Baked Panko-Crusted Cod
You'll love this crispy, panko baked cod accented with butter, Parmesan, lemon, garlic and basil!
Servings: 4
Calories: 304kcal
Ingredients
- ½ cup plain panko crumbs
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika (Regular paprika. If smoked or hot, use less to taste.)
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ medium lemon (zest, plus juice)
- 3 medium basil leaves (cut small)
- 4 tablespoons salted butter (see notes)
- 1 ½ pounds thawed cod (see notes for frozen cod)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and grease it with cooking spray.
- Place the panko and grated Parmesan on a dinner plate. Add the paprika, garlic powder and salt and whisk to combine.
- Rinse the lemon and pat it dry. Cut it in half and make zest from one of the halves by using a zester or grater to shave off the yellow part of the skin. Add the zest to the panko mixture.
- Lightly rinse the basil and pat it dry. Cut it up small with scissors before adding it to the panko mixture. Toss the crumb mixture with a fork to blend it.
- Rub your thumbs along the surface of the cod to see if there are any bones to remove. Pat the fish dry with paper towels.
- Melt the butter in a small pan on the stove or by heating it in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl. Set up an assembly line from left to right with the fish, melted butter, the panko mixture and the sheet pan.
- Use a fork to dip each piece of fish in the butter on both sides. Let any excess butter drip off. Then dip the cod in the panko mixture, coating both sides and patting the topping onto the fish with the fork. Place the coated cod pieces onto the sheet pan, top with any excess melted butter and bake for 20 minutes. The cod is done when it can be easily flaked with a fork.
- Squeeze lemon juice from the zested half lemon over the fish. Store leftover cod in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze it for up to three months.
Notes
Feel free to use haddock or any thick white fish instead of cod.
If you use unsalted butter, you'll need to add a little extra salt to the panko mixture.
Air Fryer Instructions
- For frozen cod: Cook on the frozen setting at 390 degrees F for 14 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. You don't need to flip it.
- For thawed cod: Air fry at 390 degrees F for 10-11 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
- Air Fryer: This is the best method for crispy results. If your machine has a reheat setting, use it. Otherwise, reheat the cod at 390 degrees for five minutes or just until heated through.
- Oven: Reheat the fish in the oven at 375 degrees F for about 10 minutes, or just until it's crisp and heated through.
- Microwave: Using a microwave for reheating will make the panko coating soggy, but this is the fastest way to reheat the cod.
Nutrition
Serving: 6ounces | Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 638mg | Potassium: 775mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 860IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 1mg
