Crispy Baked Cod with Lemon-Garlic Aioli (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

This light, crispy, and flavorful Baked Cod recipe is an easy and healthful dinner made from affordable, flaky white fish and some everyday pantry staples. Skip the fryer and make crispy baked fish right in your own oven that is made with good fats from avocado oil. Serve it with our lemon-garlic aioli dipping sauce for a simple dinner with that WOW factor!

This post was created in partnership with Primal Kitchen.

Yes, You Can Make Delicious Fish Dinners At Home!

Many people are intimidated to make a fish dinner at home. But we’re here to show you that you CAN make the most delicious fish recipe right in your own kitchen, and it’s not hard to do! We think this recipe is a wonderful introduction to working with fish, and the result is a delicious and light dinner that the whole family will love to eat. Follow our simple technique for making crispy baked cod right in the oven from easy-to-find ingredients and kitchen tools.

Ingredients to Make Crispy Baked Cod with Aioli Dipping Sauce

You don’t need to live on the coastline or shop at fancy stores to make this easy oven baked fish recipe right in your kitchen. Gather these simple ingredients and follow our easy directions:

• Cod fillets – you’ll need 1 to 1 ½ pounds of fresh white fish filets. We think cod is a perfect choice since it has a mild non-fishy flavor, meaty texture, bakes well in the oven, and is easy to find. You can also use black cod, haddock, hake, cusk, tilapia, pollock, striped bass, or white sea bass
• Tortilla chips – you can use any brand and type of tortilla chips that you’d like to make the crispy coating on this baked cod recipe. Since you’ll be grinding the chips into small pieces, you can use whole chips, broken chips, and even those chip crumbles from the bottom of the bag. For a grain-free recipe, use grain-free tortilla chips
• Mayonnaise – we always use Primal Kitchen Mayonnaise because we love the flavor and that it’s made from avocado oil. In this recipe, we’ve used mayonnaise in two places – to coat the fish and also in the aioli dipping sauce
• Nonstick cooking spray – Primal Kitchen also has a great Avocado Oil Spray that’s good for misting baking dishes and getting the perfect crisp coating on this baked fish recipe
• Spices – you’ll need garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried dill, sea salt, black pepper
• Garlic clove – can sub 1 teaspoon jarred minced garlic for the fresh clove
• Lemon – you’ll use both the peel and juice of a fresh lemon 

Optional garnishes – lemon wedges, capers, and fresh parsley or chives

Keep reading and scrolling for tips for success, as well as the complete recipe. The ingredient list with exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

How To Bake Cod So It’s Tender and Crispy At The Same Time

Wondering how to cook cod? Here’s a great technique that makes this meaty white fish so delicious and good for you. In this recipe, a crispy crunchy coating surrounds tender and meaty baked cod. We’ve streamlined the technique so you can make this delicious white fish recipe at home and feel like a gourmet chef. Here are the quick steps to get it done:

Step-By-Step Instructions for How to Bake Cod

1. Prep the oven and sheet pan: Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Place a metal wire rack over a baking sheet. 
2. Rinse and cut the fish: Under cold water, rinse the fish and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into 3- to 4-ounce pieces; set aside. 
3. Make the crispy coating: In the bowl of a food processor, place the chips and seasonings. Grind until the mixture resembles the texture of breadcrumbs. 
4. Coat the fish: Place some mayonnaise in a small dish. Using a silicone pastry brush, brush a thin coating of the mayonnaise on both sides of each piece of fish. Gently but firmly press each piece of fish into the chip breadcrumbs until coated on all sides. 
5. Bake the fish: Place the fish pieces on the prepared rack over a baking sheet. Mist each fish piece with nonstick cooking spray. (NOTE: This step is important to ensure the coating gets crispy.) Bake for 20 minutes. 
6. Make the aioli and serve: Stir together the aioli ingredients. Serve the baked fish with the aioli sauce and garnish servings with lemon wedges, capers, and chives.

For the complete directions, ingredient amounts, and nutrition analysis that lists calories, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, sodium per serving, scroll down to the recipe card below.

Q&A for This Crispy Baked Fish Recipe

Here are some frequently asked questions about this great-tasting oven-fried fish recipe. 

• How do I prevent the coating on the bottom of the fish from getting soggy? Place a wire metal rack (such a cookie cooling rack) over top of a rimmed baking sheet. By elevating the fish pieces on a rack, hot air within the oven is able to circulate fully around each piece, which helps it get crispy on all sides. Be sure to mist the metal rack with nonstick cooking spray before placing the coated fish pieces on it. 

• How can I crush the tortilla chips? The easiest and quickest way to crush the chips into fine breadcrumb-size pieces is to whirl it in a food processor. You could also place the coating ingredients in a heavy-duty ziplock bag and crush the chips by rolling over the bag with a rolling pin. 

FAQ Continued …

• What’s the best way to store and reheat leftovers? Store leftovers of the baked cod and aioli in separate covered containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The best way to reheat the cod is to place it on a rack (over parchment paper) in the oven or a toaster oven and heat it at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. 

• When are some good occasions to serve this baked cod recipe? This recipe is easy and fast enough to make for a quick and nutritious weeknight dinner. And it’s also fancy enough to serve to guests, for a dinner party, or to impress your foodie friends. Many people love to serve fish on Fridays or for Sunday lunches or dinners. 

• Suggestions for serving? We think this recipe tastes great with a simple veggie side dish, such as sauteed zucchini, yellow squash, and grape tomatoes, as we’ve shown in the photos. You could also enjoy it as a crispy fish sandwich by spreading the aioli on a toasted bun and with some of the baked cod pieces in between (is your mouth watering yet?) You could use this recipe to make cruncy fish tacos. Gently flake the baked cod and serve in taco shells with shredded lettuce and dollop the aioli over top. This crunchy fish is also good served over lettuce and veggies in a salad, or as the protein in a grain or rice bowl.  

What is Aioli? The Perfect Lemon-Garlic Dipper!

We’ve provided an easy dipping sauce to go along with this baked fish recipe. It’s a perfect flavor match for the crispy and flakey fish. Aioli is a type of creamy sauce made from a base of oil and garlic. We call for mayonnaise in our aioli recipe so you can make it quickly by stirring together a few fresh and pantry ingredients. Those include lemon, garlic, and dill, which are flavors that taste so vibrant and good with each bite. Use any leftovers of the aioli for spreading on sandwiches, dipping raw and roasted veggies, or tossing with cooked chicken or turkey for an easy salad topper.

Video: How to make oven baked cod

This post was made possible by Primal Kitchen. Although we received compensation for this post, the opinions expressed here are – as always – 100% our own. Thank you for supporting the great companies we work with, thereby allowing us to continue creating high-quality recipes and content for you.

Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Rachel of Half Acre House

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