Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Baked Cod with Tomatoes & Chickpeas
Cod nestled in tomatoes and chickpeas makes a generous dinner without needing a crowded plate. The soft fish sits against a savory, slightly tangy sauce, with beans ready for each forkful.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 13 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Seafood
- Cuisine
- Middle Eastern
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 16–30 minutes · Total: 31–60 minutes
A few quick notes
1. Soften without browning garlic
Cook the shallots until translucent, add garlic briefly and move on to tomatoes before the aromatics brown.
2. Smash tomatoes into chunky sauce
As the tomatoes burst, press them a little to make a chunky base before adding chickpeas and the remaining flavorings.
3. Fold very thin fish pieces
Nestle the serving pieces in the sauce, folding any very thin portions in half before seasoning and baking.
Get to know the ingredients
Halved small tomatoes
Halve cherry or grape tomatoes before cooking them with the shallots until they begin breaking down and bursting.
Drained chickpeas
Drain and rinse the canned chickpeas before stirring into the chunky tomatoes with capers, vinegar and thyme.
Vinegar options
Sherry vinegar is listed with red wine vinegar allowed; add it to the tomato-chickpea mixture before the fish goes in.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 3 steps completeMake room for Baked Cod with Tomatoes & Chickpeas
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Flaky cod over the tomatoes
Bake until the fish cooks through and flakes easily, then carefully remove the hot pan and serve the fish with its sauce.
A little more help as you go
A baking dish can substitute
Without an ovenproof skillet, transfer the prepared tomato-chickpea mixture to a baking dish before adding and seasoning the fish.
Make the tomato base ahead
The tomato-chickpea mixture can be refrigerated up to two days ahead; warm it on the stove before adding fish and baking.
A few questions you might have
Does paprika season the sauce?
Mix paprika with the fish's salt portion and sprinkle evenly over the cod after it is nestled in the tomato mixture.
When should I taste the tomato mixture?
After adding chickpeas, capers, vinegar and thyme, check the seasoning and remove from the heat before adding fish.
Can I use dried thyme?
The thyme ingredient includes a dried alternative, stirred into the tomato and chickpea mixture with vinegar and capers.
Why cover the skillet handle after baking?
Putting an oven mitt or towel over it is the recipe's reminder that the handle is hot when the pan comes out.
Should I bake the fish ahead too?
You can make the tomato-chickpea base ahead; the completed dish is best fresh from the oven.
Any more cooking tips?
If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, you can transfer the tomato and chickpea mixture to a baking dish before adding the fish. Make-Ahead Instructions: This dish is best served fresh out of the oven, but you can prepare the tomato-chickpea mixture up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake the fish. Just warm the mixture on the stovetop before adding the fish and spices and popping it into the oven.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: onceuponachef.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.