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One-Pan Lemon & Tomato Mediterranean Cod Tray Bake

This One-Pan Lemon & Tomato Mediterranean Cod Tray Bake is a vibrant, flavour-packed meal that brings together tender cod, roasted vegetables, baby potatoes, and a rich tomato sauce in a single dish. Fresh lemon, olives, and Mediterranean-inspired flavours create a delicious balance of freshness and comfort, while keeping preparation and washing up to a minimum.

Packed with protein, fibre, healthy fats, and a variety of vitamins and minerals, this recipe is a simple way to enjoy more fish as part of a balanced diet. Serve with a crisp mixed leaf salad for an easy weeknight dinner, meal-prep lunch, or family meal that looks impressive without requiring hours in the kitchen.

With everything cooking together in one tray, the vegetables soften into a rich, flavourful sauce while the cod remains tender and flaky, creating a satisfying meal that’s both nourishing and easy to prepare.

Why This Recipe Works

➡️ Cod provides a lean source of high-quality protein, containing all nine essential amino acids needed for muscle maintenance, repair, and overall health. Protein also helps support fullness and satisfaction after meals.

➡️ Not only, cod is loaded with vitamin B12, iodine, and selenium. Vitamin B12 helps support normal energy production and nervous system function, iodine contributes to normal thyroid function, and selenium acts as an antioxidant, helping protect cells from everyday damage.

➡️ Baby potatoes provide complex carbohydrates for energy, alongside potassium and vitamin C. Potassium helps support normal muscle and nerve function, whilst vitamin C contributes to immune health and collagen production.

➡️ Tomatoes are a source of lycopene, a natural plant compound that gives tomatoes their red colour. Lycopene has antioxidant properties and is actually absorbed more effectively from cooked tomatoes than raw ones.

➡️ Peppers, onions, lemon, and tomatoes contribute fibre, vitamins, and beneficial plant compounds. Red peppers are particularly rich in vitamin C, whilst onions contain compounds that help add flavour and nutritional variety to the meal.

➡️ Olive oil and olives provide heart-healthy unsaturated fats, a key feature of the Mediterranean-style way of eating. These fats also help the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E, and K.

➡️ Everything cooks together in one tray, allowing the vegetables, lemon, and fish to create a rich, flavourful tomato sauce while keeping preparation and washing up to a minimum.

➡️ Packed with colour, flavour, and texture, making it an easy and enjoyable way to include more fish and vegetables as part of a balanced meal.

One-Pan Lemon & Tomato Mediterranean Cod Tray Bake

Flaky cod, roasted vegetables, baby potatoes, olives, and lemon baked together in a rich Mediterranean-inspired tomato sauce. A flavour-packed, protein-rich dinner with minimal prep and washing up.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cod fillets (fresh or frozen) approximately 120-150g each
  • 500 g baby potatoes halved
  • 250 g cherry tomatoes
  • 1 large red pepper sliced
  • 1 red onion cut into wedges
  • 75 g mixed olives drained
  • 1 lemon sliced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp mixed herbs
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
For the tomato sauce:
  • 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 100 ml vegetable stock or water
To serve (optional):
  • Mixed leaf salad
  • Extra lemon wedges

Equipment

  • Large roasting tray or baking dish
  • chopping board
  • Sharp knife
  • Mixing bowl
  • Wooden spoon or spatula

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) / Gas Mark 6.
  2. Add the baby potatoes, red onion, and red pepper to a large roasting tray. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with black pepper. Toss well to coat.
  3. Roast for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are beginning to soften.
  4. Remove the tray from the oven and add the cherry tomatoes, olives, chopped tomatoes, dried oregano, mixed herbs, and the remaining olive oil. Stir everything together.
  5. Nestle the cod fillets into the tomato and vegetable mixture. Arrange the lemon slices over and around the fish.
  6. Return the tray to the oven and bake for a further 15 minutes, or until the cod is opaque, flakes easily with a fork, and the vegetables are tender.
  7. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for a few minutes before serving.
  8. Divide between four plates and serve with a simple mixed leaf salad and extra lemon wedges if desired.