Herby Coconut Baked Cod

If you’re looking for a new way to cook cod, this Herby Coconut Baked Cod is well worth trying. Coconut milk, fresh coriander, Thai basil and a spoonful of green curry paste are blitzed together to create a fragrant sauce that doubles as both a marinade and the perfect accompaniment to the fish. As it grills, the sauce thickens and caramelises around the edges, making it perfect for spooning over steamed rice.

One of my favourite things about this recipe is the cooking method. Rather than baking the fish in a dry oven, the cod cooks beneath a layer of fragrant coconut sauce under a hot grill. As the sauce bubbles away, it reduces into something silky and intensely flavoured, while also helping to keep the fish beautifully tender. Finish with a drizzle of chilli oil and a generous squeeze of lime, and you’ve got an easy dinner that’s packed with flavour.

Why You’ll Love This Herby Coconut Baked Cod

• An incredible coconut sauce. As it grills, the coconut milk reduces into a rich, silky sauce that’s perfect for spooning over steamed rice.
• A wonderfully forgiving way to cook fish. The cod cooks gently beneath the sauce, helping it stay beautifully tender and flaky.
• Fresh, vibrant flavours. Coriander, Thai basil and green curry paste bring freshness, warmth and plenty of depth without overpowering the fish.
• One pan, minimal washing up. Everything marinates and cooks in the same pan, making this an easy recipe that’s perfect for busy weeknights.
• Easy to make your own. Cod is my favourite, but any firm white fish will work beautifully.

Why This Coconut Sauce Works So Well

This sauce is the heart of this Herby Coconut Baked Cod recipe. It uses just a handful of ingredients, but each one has a specific role to play. Together, they create a sauce that’s rich yet fresh, deeply savoury and packed with flavour.

• Use a good-quality coconut milk. Because coconut milk forms the base of the sauce, it’s worth choosing one with at least 70% coconut extract, which you’ll usually find listed on the tin. My go-to brand is Aroy D. As the sauce cooks under the grill, the water evaporates and the coconut fats and solids naturally concentrate, creating a rich, silky sauce without the need for cream or any other thickening agents. Brands with a higher coconut content reduce much better, giving you a noticeably creamier, more luxurious finish.
• Don’t skimp on the herbs. Fresh coriander and Thai basil are what stop the sauce from feeling too rich. Coriander brings brightness, while Thai basil adds delicate notes of anise and pepper that pair beautifully with coconut milk. Blitzing the herbs directly into the sauce means their flavour runs through every spoonful rather than simply sitting on top as a garnish. If you can’t find Thai basil, regular basil will still work, though the finished dish will be a little sweeter and less aromatic.
• Choose a good green curry paste. Here, the curry paste acts as the flavour backbone of the sauce. A good-quality paste brings layers of flavour from ingredients like lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime and green chillies, adding warmth and complexity without overpowering the fish or fresh herbs. My favourites are Mae Ploy and Thai Taste.

The Cooking Method That Makes this Herby Coconut Baked Cod So Unique

The cooking method is what really sets this Herby Coconut Baked Cod apart. Most baked fish recipes rely on the gentle, even heat of the oven, but this recipe uses the intense heat of the grill to cook the fish and reduce the sauce at the same time. It’s a technique I first came across in Ixta Belfrage’s Moqueca Fish Burger recipe.

As the coconut sauce bubbles away, the water evaporates and the sauce thickens, while the exposed edges begin to caramelise, creating even more flavour. At the same time, the cod cooks gently beneath the sauce, which helps protect it from the direct heat of the grill and keeps it beautifully moist and flaky.

The result is twofold: perfectly cooked fish and a rich, silky sauce that tastes as though it’s taken far longer to make than it actually has. It’s a simple technique, but one I find myself coming back to because it delivers consistently delicious results.

Choosing the Best Fish for Herby Coconut Baked Cod

I like to use thick cod loins for this recipe because they hold their shape well and stay wonderfully juicy under the grill. Their mild flavour also allows the fragrant coconut sauce to take centre stage. But if you don’t have cod, don’t worry. This recipe works just as well with other firm white fish, including:

• Hake – delicate and flaky, making it an excellent alternative to cod.
• Haddock – slightly sweeter in flavour but equally delicious with the coconut sauce.
• Pollock – brilliant budget-friendly alternatives that work beautifully in this recipe.
• Halibut – a firmer, meatier option that’s ideal if you’re cooking for guests.

Whichever fish you choose, try to buy pieces that are a similar thickness so they cook evenly. If you’re using thinner fillets, simply start checking them a little earlier, as they’ll cook more quickly than thick cod loins. The fish is ready when it flakes easily when gently pressed with a fork.

What to Serve with Herby Coconut Baked Cod

Because the coconut sauce is such a big part of this recipe, I always serve it with something that will soak up every last spoonful. My favourite accompaniments are:

• Steamed jasmine rice, which beautifully complements the fragrant coconut sauce.
• Tenderstem broccoli, lightly steamed until just tender.
• Pak choi, steamed or quickly stir-fried.
• Green beans or sugar snap peas, for freshness and crunch.

Just before serving, don’t forget to finish the dish with:

• A generous squeeze of fresh lime juice, which cuts through the richness of the coconut milk and lifts the fresh herbs.
• A drizzle of chilli oil (optional), for a little extra warmth and depth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen cod?

Yes. Defrost the cod completely in the fridge overnight, then pat it dry with kitchen paper before seasoning and marinating. Removing any excess moisture will help the sauce cling to the fish.

Can I use another type of fish?

Absolutely. Hake, haddock, pollock and coley all work beautifully, as do other firm white fish. Just bear in mind that thinner fillets will cook more quickly than thick cod loins.

Can I use regular basil instead of Thai basil?

Yes. Thai basil gives the dish its distinctive aniseed aroma, but regular basil is a great substitute if that’s what you have. The finished dish will be slightly sweeter but every bit as delicious.

Can I use light coconut milk?

I wouldn’t recommend it. Full-fat coconut milk with a high coconut extract content reduces into a much richer, silkier sauce, which is one of the defining features of this recipe.

Can I make Herby Coconut Baked Cod ahead of time?

The coconut sauce can be blended up to a day in advance and kept in the fridge until you’re ready to cook. I wouldn’t recommend cooking the fish ahead of time, though, as it’s at its best served straight from the oven.

Can I make it spicier?

Definitely. The easiest way is to finish the dish with extra chilli oil, or you can add another teaspoon of green curry paste or some fresh chillies to the sauce before blending if you’d like a little more warmth.

Coconut Milk Poached… Everything!

At this point, it’s probably fair to say I’ve developed a bit of an obsession with cooking in coconut milk. It all started with my Coconut Milk Poached Fish, which travelled far on social media and quickly became one of the most popular recipes on Zena’s Kitchen. From there came Coconut Miso Poached Fish, where coconut milk meets miso for a deeply savoury, umami-rich broth, followed by Coconut Saffron Poached Fish, where well-seasoned cod gently poaches in a fragrant saffron-infused coconut broth.

Then came Coconut Sambal Baked Cod. Instead of gently poaching the fish, I tried something different: grilling it in a punchy coconut sambal sauce. As the sauce bubbled away under the grill, it thickened beautifully while the cod stayed perfectly tender underneath. It worked even better than I’d hoped, and that technique became the inspiration for this Herby Coconut Baked Cod.

The method even works beyond seafood. I later shared a Coconut Milk Poached Chicken recipe on my Substack, proving it’s just as good with chicken as it is with fish. Something tells me there are plenty more coconut milk recipes still to come.