This oh-so-simple recipe for pan-seared cod with avocado cream sauce is a ridiculously quick and ridiculously delicious weeknight dinner option! Tender white fish with a perfectly seasoned golden crust, and a creamy avocado sauce with just a little bit of spice for spooning the top. If you like this sort of meal, you should also try baked brown butter honey glazed salmon!
Pan Seared Cod with Avocado Cream Sauce
Here’s the thing about Pan Seared Cod with Avocado Cream Sauce, it is seriously one of the easiest meals to cook, and the cod tends to absorb flavors that it is paired with really well! This recipe is on the table in 15 minutes flat and is perfect for a weeknight meal when you’d much rather be lounging with the family than in the kitchen cooking. The fish is tender with a crispy crust, and the avocado cream sauce is packed with flavor; you could honestly use it as a dip later. This one is a keeper.
How to Cook Cod
There are four key things you need to understand with this recipe:
Dry the Fish – Rinse and thoroughly dry the fillets with paper towels before you start frying. Fish tend to carry excess moisture straight out of the packaging. Drying the fish will ensure that the coating adheres properly and the excess water won’t react to the cooking oil.
The Heat Level – Make sure your pan is set to medium-high heat. Pour the oil in the center of the pan and swirl it around. Don’t put the fish in the pan until the oil is hot. You’ll know it is ready when you can start to smell it. If you get the oil too hot, you will start to see smoke. Remove the pan from the heat and turn it down a bit before putting the fish in the pan. When you put your fish into the pan, it should sizzle.
The Pan – Cod is a very tender fish. If you use the wrong pan, you’ll probably be eating your fish in chunks. The best pan to use for this recipe is a non-stick pan or a cast-iron skillet. I prefer a cast-iron skillet because the design of the pan promotes uniform heating, unlike a non-stick pan, where you get hot spots.
Cooking Time – Cooking time always depends on the thickness of the fish. Cod tends to be a thicker, meatier fish, but the tender tail ends are typically thin. These three methods can be used to know if your fish is done.
- The Meat Thermometer: If you have a meat thermometer, the center of your fish should reach 145 °F.
- The fork test: The fish should be opaque, not translucent and it should break easily into flakes when you nudge it with a fork.
- The 10-minute rule: For this, you measure the fish at its thickest point and cook it for 10 minutes per inch, turning halfway through the cooking time. So for 1-inch thick fish, cook 5 minutes per side.
More Seafood Recipes
Pan Seared Cod with Avocado Cream Sauce
Ingredients
Fish
- 2 (6-8 ounce) skinless cod fillets
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Avocado Cream Sauce
- 1 large avocado
- ½ medium lime, juiced
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
- 2 medium jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup sour cream
Instructions
Avocado Cream Sauce
- In the bowl of your blender, add avocado, lime juice, cilantro, jalapenos, garlic, cumin, salt & pepper and sour cream, blend until smooth. Chill until ready to serve.
Fish
- On a plate or a wide bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper, garlic and paprika.
- Use paper towels to pat the cod completely dry on all sides. (Removing moisture is essential for a crisp sear.) Season both sides with salt and black pepper. Dredge the fish lightly to cover on all sides.
- Add oil to a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Allow the oil to heat until shimmering. The pan should be hot before adding the fish.
- Place the cod in the skillet. Do not move it. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the bottom forms a golden-brown crust and releases easily from the pan.
- Carefully flip the cod and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, depending on thickness. The fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.
- Remove from the skillet and let rest for 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer to a plate and spoon on the avocado cream sauce.
- Serve Immediately.
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Did you make Pan Seared Cod with Avocado Cream Sauce?
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This was delicious & easy to make! Will definitely be making again! Served with cilantro lime rice. Really enjoyed the avocado cream sauce and will keep that in rotation as well..used the leftover sauce on some shrimp tacos 😋
The sauce in this recipe is fantastic and I actually put some in my salad and mixed with my vinaigrette which was like having a green goddess dressing. The recommendations for cooking the cod were spot on. I don’t think I needed the amount of flour called for. The fish & sauce were delicious and I would make it again.
Today is my shopping day and I am going to purchase the ingredients for Avocado Cream. It sounds so good. BUT – have you ever used it on other than fish?