This Mediterranean Baked Black Cod (Sablefish) recipe is the ultimate catch for a quick dinner and ranks at the very top of my favorite sablefish recipes!
With artichokes, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes, that create a juicy Mediterranean salad that compliments this juicy fish beautifully.
This is a super easy dinner to put together that's full of healthy fats, and such a fun black cod without miso recipe!
Black cod is one of my favorite fish. We love it in our household, and eat often here on the coast. And, although I love making the popular miso marinated recipe (my husband's dad is Japanese and we make miso fish regularly), I usually gravitate towards dishes full of good Mediterranean fats.
Black cod recipe without Miso is hard to come by because of the rarity of this fish and of it's lack cod popularity. Though, one of my absolute favorite things is mezze platters or in other words, a table full of a variety of appetizers, olives, nuts, veggies, hummus, baba ghanouj and pita bread. This dish reminds me so much of a true Mediterranean mezze. Every bite is different and adventurous and can easily be adjusted to suit your palette.
I've made this recipe 15-20 times now and still love it. It's a favorite in our house for an extremely fast weeknight dinner, but also when guests come over. It's my back pocket recipe to impress any guest! At this point, I've made it for every single family member, my cooking club gals, and other friends... and now they're all hooked!
How can you not be? It's full of everything a Mediterranean diet teaches and preaches; good fats, good ingredients, and out of this world flavors. I knew it needed a permanent home here along with my other fish recipes asap!
Table of Contents
ABOUT BLACK COD / SABLEFISH
Sablefish is known for it's smooth buttery flavor that's hard to beat. It's incredibly high in heart-healthy omega-3s, and packed with just about your daily limit of vitamin D. Not to mention has plenty of B vitamins!
When it comes to health benefits of fish, black cod ranks well above most fish including salmon and tuna for its protein and omega-3 content. Though if you’re a tuna fan, you have to try this Mediterranean-style Tuna ceviche that would be a great appetizer with this dish!
If you're new to this fish, trust me, it's quite addicting and incredibly juicy and soft. I've served it many times to my guests and they all unanimously claim it to be their "Favorite Fish!".
If you have more fish to work with, try this air fryer frozen fish recipe that's easy to make, and always turns out great!
INGREDIENTS NOTES
Black Cod / Sablefish
Using high quality black cod will ensure you're getting the most flavorful and nutritious filets. It's flaky, buttery smooth, and absolutely packed with nutrients.
Where to get sablefish?
I get Alaska Gold Seafood Black Cod to ensure quality is being met. The best part is, my fish shows up properly packaged at my door step within a day or two. Can't beat quality and convenience!
The Toppings You'll Need
Olives. Use any green olive or kalamata. I would stay away from black olives and pimento olives, they're not quite the right flavor for this dish. I suggest going for a pitted specialty olive, otherwise kalamata is great! Mixing olives is another good way to add variety to this dish.
Artichokes. Because of the strong flavors that all the toppings provide, I prefer to use artichoke hearts that aren't marinated, and just packed in water.
Sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil. Using marinated sun-dried tomatoes add the absolute best flavor to this dish. You truly can't replicate it with dehydrated sun-dried tomatoes. Trust me, I've tried. Though it was still delicious!
Red Onion. Red onion is a great compliment to all the amazing flavors happening in this dish.
Fresh Lemon. The juicier the better, if the lemon seems to be on the dryer side, I'd grab another one as well.
Garlic. Fresh, fresh, fresh!!! Always use freshly minced garlic instead of the pre-packed minced in order to get the right amount and flavor of garlic.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Grab a good one and let's get to it! You'll need this for the fish and drizzling to coat your baking dish.
Feta. This is what seals the deal for me on this dish. Feta adds a creamy factor that completements the dish so well.
Parsley. I love to use it to brighten up the dish and add more color. It also adds a subtle added flavor, and who doesn't love fresh parsley?
HOW TO MAKE IT
SUBSTITUTIONS & MODIFICATIONS
This dish can easily be altered to your palette. Add or substitute ingredients you love!
- Olives. Swap out the green olives for kalamata, or a medley, or even black olives if you prefer those. My two personal favorites are kalamata and green olives, since they provide the most tang and added flavor.
- Sun-dried tomatoes. If you're looking for an alternative for these, then cherry tomatoes work wonderfully. The sun-dried tomatoes add so much more flavor to, but I'm sure cherry would be great as well.
- Red onion. Another great ingredient to use instead is shallots. They are easy to work with and would be a great substitution. If you're in a pinch, you can certain use yellow or white onions.
EXPERT TIPS ON COOKING WITH BLACK COD
- Watch the doneness on the filet. Be sure to stay close to the oven and ready to test the fish as it nears the 12-14 minute mark.
- Keep the fillets about the same size so they cook are done at the same time. Otherwise, one may be done before the other, but thankfully this fish is forgiving in the sense that it will remain juicy!
- Be gentle when plating it. It will remain buttery after being cooked, so grab your fish spatula to transfer it in one piece.
SERVING TIPS
Serve it with just about any side you'd like. I've done rice, roasted potatoes, quinoa, air fryer butternut squash, and as-is for a low-carb phenomenal dinner. Black cod is full of good for you omega-3s, and because of its high fat content, I recommend a side that can be hardy and absorb all that good fat.
Another note to keep in mind is to choose a side that won't overpower with the flavors in this recipe. For a salad suggestion, I love having Lebanese Taboulleh Salad for a fresh and light compliment.
STORAGE TIPS
Leftovers? Better eat up! Or store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat on a skillet or in the microwave before enjoying again. I
I like to double the recipe to ensure I have leftovers for lunch the next day! I can't pass up black cod two days in a row.
FAQ
No! There's no need to cover your black cod. Black cod is extremely high in fat and doesn't typically suffer from becoming too dry and needing a cover to remain moist.
Nope! This is another myth that you should entirely avoid. All you need to do is pat it dry using a disposable paper towel prior to coating it with oil and spices. Rinsing fish will spread germs around your kitchen sink and isn't a necessary step by any means. Make sure you purchased it from a reputable source.
Reheat it in the oven, microwave, air fryer, or on a skillet. Black cod is extremely high in fat and can handle a second heating well. When reheating, keep in mind to reheat just until it's warmed through.
MORE FISH RECIPES
If you're looking for other fish recipes, you're in the right place. Try my flavorful healthy salmon pasta without cream or this rosemary parmesan crusted fish that I've served numerous times now, and it's always a hit!
The best appetizer to pair alongside this dish, is this Tuna ceviche. It has similar flavor profiles and makes a big statement!
For an original surf n' turf recipe, you've got to try this bacon wrapped fish, it's a super simple 3 ingredient recipe that's worth every bite!
If you're looking for a side, one of the best and heathiest side dishes to serve with this recipe is this Mediterranean quinoa salad that I can't ever seem to get enough of.
I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU! When you make this dish, please RATE using the ⭐️stars in the recipe card, and COMMENT at the end of the page how you enjoyed this dish. I love to connect with you in the comments section.
Make sure to share this recipe with others (there's an easy SHARE on FB button in the recipe card!) or post your picture on Instagram and tag @theperfecttide.
Baked Black Cod (Sablefish)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb black cod filets
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup artichoke hearts quartered
- ½ cup green olives and/or kalamata olives, left whole
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
- ⅓ cup red onions sliced
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced , large, or 3-4 medium
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano , or 2 teaspoon fresh
- 1 teaspoon aleppo pepper flakes or ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 whole lemon , half for cooking, half for serving
- ¼ cup feta to garnish
- 3 tablespoon chopped parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a baking dish, drizzle half of the olive oil and set aside.
- Coat the sablefish fillets with the rest of the oil completely and place them in the dish. Then top them with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle the artichokes, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and red onions around the fish. Try to distribute the toppings as evenly as possible.
- Then sprinkle fresh garlic, dried oregano, and aleppo pepper over the fish and toppings. Add more as needed,
- Squeeze half of a lemon over the entire dish and bake until the fish is flaky and reads 145°F. Typically takes 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your filets. Check the fillets at 12 minutes.
- Once the dish is out of the oven, garnish with crumbled feta and chopped parsley to serve.
Video
Notes
Check out the latest uploads!
Gina
My family and I were lucky enough to have this dish prepared for us by the chef, herself! It is officially now our favorite fish recipe. I'm making it tonight on my own - I'm so excited to get to eat it again!!!
Brittany
This recipe was delicious and super simple to make. My two little who normally won’t touch fish both devoured their whole serving! Definitely going to become a staple!
Suzy Sakamoto
I'm so glad your kiddos like it :).
Alejandro D
Awesome recipe. Stuck to the recipe for the most part. I substituted what I had on hand. Made it with lime and fresh diced tomatoes, smoked paprika and added herb roasted baby potatoes as a side. It was delicious. Definitely a keeper. Thanks.
Suzy Sakamoto
Hi Alejandro! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed it. It’s one of my absolute favorites :). - Suzy
Mei
This was absolutely delicious and has become a family favorite!! I love the easy prep, and the smell while it’s cooking is heavenly. Will make again!
Ryan H
Delicious. 20 minutes was about perfect. Even my toddler liked it. This recipe is a keeper.
Suzy Sakamoto
So glad to hear that, Ryan! Thank you for taking the time to leave such a lovely comment. My toddlers eat this faster than chicken :).
-Suzy
Laura Williams
This was so delicious and easy. My husband said, “this is company worthy.” Thank you!
Suzy Sakamoto
So sweet, thank you Laura and her husband!
Adrian Allen
Delicious! Prepared as written, served to rave reviews!