Spiced Cod One Pot (Print Version)

Aromatic cod with vegetables and warming spices, cooked together in one pot for easy cleanup and bold flavor.

# What You Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 4 cod fillets (about 5.3 oz each), skinless and boneless

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
06 - 14 oz canned diced tomatoes
07 - 5.3 oz baby spinach
08 - 1 lemon, sliced

→ Spices & Seasonings

09 - 1 tsp ground cumin
10 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
11 - 1/2 tsp ground coriander
12 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
13 - 1 tsp salt
14 - 1/2 tsp black pepper

→ Pantry

15 - 2 tbsp olive oil
16 - 1 cup fish or vegetable stock

→ Garnish

17 - Fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
18 - Lemon wedges

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat.
02 - Add chopped onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
03 - Stir in minced garlic, red bell pepper, and yellow bell pepper. Cook for an additional 3 minutes.
04 - Add ground cumin, smoked paprika, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Stir well and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Pour in diced tomatoes and fish or vegetable stock. Bring mixture to a simmer.
06 - Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until vegetables are tender and sauce thickens slightly.
07 - Gently nestle cod fillets into the sauce and top with lemon slices. Cover and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until cod is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
08 - Add spinach and cook for 2 minutes until just wilted.
09 - Transfer to serving dishes and garnish with fresh herbs and lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The fish stays incredibly tender because it poaches gently in a sauce that does all the heavy lifting for flavor.
  • Cleanup is laughably easy since your protein, vegetables, and sauce all share one pan from start to finish.
  • It tastes like you spent an hour building layers when really the spices and tomatoes do that work for you.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully without drying out the fish, which almost never happens with seafood.
02 -
  • Do not flip the cod fillets once they are in the sauce, they are delicate and will break apart if you fuss with them too much.
  • If your stock is salted, go easy on the salt when you season the vegetables because the sauce will concentrate as it simmers.
  • Let the fish rest in the sauce for a minute after you turn off the heat, it finishes cooking gently and stays incredibly moist.
03 -
  • Bring the cod to room temperature for about ten minutes before adding it to the pot so it cooks more evenly and does not cool down your sauce.
  • If you are meal prepping, store the fish and sauce separately because reheating them together can make the fish rubbery.
  • Taste the sauce before adding the fish and adjust the salt or spices then, because once the fish goes in you can not stir much without breaking it up.
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