Baked Cod Lemon Panko (Printable)

Golden crusted cod with fresh herbs and lemon zest. A light and crispy meal.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Fish

01 - 4 cod fillets (6 oz each), skinless
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Panko Topping

04 - 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
05 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
06 - 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
07 - Zest of 1 lemon
08 - 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
09 - 1 garlic clove, minced
10 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
12 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ For Baking

13 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
14 - Lemon wedges

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a baking dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
02 - Pat the cod fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper, then place in the prepared baking dish.
03 - Combine panko breadcrumbs, parsley, dill, lemon zest, Parmesan cheese, garlic, olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Mix until evenly moistened.
04 - Spoon the panko mixture evenly over each cod fillet, pressing gently to adhere the crust.
05 - Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cod is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, and the topping is golden brown.
06 - Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The fish stays impossibly tender inside while the topping turns golden and crispy—no dry fillets, no soggy crumbs.
  • It's elegant enough for company but honest enough for a Tuesday night, ready in under forty minutes start to finish.
02 -
  • If your topping browns too quickly before the fish is done, tent the baking dish loosely with foil for the final few minutes.
  • Frozen cod works beautifully here, but thaw it first and dry it extra well—frozen fillets release more water during cooking.
03 -
  • Mix your panko topping just before topping the fish—the longer it sits, the more the oil soaks in and the topping loses its crispness.
  • A microplane makes lemon zest fine and fluffy; a box grater makes it stringy and bitter by accident.

Go Back