Wild cod piccata is a delicious light fish dinner with a healthy lemon sauce.
If you’ve been looking for ways to add fish to your diet, this wild cod piccata can’t be beat. When you want something healthy and tasty for dinner but are tired after a long day (you know those days! 😉 ), this nutritious meal comes together in just fifteen minutes and is packed with flavor.
Piccata is a light and lemony sauce with a sprinkling of lovely green capers. Though usually served over chicken or veal, I think it’s time to update that tradition as it’s absolutely amazing over fish too.
Cod is a meaty white fish that beautifully absorbs the flavors of the piccata sauce. Best of all it’s one of the less expensive fishes that you can buy, especially among those that you can find wild caught.
I generally recommend buying wild caught fish because of the many problems associated with farmed fish. If you can’t find fresh wild caught cod, a frozen wild cod is fine too.
For this recipe, I used frozen wild caught Alaskan Pacific Cod from Copper River Seafoods. It’s vacuum sealed in 2-3 portions totaling 12 ounces. If you can’t find it at your supermarket, you can buy it from their online store.
I like to keep several packages of cod in my freezer. When I know that my upcoming day will be a busy one, I just take the cod out of the freezer to thaw overnight in the fridge.
The next day I’m all set, knowing that my evening meal will only take 15 minutes. How easy is that?
Ready to make wild cod piccata?
First, there is one more important thing you should know when cooking your cod so we get this recipe just right.
How do I know when my cod is done?
We’ll cook our fish on a medium-high heat, quick and fast. It goes from almost done to perfectly cooked very quickly. (If it begins to ooze, it’s cooked through and should be removed from the heat immediately.)
Here’s a doneness test: when you see the fish begin to look opaque, slide a pairing knife through one of the seams in the flesh and pry it back to see if it’s lost its transparency.
There should still be some juice, but it will be mostly opaque and flake. The fish will continue to cook even after it’s removed from the heat. By the time you’re ready to serve your cod it will be cooked through and ready for your piccata sauce.
Ingredients you’ll need to make wild cod piccata
- wild cod
- salt
- Bob’s Red Mill GF All Purpose Baking Flour
- butter
- extra-virgin olive oil
For piccata sauce:
- lemon juice from about 2 lemons
- gluten free chicken broth
- capers
- more butter
- and fresh parsley
How to make wild cod piccata
*Free printable recipe card is available at the end of the post.
To cook the fish, we’ll be dredging it in flour first (use your favorite paleo or gluten free flour!), and then cooking it in a little oil and butter until golden.
I recommend using extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) to cook your fish. Just keep it under the smoke point which is the point where oil starts to smoke and burn.
You’re not deep frying here. You just want it to be a little crispy on the outside and still juicy on the inside. My kids loved the fact that the fish was breaded. It reminded them of fish and chips.
For Piccata Sauce
Transfer the fish to a plate and keep warm while you make your piccata sauce. This will only take minutes. Fresh squeezed lemons, chicken broth, and a quarter cup of capers make for a classic tangy piccata sauce.
Even if you’re not usually a fish fan, this dish might make you change your mind. It’s quick and easy to prepare and the delicious sauce makes sure it doesn’t have an overly fishy taste.
I love how delightfully fresh and delectable the cod is when paired with this sauce. It’s a healthy and fun meal in minutes. Enjoy!
And if you make this recipe, share your snap on Instagram and tag @glutenfreehomestead. I always love seeing your photos.
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15 Minute Wild Cod Piccata
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Wild Cod
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup Bob’s Red Mill GF All Purpose Baking Flour
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- For piccata sauce:
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice from about 2 lemons
- ½ cup gluten free chicken broth homemade or store bought
- ¼ cup drained capers rinsed
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Rinse the fish in cold water and pat dry.
- Stir salt and flour together in a shallow dish. Dredge fish in flour mixture and shake off excess.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with the 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add fish and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Remove and transfer to a plate.
- For piccata sauce: Add the lemon juice, broth and capers to the same pan. Bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Simmer for 4 minutes.
- Pour sauce over fish and garnish with parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
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Paul B. Taubman, II says
April 15, 2016 at 3:44 pmOMG! This looks sooo good! I am hungry now after reading this.
What a simple recipe! And to be ready in just 15 minutes is awesome!
Thanks for sharing!
Barbara says
April 16, 2016 at 3:14 pmThanks, Paul. This really is so fast and tasty.
Barry joyce says
April 15, 2016 at 4:30 pmLooks lush and I will be defiantly trying this
All the best
Barry
Barbara says
April 16, 2016 at 3:15 pmIf you’ve never had piccata sauce, you’re in for a treat.
Monick Halm says
April 15, 2016 at 9:20 pmThis looks soooo delicious!!! I have tilapia in the freezer. Do you think the recipe would work with that fish or is cod better?
Barbara says
April 16, 2016 at 3:08 pmHi Monick, Sure this same sauce should be delicious over tilapia. I’d love to hear how you like it. 🙂
Marla says
April 17, 2016 at 11:36 amHi Barbara & Nicole,
I certainly agree with only eating wild caught fish. Sounds like a delicious healthy recipe that would be great for any time of the year. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. Pinned & tweeted! .
Barbara says
April 23, 2016 at 1:45 pmHi Marla! This is terrific. Have a healthy weekend.
Life Loving says
April 17, 2016 at 1:48 pmThis looks divine. I love cod, it’s so under-utilised in cooking I find, but it’s such a good fish for a lot of dishes. We use it in curry quite a bit. The sauce on this looks delicious. I haven’t cooked with capers for a long time. I’m keen to try this one out.
Sally @ Life Loving
#LifeLovingLinkie
Barbara says
April 23, 2016 at 1:44 pmYour curry dish sounds yummy, Sally. Enjoy your weekend. 🙂
Danita says
April 18, 2016 at 11:39 pmA delicious looking recipe that is quick and easy! Sounds perfect! 😉 Thanks for sharing! #SmallVictories
Barbara says
April 23, 2016 at 1:43 pmGood to see you here, Danita. Thanks for your sweet note.
Michelle | A Dish of Daily Life says
April 20, 2016 at 11:07 pmWe are big fans of piccata sauce here so I know we will all love this! Thanks for the inspiration! Shared!
Barbara says
April 23, 2016 at 1:51 pmI make chicken piccata all the time. Now I know I’ll be serving it up on this cod a lot, too. Thanks and have a great weekend, Michelle.
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish says
April 22, 2016 at 4:56 pmThis sounds delicious. Love all of the capers! Thanks so much for sharing this at Savoring Saturdays linky party! Hope you’ll join us again later today.
Barbara says
April 24, 2016 at 6:38 pmThose lovely little capers are just bursting with flavor. I love them, too.
Tess says
August 20, 2016 at 9:21 ampinned and put on my meal plan for next week.. looks delicious!
Barbara says
August 30, 2016 at 10:52 pmThat’s terrific, Tess. I hope you love it. 🙂
Josie says
September 24, 2017 at 5:09 pmMmm such a great spin on my favorite dish. I have to say I like it better with fish now!
Thank you!
Judy says
May 19, 2019 at 9:33 amThe sauce is very good! The cooking of the fish needs to be tweaked. I used wild caught cod from Costco. The fish was way over cooked and the breading was kind of soggy. I think next time I will use egg before the flour or flour then egg then bread crumbs and cook for a total of 4-5 minutes. Very yummy and quick recipe. Thank you!
Barbara Bianchi says
May 19, 2019 at 6:04 pmHi Judy,
Yes, cooking fish can be tricky. It goes from almost done to perfectly done very quickly.
Thanks for leaving this comment so that I’ve updated the post to include a doneness test.
When the fish begins to look opaque, you can slide a pairing knife through one of the seams in the flesh and pry it back to see if it’s lost its transparency.
There should still be some juice, but it will be mostly opaque and flake. The fish will continue to cook even after it’s removed from the heat. By the time you’re ready to serve your cod it will be cooked through.
So glad that you enjoyed the piccata sauce. I hope this helps whether you decide to make piccata again or go for an egg batter with breadcrumbs. (A creamy tartar sauce would go well with fish breaded with breadcrumbs.) 😊 Dipping the fish in egg before the flour is also delicious and more of a Francese style like this Chicken Francese recipe.
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday. Thanks for the stars! 😊