Parmesan Crusted Cod {Pan Fried}

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Parmesan Crusted Cod is a new family favorite. It’s so simple and delicious and takes less than 30 minutes from freezer to table, including side dishes.

Parmesan Crusted Cod {Pan Fried}

I keep my freezer stocked with freezer meals, frozen veggies, and random cuts of meat and seafood. It’s easy to throw something on the grill, but I thought it would fun to change up my go-to meals to include more fish.

I had 2 large cod fillets in the freezer and my husband has been begging for me to cook them up, so I grabbed them from the freezer and put them in a sink with some warm water to thaw.

I stood staring in the pantry and decided on bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese and to pan fry instead of baking. Sounded good to me! And wouldn’t ya know…it turned out to be a family favorite. Luckily, it took less than 30 minutes to throw supper together from the time I pulled the cod from the freezer.

That’s a winner of dinner in my book!

Ingredients to Make Parmesan Crusted Cod

• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 – 6 ounce cod fillets

How to Make Pan Fried, Parmesan Crusted Cod

In a shallow dish combine bread crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese. Season cod fillets with salt and pepper on both side.

In a large skillet, heat oil and butter together over medium high heat until hot and bubbly. Working fast, dip one side of the fish into the cheese mixture and place cheese side down into the hot oil. Repeat with remaining fillets and let cook for about 5 minutes. Gently flip fish and let finish cooking about another 10 minutes or so.

Cod is done when it reaches 145F and is opaque and flakes easily. Serve with roasted broccoli or asparagus and white rice.

Tools I Used:

• Fish Spatula
• Large Non-Stick Skillet

Variations for Making Pan Fried Cod

How to make this low carb?

If you want to make a low carb version of this Parmesan Crusted Cod, then swap the breadcrumbs from ground nuts such as pecans or almonds. Both would make a great crust.

How should I season and cook cod fillets?

Cod is a pretty plain white fish, so it’s best to season well. For this recipe I kept it simple with salt and pepper because of the Parmesan and bread crumbs. However, my kids agreed it definitely needed garlic.

It’s totally okay to be a little more heavy handed with cod to give it more flavor. My Southwest Chipotle Seasoning would be a great option, if you wanted something lighter.

Pan frying gives a delicious flavor, but cod is also great baked at 400F for 10-15 minutes.

What is the best side dish with fish for dinner?

To keep this meal easy and to get it on the table in under 30 minutes, I keep side dishes simple. Either a pan of roasted broccoli or asparagus does the trick. And sometime I’ll add some white rice.

To roast roast broccoli or asparagus, put on a rimmed baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil and a little coarse Kosher salt. Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes, stirring at the halfway mark.

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