Baked Cod with Lemon-Garlic Butter and Herb Couscous
Tender baked cod fillets topped with a zesty lemon-garlic butter, served alongside fluffy couscous infused with fresh herbs for a light and flavorful meal. This Mediterranean-inspired seafood recipe, ready in about 30 minutes, pairs cod fillets, unsalted butter, garlic cloves for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 350 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. 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.
Ingredients
- 4 fillets (6 oz each) cod fillets
- 4 tbsp softened unsalted butter
- 3 cloves minced garlic cloves
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup dry couscous
- 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
The chef’s knife we’d prep this with → Best Chef's Knives for 2026: Top Picks + Buying Guide
Affiliate disclosure: AislePrompt may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through Amazon links, at no additional cost to you. See our policy →
Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Preheat oven to 400°F. In a small bowl, combine 4 tbsp softened unsalted butter, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp lemon zest, and 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice until well mixed.
- Step 2: Place 4 cod fillets in a baking dish and season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Spread the lemon-garlic butter evenly over each fillet.
- Step 3: Bake cod for 12-15 minutes until the fish flakes easily with a fork and the butter is bubbly.
- Step 4: While cod bakes, bring 1 1/4 cups chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in 1 cup dry couscous and 1 tbsp olive oil. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Step 5: Fluff couscous with a fork, then stir in 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
- Step 6: Serve baked cod fillets atop the herb couscous, spooning any melted butter from the baking dish over the top.









