishes such as rice, steamed corn, steamed asparagus or Italian broccoli with gremolata.

Frequently asked questions

How do you know when cod is cooked?

Cod is cooked when you can easily flake it with a fork. If you want to check its internal temperature, it should be 130 degrees F for a moist result. For this recipe, you should wait until the bread crumb topping is golden brown before checking if the fish is done.

What are the best bread crumbs for fish?

For baked fish with bread crumbs, I highly recommend starting with plain bread crumbs and seasoning them according to this recipe. Regular bread crumbs combined with Italian cheeses and seasonings provide the best flavor, as opposed to panko.

More seafood recipes to enjoy

Broiled Cod with Paprika
Broiled Scallops with Parmesan Bread Crumbs
Baked Cod with Garlic Butter
Skillet Cod with Tomatoes

And don't miss all of my tips for How to Cook Cod!

Enjoy!

If you try this Baked Cod with Bread Crumbs and Butter, don't forget to leave a comment and a rating!

Baked Cod with Bread Crumbs and Butter (Divine!)

This Baked Cod with Bread Crumbs is fancy enough for company, yet easy enough for a weeknight dinner! The divine bread crumb topping includes Parmesan, Romano and white wine.

4.66 from 44 votes

Ingredients

▢ 2 pounds cod fillets (or loins) (or make 1 pound using half of the ingredients)
▢ 1 cup plain bread crumbs
▢ ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
▢ ½ cup freshly grated Romano cheese
▢ 3 tablespoons white wine
▢ 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (plus more for serving; need 1 lemon total)
▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
▢ 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped parsley
▢ ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
▢ ½ teaspoon paprika (plus more to sprinkle on top)
▢ 3 tablespoons salted butter

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with foil and grease it with cooking spray.
Rinse the cod and feel for any bones to remove. Pat the fish dry with paper towels. Use kitchen scissors to cut the cod into serving portions. Place the cod on the foil-lined pan. Wash your hands.
Grate the Parmesan and Romano, if needed. (I use my blender.) Rise the parsley and pat it dry. Chop up the parsley leaves until you have a tablespoon of them.
Add the bread crumbs to a medium mixing bowl. Add the Parmesan, Romano, white wine, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, garlic powder and paprika. Toss with a fork to combine, making sure the bread crumbs are evenly dampened.
Use a large spoon or scoop to place some of the bread crumb mixture on top of the entire surface of each piece of cod. Keep piling on the bread crumbs until all of them are used. With clean hands (or wearing food-grade gloves), mound the crumbs on top of the fish (scoop up the bread crumbs from the pan as needed) and pat the topping down so it stays in place. Wash your hands if needed.
Slice the butter into squares and top each piece of cod with at least one pat of butter. (Use all the butter.) Sprinkle some more paprika onto the fish and bake for 25 minutes, or until the crumb topping is golden brown and the cod is cooked and flakes easily.
Squeeze extra lemon juice over the fish and serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to three days. The cooked fish also can be frozen and should be used within three months, for best quality. It's delicious reheated in the air fryer at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes on the lowest rack.

Notes

Bread Crumb Topping - Use all of it! It will seem like way too much when you're adding it to the fish, but it will form the perfect crust when it bakes.

Fish Substitutions: You can use any white flaky fish, such as pollock, haddock, or orange roughy, in place of the cod.

White Wine:I like Sauvignon Blanc here, but you can use another white wine. I haven't tried this with red wine, but you could probably do that in a pinch. If you need to omit the alcohol, add another tablespoon of lemon juice to the bread crumb mixture.

Bread Crumbs: Use plain ones, whether you buy them or use homemade bread crumbs. I'm not a fan of panko, but I'll look the other way if you need to substitute them.

If you only have Italian seasoned bread crumbs, you should be able to make those work, but you still need to add all of the ingredients that go in the topping. You may need to reduce the garlic powder in the recipe, however.

Nutrition

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(Recipe Source: Inspired by one of my mom's legendary dishes. We collaborated to come up with this recipe for cod!)

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