Perfect Pairings: 8 BEST Side Dishes to Serve with Cod

Cod is a white saltwater fish – the reason it gets its name ‘cod’ is because of its pale color.

Cod is a very popular fish for those looking for a hearty meal on a budget.

Cod has a light and flaky white meat, rather than the dense and dark meat of other fishes like tuna or swordfish.

It has a very mild flavor, so not too many needs to be done to taste this fish.

It can be very easily overcooked, so be sure to cook it just right and not too long.

Cod is known as the fish that brings luck and happiness – many people see it as a sign of good luck if they catch this white fish, and it’s often served during holidays like Christmas or Easter because of its significance.

There are many ways to cook cod depending on preference, but the most common ways are to bake, pan-fry, broil, and saute.

Once cooked, the cod can be served plain with a lemon wedge or flavored and mixed with herbs.

In this article, we will list 8 of the most popular side dishes that go well with cod.

Why Consider Serving Side Dishes for Cod?

Since you’re reading this, it’s probably safe to assume that you’re currently in the market for some great cod recipes.

Lucky for you, we’ve got them.

But if you happen to be looking for something more than just an awesome meal — like a total cooking experience — then your best bet is sided dishes.

Cod meat can be surprisingly versatile and porous, so it can easily work with various flavors and spices that give each recipe its unique taste.

Cod has a mild, almost underwhelming flavor on its own, so it’s a great meat to pair with bolder ingredients that will help intensify the taste.

Not to mention that it just so happens to be lean meat, which makes for an interesting change of pace from other types of fish.

Of course, not every side dish you’ll find online is going to complement cod perfectly.

You can easily tell if they do by looking closely at the ingredients used in each recipe.

If you see something like pesto or garlic butter, that’s a good indication of how cod will play with it.

So next time you’re in the market for a new way to cook cod, check out some of our side-dish recipes as well.

We have plenty that will go perfectly with your fish cuts.

What to Serve with Cod? 8 BEST Side Dishes

Here are eight recipes that are sure to compliment your cod.

1 – Potato Wedges

Potato wedges are one of the most popular side dishes for cod.

They can be prepared in several different ways to attain your desired taste preference.

Potato wedges are great because they’re easy to cook and simple to modify.

You can bake them, fry them, or broil them — whichever way you prefer best will work just fine.

The classic version is to lightly salt, pepper, and oil before baking at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes.

But if you want a little more flavor, try frying the wedges in vegetable or corn oil until they’re golden brown.

You can also add garlic powder and onion powder for an extra kick of flavor.

Be sure not to overcook them.

Otherwise, the potatoes will become too hard and difficult to chew.

2 – Green Beans

Green beans are a super easy side dish that can be prepared in just about any way imaginable.

Since they’re so versatile, it’s important to determine exactly how cod meat will work with them beforehand.

The best way is to steaming them in a pan with some water and adding salt and pepper for taste.

Or you can add the beans to your cod recipe five minutes before it’s finished cooking, then toss in fresh parsley or basil right before serving.

They’re also great when dipped into melted butter.

Just be careful not to overcook green beans because they become soft and lose all of their flavors.

3 – Green Salad

Green salads are another classic side dish that everyone loves.

There are several different types of green salad.

Still, they’re usually made with the same base ingredients, including lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, onion, broccoli, or cauliflower (or a combination of all these).

Chopped green salads are the easiest to prepare and pair nicely with just about any kind of fish.

Just grab some lettuce, tomatoes, onion, carrots, or cucumber from your local grocery store’s salad bar and mix it all with a simple vinaigrette dressing.

If you’re looking for something a bit heartier or want to make something that will last all week, then try making a green salad with quinoa or barley.

4 – Pasta Salad

Another great dish to serve with cod is pasta salad.

It’s easy to incorporate cod into pasta salad recipes — add the fish about five minutes before you’re ready to take it off the stove so that it doesn’t overcook.

Pair pasta salad with your fish, and you’ll end up with a great meal that offers complex carbs, protein, and veggies all in one dish.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to preparing this tasty salad side.

You can even use your favorite cream-based dressing to give the whole thing another dimension of flavor.

5 – Roasted Vegetables

Roasted vegetables perfectly complement cod.

This means that almost anything goes when you’re preparing your veggies because they’ll taste great regardless of how you cook them.

We recommend starting with potatoes, carrots, and onions seasoned with salt, pepper, and oil.

Then add in some of your favorite spices like garlic powder, dried thyme, or sage.

Roasting vegetables takes about 30-40 minutes, so you will want to prepare them while your cod is baking or frying.

Pop them in the oven with whatever fish method you prefer and wait for the tasty results.

Many people also add broccoli, beets, or cauliflower to the mix for their unique flavor and nutritional benefits.

6 – Corn on the Cob

While there are many different types of corn, they all taste great with codfish.

Corn on the cob is a lot of fun to eat because you get to wrap your lips around every bite and savor each flavor.

The most popular way to prepare corn is by boiling or steaming it in just an inch or two of water.

Just make sure you don’t add too much salt to make the corn tough and rubbery to chew.

Since this is such a popular dish, feel free to experiment with your unique flavorings.

You can also grill or roast your corn for even more texture and flavor.

7 – Lemon Rice

Rice is another great side dish to serve with codfish.

Brown rice will give you a healthy dose of complex carbs, which provide sustained energy throughout the day and pack a lot of flavors.

It’s really easy to cook brown rice, follow the directions on your package and add some salt and pepper for taste.

This recipe only takes about 20 minutes to make, so that you can whip it up pretty quickly.

Another great option is lemon rice.

You need to prepare brown rice like usual, but the secret ingredient is the zest of one large lemon.

This adds lots of flavor without adding any butter or other oils that can feel heavy on your stomach.

8 – Fried Okra

Okra is a type of veggie that you can fry or roast.

For best results when cooking okra, make sure to cut the vegetable into slices no more than a quarter-inch thick and then lightly salt them.

The taste and texture of okra complement fish perfectly.

Just deep-fry a few handfuls at a time and drain them on paper towels, and they’re ready to serve.

This dish takes about 10 minutes to prepare and, like the rest of these side dishes, only uses a few simple ingredients.

You can also try adding in some black pepper or cayenne for an added kick.

Conclusion

Cod has an incredibly mild taste that is perfect for pairing with other ingredients.

The best part about these side dishes is that they can be prepared in less than 30 minutes, making them even simpler to make.

These combinations are also all very budget-friendly.

So if you’re looking for a delicious meal this week, don’t forget to try some of these out.

They’re all very easy to serve together, but they taste so good that you’ll want to double the portions.

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