Cornflake-Crusted Baked Cod Recipe

Baked cod with cornflake crust

The Spruce

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Kids love fish sticks, but they're not exactly the most glamorous of dinners. Enter this cornflake-crusted cod—it's close enough to those beloved fish sticks that children won't turn their noses up at them, but still a bit more grown-up in flavor and texture.

To prepare the crusted fish, set up two stations: one with the egg mixture and one with the cornflake mixture. Dip the fillets in each one before you arrange them on the baking sheet. The stations make clean-up easier and the process of making the fish faster.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 pound cod fillets

  • 1 cup crushed cornflakes

  • 1 tablespoon melted butter

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

  • 1 large egg

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather your ingredients and preheat oven to 400 F.

    Ingredients for baked cod
    The Spruce
  2. Drizzle olive oil over a baking sheet.

    Drizzle oil on baking sheet
    The Spruce
  3. In one bowl, combine the cornflakes and melted butter. In another bowl, combine the mustard, egg, and salt and pepper, and mix it together thoroughly.

    Cornflake mixture
    The Spruce
  4. Dip each cod fillet in the egg mixture, shaking off the excess, and then into the cornflake and butter mixture, turning to ensure the whole fillet is coated. Shake off any extra flakes and place on the prepared baking sheet.

    Dip each cod filet in liquid
    The Spruce
  5. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the fish is opaque throughout and flakes easily with a fork. The baking time will depend on how thick the fillets are. Check at 15 minutes. If not done, continue baking, checking every 2 minutes until done.

Tips

  • Serve the fish with roasted or mashed potatoes and green beans sautéed with walnuts and brown butter. Add tartar sauce or cilantro aioli on the side for dipping.
  • Start preparations earlier in the day by coating the fish and then refrigerating it until you're ready to bake.
  • If you don't have cornflakes on hand, replace them with cracker crumbs or breadcrumbs.
  • If you have wire racks, place them on the baking sheet, spray them with pan spray, and place the fish on the wire rack. This allows the hot air to circulate under the fish and cook the bottom of the fillet.
  • If sustainability is important to you, choose farmed Atlantic cod or Pacific Alaska cod over wild Atlantic cod or Pacific cod caught near Japan or Russia.
  • This preparation method can be used on other types of white fish, as well as boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs.

Recipe Variations

  • Parmesan-crusted baked cod: Replace the crushed cereal with a half cup of breadcrumbs and a half cup grated Parmesan cheese.
  • Herb-crusted baked cod: Replace the cornflakes with 3/4 cup breadcrumbs and 1 tablespoon each of dried oregano, dried basil, and dried parsley.
  • Air-fried variation: Prepare the fish as directed. Preheat the air fryer to 350 F. Arrange the fillets in the air fryer and cook for approximately 12 minutes until the crust is crispy.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
221 Calories
9g Fat
7g Carbs
28g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 221
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 11%
Saturated Fat 3g 14%
Cholesterol 116mg 39%
Sodium 360mg 16%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 28g
Vitamin C 3mg 13%
Calcium 30mg 2%
Iron 3mg 16%
Potassium 321mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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