Weeknight Pesto Cod

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Get dinner on the table in less than 15 minutes with this recipe for a delicious broiled cod. It's Paleo, Whole30, and can be made AIP easily

It's a weeknight. Dinner is soon. You don't feel like making a huge, complicated meal. What do you eat?

Try this super simple but yet extremely delicious broiled fish!

This Paleo dish seriously takes less than 15 minutes from start to finish!

It's just a bonus to me that it's a dish the whole family will love.

You know those days when you come home from work, you and your kids are cranky, and just want healthy and good tasting food to magically appear on the table…

SO easy to make

This one is just a matter of putting a bunch of ingredients into a food processor, hitting the on button, pulverizing it, putting it on top of the fish and then baking it.

Really. That easy.

Suitable for many styles of eating

Right from the start this one is suitable for Paleo and Whole30 diets.

It's easily made suitable for the AIP Diet though (and nut-free) by omitting the almonds and paprika. It changes the flavor somewhat but it's still delicious.

Best if Thawed

While I'm a huge fan of making fish from frozen (I mean, how easy is that?), this dish is best if the fish is thawed before making.

Otherwise the topping does tend to burn before the fish is done.

That being said, you can quickly thaw fish in a bowl of cool water for about 30 minutes and that should have it good enough to cook, or you can start cooking the fish for about 5 minutes, then carefully put the pesto on top and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.

How to Meal Prep this Pesto Cod

You can prep this pesto cod in minutes. Pull the cod out and thaw in the fridge up to 5 days ahead of time. Complete the steps to make this tasty pesto and store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

You can also freeze this pesto for later. Place the pesto in a freezer-safe container or bag and store in the freezer for later.

If you're feeling ambitious, double or triple the pesto recipe. Spoon the mixture into an ice cube tray or silicone ice tray. Once frozen, pop the “ice cubes” out and put them into a freezer-safe container or bag for long-term storage. Now you'll have enough pesto for this meal and many more down the road.

These cubes can be reheated directly from frozen within seconds – simply put them in a microwave-safe container and microwave for a few seconds or into a small saucepan on the stove over medium heat.

Pesto Cod Recipe

If you make this cod, I'd love to hear how it turned out! Either comment below or share a pic on Instagram and tag me @thrivingautoimmune!

Pesto Cod

Servings:
Get dinner on the table in less than 15 minutes with this recipe for a delicious broiled cod. It's Paleo, Whole30, and can be made AIP easily
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 bunch fresh parsley
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup slivered almonds (omit for AIP)
  • Juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp paprika (omit for AIP)
  • 1 tsp Sea Salt
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1.5 lbs cod (fresh or thawed, if using frozen fish)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the broiler (on high if you have a multi-temp broiler). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the cod on it.
  • Put the parsley, garlic, almonds (if using), lemon juice and zest, paprika (if using), and sea salt in a food processor. Process until everything is approximately the same size.
  • With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil and keep going until the pesto is just slightly chunky.
  • Using a spatula or your hands, apply the pesto to both sides of the fish and place back on baking sheet.
  • Broil the fish for 5-10 minutes (depending on the thickness of your fish) or until opaque and the fish flakes when cut with fork. Enjoy!
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: AIP, Paleo, Whole30
Keyword: AIP, broiled, dinner, easy, Paleo, quick, weeknight, Whole30
Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment below or share a photo on Instagram and tag me @thrivingautoimmune !

4 Comments

  1. Kathleen

    This looks and sounds tasty! I just bought some cod and can’t wait to try this! Thanks! 🌺

    Reply
  2. Lily Lau

    Thanks for this fantastic fish recipe, Michele 🙂

    Reply
    • Michele

      Definitely! Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  3. Kelly @ The Nourishing Home

    Thank you so much for being a guest today and sharing your absolutely delicious broiled cod recipe! It’s so good that I’ll be adding it to my weekly meal plan rotations! Thanks again, sweet friend! You are such a blessing!

    Reply

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Hey there, I´m Michele

I’m a Hashimoto’s health coach and recipe developer helping women reverse symptoms naturally.

This space is where I share root-cause healing tips, AIP/Paleo-friendly recipes, and real-life support so you can feel amazing again—without burnout or guesswork.

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