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If you like cod recipes, you’ll love this easy recipe for pan-seared cod with white wine tomato basil sauce! The tomato sauce is brimming with flavor thanks to minced garlic, fresh lemon juice, fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, and white wine. Make the sauce, pan fry the cod fillets until they flake easily with a fork, then pour the sauce over the white fish. Ready in about 15 minutes.
The Queen of Cod Recipes
We LOVE white fish, but I have to say, of all the white fish varieties on the market, we’re huge fans of cod fish. Cod fillets are like a blank canvas for adding flavor, and fresh or frozen cod are also easy to find and quite affordable.
I have a ton of cod recipes in my recipe book and probably cook this white fish once a week. But this pan-seared cod with tomato basil sauce is definitely my favorite way to cook cod! Even my friends who usually don’t love fish recipes BEG me to make this. And it pairs great with almost anything: rice, pasta, potatoes, or veggies!
Let’s Cook Cod Fish: Top Tips for this White Fish!
- Because of the delicate nature of cod, use a non-stick pan or well-seasoned cast iron skillet. If the cod fish sticks, it will likely break apart when you try to flip it. It’ll still tastes delicious, but try to avoid breaking the cod fillets if you can.
- Don’t forget to season the cod filets with salt and pepper. You want to salt and pepper both sides of the cod fish to ensure they’re well seasoned.
- For the best taste, use olive oil. Canola oil or vegetable oil will technically work, but olive oil gives the best flavor.
- When possible, purchase thicker fillets of cod. And select middle pieces of the cod fish, if you can. White fish like cod flakes easily, so the thicker the pieces, the less likely it is to fall apart while cooking.
- Use paper towels to pat the cod dry. You want to remove as much moisture from the cod fillets as possible. But they’re delicate pieces of fish, so be gentle when you’re patting the fillets.
- Heat the skillet over medium heat until the oil shimmers. If your pan doesn’t get hot enough, the cod fillets won’t properly pan-sear. Never add the fish to a cold pan.
- Fresh cod filets are my personal favorite, but frozen cod can work. See all my tips for cooking and thawing frozen cod below.
- Cod cooks fast, so be sure not to over cook the fillet. It usually only takes about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until the filets of cod flake easily with a fork. Over cooked cod fish will be tough, so keep a close eye while they pan fry.
Tomato Sauce with Fresh Herbs
- I suggest using a wine that’s crisp and dry, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. It doesn’t need to be expensive, but I do suggest choosing a wine you’d drink.
- To make this fish recipe alcohol-free, choose a non-alcoholic white wine. You may also substitute an equal amount of chicken broth or vegetable broth.
- If you sub broth for wine, use low-sodium broth so you can control the saltiness. And consider adding a 1/2 teaspoon of white wine vinegar. This will mimic the tangy flavor that the wine would have added.
- Never sub the fresh minced garlic for garlic powder. Fresh garlic adds so much flavor to this sauce.
- Choose fresh basil that’s fragrant and has deeply green leaves. Fresh herbs will always add more flavor than dried, so don’t sub dried basil.
- Fresh parsley will NOT add the same flavor as basil. So while you’re welcome to add a teaspoon or two of fresh parsley for extra fresh herb flavor, do not sub one for the other.
- Select cherry tomatoes that are fresh and juicy. The juicier the tomatoes, the juicer the sauce will be. Dry tomatoes won’t yield much sauce. If it’s all you can find, double the quantity of tomatoes or wait until better tomatoes are in season.
- If you don’t love fresh lemon juice, cut the amount in half until you taste the sauce. You can always add more fresh lemon juice if needed.
- If you’re not a fan of spice, omit the red pepper flakes. You can always add a sprinkle of pepper flakes later if you change your mind.
Fresh Cod Fish vs Frozen Cod Fillets
- If you’re lucky enough to have easy access to locally caught fresh white fish, I suggest using fresh cod fillets. This way you can ask your fishmonger to help you choose the perfect cod fillets for this recipe! Remember, you want them thicker if possible.
- If fresh cod fish isn’t easily accessible, frozen cod will work just fine! Fully thaw the fillets before you cook the cod. This takes about 15 minutes if you place the fillets in a ziplock bag and run it under cold running water. Take care not to get the actual cod filets wet!
- Frozen fish often contains more water and moisture than fresh fish. So take extra care when patting them dry.
- Remove as much moisture from the frozen cod fish as possible before cooking. I usually let them sit between a few layers of paper towels for 15 minutes, then pat them dry.
- Frozen cod is just as delicious and nutritious as fresh fish. So next time you go to make your favorite fish recipe, you can feel good about using fresh or frozen.
Can I use a Different White Fish?
- Yes, you can pair this sauce with a different white fish! The cooking time will vary depending on the fish. So I suggest looking up the cook time for your preferred white fish and adapting it as needed.
- Some of my favorite white fishes are sea bass, flounder, sole, and halibut. Many readers have reported they love making this fish recipe using tilapia! Just remember, all these fish varieties will require different cooking times. My cook time estimate is only for cod fillets.
- If you’re not crazy about white fish, you could also pair this tomato basil sauce with pan-seared salmon or baked salmon. I usually bake my salmon at 425 degrees for 18 minutes. But use whatever baked salmon recipe you like best.
- Some readers have even reported pairing this sauce with chicken or shrimp! So at the end of the day, if you fall in love with this sauce, feel free to pair it with whatever protein you want. The sauce is even just delicious with bread.
If you love cod fish recipes as much as I do, this Pan-Seared Cod in White Wine Tomato Basil Sauce is sure to be a hit in your home! The cod is flaky and tender, and the sauce is so flavorful… it’s always a hit with the whole family. Even my two year old loves this recipe. Especially when I serve it with my lemon, garlic, and parmesan asparagus.
More Fish Recipes You’ll Love:
- Lemon, Garlic, and Thyme Baked Salmon
- Baked Cod Recipe with Puttanesca Sauce
- Lemon, Garlic, and Fresh Herb Baked Cod
- Mussels Recipe with White Wine Garlic Sauce
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Pan-Seared Cod in White Wine Tomato Basil Sauce
If you like cod recipes, you'll love this easy recipe for pan-seared cod with white wine tomato basil sauce! The tomato sauce is brimming with flavor thanks to minced garlic, fresh lemon juice, fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, and white wine. Make the sauce, pan fry the cod fillets until they flake easily with a fork, then pour the sauce over the white fish. Ready in about 15 minutes!
Ingredients
For the White Wine Tomato Basil Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons (28ml) olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 large cloves of garlic finely minced
- 1 pint juicy cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- 1/4 cup (57ml) dry white wine *add an extra 1/4 cup for a saucier sauce
- 1/2 cup fresh basil finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons (28ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (more to taste)
For the Cod:
- 2 tablespoons (28ml) olive oil
- 1 and 1/2 pounds fresh cod cut into 4 fillets
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
For the White Wine Tomato Basil Sauce:
- In a large sauté pan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add crushed red pepper flakes and garlic and sauté for 1 minute, or until garlic is fragrant but not browned.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they're soft and blistering, but still hold their shape, about 8 to 12 minutes.
- Add in the white wine, stir, and allow the mixture to come to a gentle simmer. Stir in the basil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, sugar, and pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Transfer the sauce into a bowl and set aside until needed.
For the Cod:
- Heat oil in a large nonstick pan or skillet over medium heat. Pat the cod dry with paper towels. Then season both sides of cod with salt and pepper.
- Place cod in the oil and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Carefully flip the cod over and continue cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes, OR until it's cooked through.
- Pour the white wine tomato basil sauce over the cod, let the sauce warm up for a minute, then remove from heat and and serve at once.
Video
Notes
*The cooking method of this recipe has been slightly updated. The recipe and flavor are still the same!
Tried it and loved it?Snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram @Bakerbynature and by using the hashtag #BakerByNature
Amazing recipe! I’ve never enjoyed as much with this recipe, easy to make and a gorgeous presentation! I served it over mashed potatoes, and my family loved it! Thank you
Thanks for posting. This looks amazing – I’m making it tonight. Do you think this recipe would also work well with Tilapia?
Hi! I’ve never tried with that variety of fish but I think the flavors would go lovely with it! You may need to adjust the cooking time by a minute or two.
This dish looks incredible. I can’t wait to try.
Thank you, Amy! I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Made this for dinner tonight. Served it over brown rice with steamed broccoli. I used swordfish instead of cod because it was on sale and looked yummy. I love the spice the red pepper flakes add to it. I will definitely make this again.
So happy you enjoyed it, Jamie! Thanks for letting us know 🙂
I made this tonight for dinner for my husband for Valentine’s Day. It was so delicious. He loved it so much. Thank God I made enough for his lunch tomorrow. One of the easiest and best recipes I’ve ever had.
Yay! So happy you and your husband could enjoy this together on Valentine’s Day 🙂
Don’t have lemon zest (just lemon juice in the bottle). Is that OK? Also, I have lots of garden tomatoes (not cherry). Can I cut them up to use in this recipe?
Plan on making this tomorrow. I will report back, it looks fantastic!
Yay! Can’t wait to hear how it turns out, Dee 🙂
Wait…. why do you preheat the oven??
At the end of the recipe it says to place the pan (of cod) in the oven to continue cooking for 5 minutes.
Oh thank goodness! I was wondering about that too! 🙂
Same here I had to scroll 3 times lol
LOL, I completely missed that too!
I made this and skipped the oven part and it was delicious!!
I’ve made this many times with several kinds of fish, also added balsamic vinegar and put mozzarella on chicken filets.. excellent!
i wonder the pan have to be made for the oven… but if it is non stick one?
never add fish to oven after pan searing it. It will dry it out. Plus it doesn’t say put in oven anywhere.
I was thinking the same, did I miss something!?
Please see step 5, which has this information 🙂
Does it have to go in the oven? The pans I have are not oven friendly.
It sounds like other readers have had success just cooking it on the stove top, so I think adding a few extra minutes of cook time should work!
I left mine in the pan, it was delicious.
Yep! Just read step 5
Can you make the sauce ahead of time and reheat it when ready to cook the cod?
Lin
Oh I made this tonight but I replaced the cod with tilapia and it was soo delicious. Thank you for sharing
Thanks Lynnia for letting us know that Tilapia will do just fine as in neck of the woods, we do not get cod either frozen or fresh.
I made this tonight and used mahi-mahi. Fantastic!
I was wondering that too as the oven does not seem to be used!
LOL. I thought the same thing Lilly. No need to preheat oven I guess. Actually warming up fresh bread in the oven to dip in the delicious tomatoes is a great idea.
Good idea on the oven and the bread for dipping in the sauce 🙂
Sandy, you just gave me a great idea! Crusty bread, goat cheese and this tomato sauce on top! Sort of a bruschetta! This dish was honestly fabulous!
The oven is used in Step 5.
Sorry, I was wrong. You do need to preheat oven for step 5. I totally missed that.
Because if the oven doesn’t heat up to the right temp it could under cook the dish. Serious question do you usually use the oven when cooking? Just wondering because you always have to preheat the oven if not it could really ruin the dish. Especially when baking! Heating temps are very important when baking also!!
Since I had to heat the oven I roasted Asparagus with the fish. I put the Asparagus in when I started the fish on the stove top and both the fish and Asparagus were done at the Same time.
Great idea! I picked up some asparagus to cook with mine even before I read your comment. Making this tonight!
My question exactly!!
After cooking the fish on one side for 5 minutes it says to flip the fish and place in oven for another 5 minutes
I have the same question!
I was wondering the same thing…
When you flip the fish you’re instructed to finish it in the oven.
I said the same thing. Huh? What??
Hi Chris. What are you confused about? I’d love to help!
Lol I was thinking the same thing lmao
what is the point of heating the oven?
These cod fillets look stunning! I love a good easy fish dish. This recipe sounds like a perfect one. I have to try it next week for dinner. By the way, your photos are absolutely beautiful! 🙂
What a quick and easy, healthy meal!! Your pictures of the cod are absolutely gorgeous. Such beautiful and bright colors!! Definitely pinning this one to try out 🙂
This looks so delicious and light! and fried oreos whaaattt??? I need to get on that haha.
I have made this before and enjoyed it thoroughly. I’m making it again this evening for dinner and am sure it will be just as wonderful as before. I was shocked how poorly the people behaved that reviewed this post. If are making comments make them either helpful to others or make compliments on the receipe. Everyone has different tastes and adjusting a recipe is fine but bickering online over a recipe is sil.i likes the recipe as it is and will adjust if I ever need .
We love this recipe.
This looks amazing, I am going to have to try making this. Thanks for sharing !
Great recipe . I made it for our family and it was thoroughly enjoyed. Very simple as well.
I found it a little bland & more work than it was worth/ even my dog wasn’t excited about it. Maybe it was the lack of fresh parsley so I used the stuff from the spice isle.
Perhaps try your dog’s food as a comparison, eh?
lol
OMG, that was so funny Lee! I’m making this tomorrow for the first time, and I am sure the basil and garlic will give it a lot of flavor! Looking forward to it!
The recipe does not call for parsley. Fresh parsley would add a nice touch of freshness, but not a lot of flavor. Dried parsley wouldn’t do much other than add a bit of color. Are you thinking of fresh basil? That would add a good amount of flavor and freshness. Dried basil would add some flavor and color, but definitely not the same as fresh. The type of tomatoes could impact the flavor profile as well.
i fully agree!!!!! so many unhappy people in this world hey
You must be serving your dog one helluva meal. Either that, or you simply do not know how to follow instructions. I’m a chef and this is one of the best recipes I’ve tasted in a long time for cod. Way to go Ashley!
The use of dried parsley instead of fresh basil would make a HUGE difference in flavor so i would say to try the recipe again and actually follow the recipe and ingredients as they read before rating again. This fail sounds like an “operator error”.
Agree
Agree
I made this tonight and my husband just about licked the plate. I had some baby spinach in the fridge and tossed that in as well until it wilted. No dried parsley here either. Feesh basil gives so much flavor along with the garlic, lemon, and white wine. YUM!
Your remarks are “spot on”.
Dried parsley over fresh basil?
I just made this for dinner, so delicious
Dried parsley is useless! I used a combination of fresh basil and small amount of parsley for the finish and it was delicious.I think it was operator failure!
Parsley is not even used in tbis recipe. Basil is
Oops, that’s what I meant.
Made this tonight. It’s probably one of the best things I’ve ever made. I only wished I had doubled the sauce, cause it was so good.
How rude, especially since you didn’t follow the recipe. A good cook improvises and thinks a recipe through and takes away or adds flavors they won’t like in a recipe before making it. You’re clearly not a good cook. Just eat your dog’s food. Maybe that will make you happy. Lol.
That’s being a little harsh, don’t cha think? Calm down, for goodness sakes!
Yup! I agree of operator error. and tremendous difference in the 2 herbs!!! but some people’s taste is all in their mouth. No distinction of delicious flavor blends. Thanks BAKER BY NATURE. FAB RECIPE. Turns any fish into a gourmet meal. I found Jazmine rice with parsley n a tiny touch of Alpine seasoning a delight under this delicious fish. Icey cold sweet coleslaw kicked off the taste buds. Yum Thanks.
I forgot the basil so Isubstituted pesto instead. It was terrific!
Great idea-pesto. I love it and it’s sure to make the flavors pop.
That’s what I was going to do, since I ran out of fresh basil. Pesto should do the trick.
Exactly! That’s how I felt. I was constantly tweaking it to get more flavor. It didn’t work for me. ♀️
You must have not followed the recipe. This was intensely flavorful! Delicious!
You must be a really bad cook. Either that or you used cheap ingredients. Perfect recipe.
Please. Stop the snarky remarks. Why do you need to be insulting?
Maybe you needed more salt and pepper.
Who leaves comments like that????
Too bad, you obviously didn’t have fresh basil and red pepper flakes
It calls for fresh basil, not parsley.
Maybe because there is no parsley in the recipe
Wow, this recipe looks amazing, I’m going to try it today and ill post you my pics, I would definitely love to see more cod recipes, love your page !
This recipe doesn’t call for parsley,
It wasnt parsely. Its Basil
You need to use fresh ingredients
*aisle
There is No parsley in this recipe. It’s basil and it makes big difference. I made this recipe few times and everyone loved it. Even my friends who say they don’t like fish.
NO fresh parsley in recipe!!!!!!!!!
I made this tonight for my family and everyone agrees. It was quite bland. The sauce was fantastic though the fish needed flavor. Maybe if it was cooked in the sauce it may have been more flavorful.
Maybe add the fish to the sauce at the end and let simmer for a minute or two would do the trick.
Delicate, yes. Bland, not to us.
I sautéed some ground chourico and added it to the sauce. I also boiled some cubed tomatoes and put them in the pan with the fish a few minutes before it was finished cooking. This is how it would be served in the Portuguese restaurants in Fall River, Massachusetts. It was delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe.
I’ve done this recipe twice and I enjoy it a lot!… I usually cut the cheery tomatoes and put them in a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper to marinate for at least 30 minutes, since I usually think cherry tomatoes are a bit bland per se, but the rest is perfect…. I eat it with lebanese rice or plain white rice 🙂
What a rude thing to say. Do u read well? The recipe doesn’t call for parsley.
So rude
most of te time if you don’t season the fish it will be bland as well. Make su=re it is seasoned well before pan searing
You are not only rude for posting such a terrible comment but you must be a horrible cook as well. I’ve made this recipe several times and it is delicious.
Very rude review, particularly if the recipe wasn’t followed.
How would swordfish work for this recipe?
I have read most of the comments about this recipe. It seems to me that quite a few women have never been in a kitchen before and never should be in one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
wow….it is a recipe some people liked and others didn’t….whatever happened to “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything”??
I am also amazed at all the hateful and mean remarks. Turn the page and move on and above all, be kind.
Y was thinking the same thing. They don’t realize that their remarks were equally as bad as hers. So may people missing love in their hearts. A world full of fear.
It was amazing! I made it tonight and we all loved it! I will def make it again.
Mine turned out perfect. It was very tasty! Loved it!
unsure if you’ve tried this but please do, I am not a fish lover buy trying recipes to find one that I could “tolerate” Whoo what a surprise absolutely love this dish thank you soooo much for this very flavorful dish
I made this and this was very good. Will make it again
I tried this and I was surprised flavors where wonderful, we had a side of sweet potato garlic mash it went well with it. This will be on our repeat favorite list. Thanks for sharing
Hi , Just tried this dish and I thought the lemon was over powering , I would use less .
There is no try, only do.
Loved the Pan-Seared Cod in White Wine and Tomato Sauce. Delicious!
Caught by surprise at how flavorful this was. I used Cherub cherry tomatoes (quite sweet), fresh basil and three especially large cloves of garlic–the flavors concentrate beautifully. I used a really nice chardonnay and am glad I did. It seemed like a lot of tomatoes at first, but next time I’ll double the sauce. Any leftovers would be beautiful on pasta, with chicken or on a baked potato. Great recipe. Served it with roasted broccoli and more of the chardonnay.
It is fantastic !!! Loved this recipe. I will definitely have it again!!
I tried it and loved it, recipe calls for basil not parsley
One of the best meals i ever cooked. Thank you for shari f.
PS. The store didnt have gesh basil, sulo i subbed with basil pesto. Delicious.
Sorry for typoes.
Cod is admittedly not one of my favorite fish due to its lack of much flavor, but I have made this dish several times. I cannot say enough how much I love it. I go out of my way to find cod now whenever I want fish. I love this dish!!!
My daughter has made this many times and her husband asks for it. They love it. She has shared it with friends who absolutely love it too. I am going to take someone’s advise and double the sauce (except for the tomatoes). The extra sauce will be amazing on the mashed potatoes I’m making to accompany it. I’m getting my cod from a reputable fish market that will cut the thicker parts for me to look like your recipe.