Baked Cod with Lemon-Caper Butter and Herb Couscous

By AislePrompt Editorial · ·

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are drafted and published.

Delicate cod fillets baked in a tangy lemon-caper butter sauce, served over fluffy couscous infused with fresh herbs. This Mediterranean-inspired seafood recipe (gluten free option), ready in about 30 minutes, pairs cod fillets, unsalted butter, lemon zest for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 320 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with rice, quinoa, or a quick salad. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Prep: 10 min Cook: 20 min Serves 4 Mediterranean cuisine 320 cal/serving
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Ingredients

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Instructions

  1. Step 1: Preheat oven to 400°F. Place 4 cod fillets (5 oz each) in a greased baking dish and season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
  2. Step 2: In a small saucepan, melt 4 tbsp unsalted butter over low heat. Stir in 1 tsp lemon zest, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp drained capers, and 2 minced garlic cloves. Remove from heat.
  3. Step 3: Pour the lemon-caper butter evenly over the cod fillets and bake for 12-15 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
  4. Step 4: While fish bakes, bring 1 1/4 cups chicken broth to a boil in a small pot. Remove from heat, stir in 1 cup couscous and 1 tbsp olive oil, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes.
  5. Step 5: Fluff couscous with a fork and stir in 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley.
  6. Step 6: Serve the baked cod fillets over the herb couscous, spooning extra lemon-caper butter from the baking dish over the top.

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