This delicious 10-minute cod recipe makes a flavorful fish dinner that even the kids will eat! Flaky white fish topped with homemade garlic herb compound butter is easy to prepare baked or on the stovetop; and, it's less than 1 net carb per serving. Great for those following a keto lifestyle (everyone will love it!).
Garlic herb compound butter is a flavored butter made by combining softened butter with minced garlic and fresh herbs. It's versatile and delicious and adds a burst of flavor to the cod.
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Why You'll Love This
This is not the breaded, fried cod you were served for Fish Friday in elementary school!
While cod fish itself is naturally gluten-free, keto, and low carb, you always need to be careful about the breading and/or sauce you find in other recipes. By simply adding a super flavorful butter, you get all the taste and none of the guilt.
Why This Recipe Works
The garlic-herb butter is what sets this recipe apart from other keto cod recipes. Making garlic butter was new to me and now I've been wondering what took me so long to try it. It's easy and so delicious!
Letting the butter harden in the refrigerator after mixing it with the herbs takes about 15-20 minutes. Make-ahead - You could make the garlic-herb butter a day or two in advance if you wanted to get a head start.
Once the butter has hardened, it's smooth sailing after that as the fish only takes 5-7 minutes to pan fry or 15-20 minutes to bake.
Ingredients You'll Need
Ingredients for the garlic herb butter include:
- Unsalted butter, softened
- Fresh basil, finely chopped
- Garlic, finely minced
- Fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Fresh thyme leaves
- Sea salt
All you need for the keto cod is the following:
- Atlantic cod fillets
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
How to Cook It
This is one of the easiest keto cod recipes you'll find. For best results, follow the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step 1: Prepare the garlic-herb butter.
Step 2: Wrap the butter mixture in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
Step 3: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add seasoned fillets to hot skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Step 4: Top each fillet with an equal amount of herb butter.
Step 5: Continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes.
Step 6: Transfer fillets to individual serving plates. Drizzle with melted herb butter and garnish with fresh, chopped parsley, if desired. Serve immediately with your favorite side topped with the remaining butter from the skillet!
Alternate Baking Method: To make this a baked keto cod recipe, preheat your oven to 400F and bake cod fillets in an oven-proof skillet or pan for 15-20 minutes (until fish flakes easily with a fork or until fish reaches 145F). Baste with garlic herb butter 1-2 times while baking and then again after baking.
Beginner Cooking Tips for Cod
- Choose fresh cod: When purchasing cod, look for firm, moist fillets with a mild odor. Avoid fish that has a strong fishy smell or appears slimy.
- Cooking time: The cooking time for cod will vary depending on the thickness of the fillets. As a general rule, cook cod for about 10 minutes per inch of thickness. However, always check for doneness by inserting a fork into the thickest part of the fillet to ensure it flakes easily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cod is a popular fish because of its mild flavor and white flaky flesh. Cod live in the deep, cold waters of the Atlantic and Pacific.
Atlantic cod and Pacific cod are a rich source of protein, B vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. Cod is lower than salmon in omega-3 fatty acids, however, it is still considered a very healthy and nutritious fish. Cod is keto-friendly, gluten-free, and low-carb.
Serve this delicious fish with vegetable mix such as asparagus, broccoli, and zucchini. Steamed greens or a simple side salad is another great option.
If you're not counting carbs, cod pairs well with roasted vegetables, couscous, quinoa, or mashed potatoes.
More Seafood Recipes
If you tried this recipe, please let me know by leaving a comment! I'd love to hear from you.
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Recipe
Cod with Garlic Herb Butter
Ingredients
GARLIC HERB BUTTER
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1-½ teaspoons garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
REMAINING INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cod fillets (about 4 ounces each)
- sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the garlic-herb butter by combining the first 6 ingredients in a bowl. Thoroughly combine the seasonings with the softened butter.
- Place the butter mixture onto a sheet of plastic wrap and form into a log. Wrap tightly and place inside the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to firm.
- Pat cod filets dry with a paper towel and season both sides with a small amount of salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. (see Alternate cooking method in Notes).
- Add fillets to the hot skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until they become golden brown. Reduce heat to medium and carefully flip each fillet. Top each fillet with an equal amount of herb butter and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes. While cooking, spoon the herb butter back over the fillets as it melts.
- Remove fillets from skillet onto serving plates. Drizzle with melted herb butter and garnish with some fresh chopped parsley, if desired.
Notes
- The garlic herb butter is fantastic for so many recipes. It's excellent on salmon, shrimp, and any kind of white fish. Make a double batch to keep in your refrigerator!
- A well-seasoned, non-stick pan is best for cooking fragile, flaky fish such as cod.
- Cod is best served immediately after cooking. Reheating tends to dry out the fish.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in 2019 and was updated in 2023.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy to my readers. I'm not a nutritionist and I don't guarantee the accuracy of this data. The data may differ according to the brands I used versus the brands you use. To calculate the data yourself using your brands, try using an online nutrition calculator or app.
JoAnn Martin
Very good but just a little too salty for us. Will cut back on that next time !
Anne Clark
Thanks for your feedback, JoAnn! I will make a note in the recipe card to remind everyone to use unsalted butter and sea salt (salted butter and regular table salt will definitely make the finished cod salty). Hope you have a great week!
Laura
This worked great, I just added instant stuffing mix to the pan in the last few minutes to soak up the excess butter it was not diet, but everyone loved it!
Anne Clark
Yum to the yum, Laura! I love the stuffing addition. And I happy you liked the recipe!