Cod is generally considered a healthy choice because it is high in protein, low in fat and contains some iodine that aids thyroid function. However, cod does contain a little mercury, so it's best not to eat it in excess - no more than four times a week for most people and two if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

How do you get your breadcrumbs to stick to fish?

Use wet ingredients to form an emulsion so that your breadcrumbs stick. Examples include butter, oil, mayonnaise, and egg wash.

Panko is made from crustless white bread that is blitzed into small flakes and then dried. Panko breadcrumbs are dryer than normal breadcrumbs and have a crispier texture when baked or fried.

Baked cod with panko (with air fryer panko cod method)

Name: Panko Baked Cod
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Western
Ingredients: 1.5 tbsp olive oil; 1.5 tbsp room temperature butter (note 1); 1 tsp mustard; 3 tbsp (or 12g) grated Parmesan; 35g (or 1/2 cup) panko breadcrumbs; 3 tbsp (8g) fresh parsley - finely chopped; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 2 cod fillets (approximately 250g) (Note 2); Lemon wedges to serve

Description

An easy 25 minute recipe for flaky baked cod with a perfectly crispy panko topping. Recipe includes oven and Air Fryer methods.

Serves 2. Use the scaling buttons below to double or triple the quantity.

Ingredients

Scale

1.5 tbsp olive oil
1.5 tbsp room temperature butter (note 1)
1 tsp mustard
3 tbsp (or 12g) grated Parmesan
35g (or 1/2 cup) panko breadcrumbs
3 tbsp (8g) fresh parsley - finely chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cod fillets (approximately 250g) (Note 2)
Lemon wedges to serve

Instructions

Oven method:

Heat your oven to 190C or 374F.
Mix the olive oil, butter, mustard, Parmesan, panko breadcrumbs, parsley, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Coat the top and sides of the fillets with the panko mixture.
Place the fillets in a baking dish and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until the cod is cooked through the and panko topping is golden. (Note 3)
Serve immediately with freshly cut lemon wedges.

Air fryer method:

Mix the olive oil, butter, mustard, Parmesan, panko breadcrumbs, parsley, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Coat the top and sides of the fillets with the panko mixture.
Heat the air fryer to 200C or 400F and brush the air fryer basket with oil. Place the panko cod fillets into the basket and air fry for 10-14 minutes until the topping is brown and crisp.
Serve immediately with freshly cut lemon wedges.

Notes

Ensure you use room temperature butter. If the butter is too cold it will not adequately bind the other ingredients together. Soften the butter in microwave if you are in a hurry.
Use fresh or frozen cod. If you are using frozen make sure you thaw it first and dry the fillets with kitchen paper before adding the panko mixture.
Fish is cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 140F or 60C. Use a fish thermometer to check the doneness or cut into the thickest part to check the inside of one of the fillets is cooked.

Category: Fish
Method: baked, air fryer
Cuisine: Western

Keywords: Baked cod with panko (with air fryer panko cod method)