Easy baked cod with jammy cherry tomatoes

this is one of those easy weeknight dinners that looks fancy, tastes like summer, and comes together in one dish (we love minimal cleanup). the cherry tomatoes get all jammy and sweet in the oven, the cod stays buttery and flaky, and the whole thing gets hit with lemon and fresh herbs at the end for brightness. serve it with something starchy to soak up all those saucy bits — rice, crusty bread, or even pasta if you’re feeling it.

i made this for my parents recently and they were both impressed by how good this tomato baked cod was. my dad loves to complain that cod is “too dry” — and while it is a drier fish, when it’s cooked in tomato juice and served with jammy tomatoes, you hardly notice. i served this with a simple butter-garlic pasta and definitely tossed it some with some of the tomatoes, onions, and tomato juices 🙂

this recipe is super adaptable — here are a few easy ways to switch things up:

• add sliced red bell peppers for extra sweetness and color
• stir in capers, olives, and feta for a mediterranean twist
• melt a couple anchovy fillets into the tomato base for extra depth
• swap in calabrian chili for a spicier kick
• toss in cannellini beans to make it more filling
• top the cod with an herby panko crust for added crunch

i used (serves 4):

• 4 cod fillets (about 5 oz each)
• 2.5 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ medium red onion (or shallot), thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the fish
• ½ tbsp red wine vinegar
• ¼ tsp dried oregano
• ¼–½ tsp red chili flakes (optional)
• salt
• black pepper
• garnish: 1 medium lemon, fresh herbs (like basil or parsley)

to make tomato baked cod:

• in a 9 x 13-in baking dish, add the cherry tomatoes, red onion, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, chili flakes, a good pinch of salt, and black pepper. toss everything together and spread into an even layer
• roast for at 425F for 25–30 minutes until the tomatoes are nice and jammy
• while the tomatoes are roasting, pat the cod fillets dry, drizzle with olive oil and season both sides with salt and pepper
• once tomatoes are ready, remove the dish from the oven and use the back of a wooden spoon to make little pockets in the mixture, add in the cod fillets
• roast for another 12–15 minutes, until the cod flakes easily and reaches 145°F internally
• spoon some of the tomato juices over the fish
• finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and chopped herbs (basil or parsley are great here)
• serve with something starchy to soak up the sauce — i made a simple garlic butter pasta, but crusty bread or rice works too!