This Coconut Milk Poached Cod is so delicate, flaky, and surprisingly flavorful! Slightly sweet, lemony, and full of fresh dill, this cod recipe is the best way to get delicate flaky fish! Plus, it is so easy and perfect for quick weeknight meals!
Cod has always been one of my favorite fish options. It is always so tender and flaky, and its pretty hard to overcook! I used to be obsessed with crispy skin fish, but I learned the poaching method of cooking fish when I was in culinary school, and it creates such a delicate outcome, with aromatic liquid! This recipe is great any time of year, and it is perfect when served over rice, orzo, or any other grain!
Poaching fish often uses ingredients such as white wine, chicken broth, or tomato sauce. This recipe uses coconut milk and fresh herbs to create a luscious end result!
This would pair nicely with my Arugula Salad recipe!
Table of Contents:
🎥 Watch the video of this recipe
@legallyhealthyblonde coconut dill poached cod! 🐟
♬ original sound - emily eggers
🥘 What you need for this recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Cod fillets
- Olive Oil
- Unsweetened canned coconut milk
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Fresh Dill
- Lemons
- Chili Garlic Oil
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions
- Cod - This recipe can definitely work with any white fish you like, I even think salmon would be quite tasty in this preparation.
- Coconut Milk - Technically, the recipe that inspired this dish used heavy cream. While it will have a different texture and flavor outcome, it can work if you can't have coconut or what an extra creamy sauce!
Equipment
- Sharp knife & cutting board
- Pot or pan with tall enough edges to submerge or nearly submerge the thickest part of the fish.
📋 How to make Poached Cod
Pat the cod fillets dry with a paper towel and season cod on both sides with kosher salt and black pepper. If there is skin on the fillets, you may wish to remove it before cooking.
In a medium sized pot or a small saucepan with tall enough sides, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add smashed garlic and grated ginger, sautéing until fragrant and slightly browned.
Add about 4 slices of lemon to the base of the pan on low heat, then place the cod filets on top of the lemons.
Pour in the coconut milk, add the fresh dill along with salt and pepper, and gently stir to combine the flavors. Bring the coconut milk to a gentle simmer.
Let the cod simmer in the coconut milk for 8-10 minutes or until the fish is opaque and easily flakes with a fork. The cooking time on this may vary based on thickness of the fish. Baste the cod loins with the coconut milk occasionally/as needed if it is not submerged.
Adjust the seasoning if needed. Squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice from the remaining half of the lemon over the poached cod just before serving.
Serve the poached cod over a bed of rice or orzo, spooning some of the coconut milk poaching liquid on top until it is brothy and soup-like. Garnish with additional fresh dill and chili oil.
Variations
- Spicy - Kick this up a notch by adding some red peppers flakes or fresh chilies.
- Don't have or like Dill? Try using limes in place of lemons, and use cilantro in place of dill. This will make a cilantro-lime flavor that is sure to be a hit!
- Try this with salmon, tilapia, halibut, or any other fish fillets you like!
- Make this more Thai-inspired by using kaffir lime leaves, curry leaves, or even a bay leaf while simmering! Just be sure to remove them before eating!
Storage
This recipe isn't great for leftovers, but if you need to I recommend storing the fish separate from the coconut sauce liquid. Consume within 2-3 days maximum.
Top tip
Buy a good quality, fresh cod! Frozen cod tends to not work very well and turns out spongy and rubbery, rather than flaky and delicate.
Recipe FAQs
To know when your cod is cooked through, stick a toothpick or skewer through the thickest part of the fish. It should be met with no resistance. Alternatively, you can use a fork to see if it easily flakes apart.
Any fish can be overcooked and become dry and unpleasant, but cod tends to be a bit more forgiving than other fish options. Plus, the poaching liquid will keep the cod moist even if you do slightly overcook it.
If you are cooking frozen or previously frozen cod, there's a good chance it may turn out rubbery. My recommendation is to use fresh cod for this recipe!
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Coconut Milk Poached Cod:
Love a recipe you've tried? Please leave a 5-star🌟 rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Don't forget to tag me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook when you try one of my recipes!
📖 Recipe
Poached Cod in Coconut Milk with Dill & Lemon
Ingredients
- 2 Cod fillets
- 1-2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 can Unsweetened canned coconut milk 14 ounce can
- 4 cloves Garlic smashed
- 1 teaspoon Ginger grated
- 3 tbsps Fresh Dill finely chopped
- 1 Lemon half sliced, half for squeezing
- Chili Garlic Oil for garnish
Instructions
- Pat the cod fillets dry with a paper towel and season cod on both sides with kosher salt and black pepper. If there is skin on the fillets, you may wish to remove it before cooking.
- In a medium sized pot or a small saucepan with tall enough sides, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add smashed garlic and grated ginger, sautéing until fragrant and slightly browned.
- Add about 4 slices of lemon to the base of the pan on low heat, then place the cod filets on top of the lemons.
- Pour in the coconut milk, add the fresh dill along with salt and pepper, and gently stir to combine the flavors. Bring the coconut milk to a gentle simmer.
- Let the cod simmer in the coconut milk for 8-10 minutes or until the fish is opaque and easily flakes with a fork. The cooking time on this may vary based on thickness of the fish. Baste the cod loins with the coconut milk occasionally/as needed if it is not submerged.
- Adjust the seasoning if needed. Squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice from the remaining half of the lemon over the poached cod just before serving.
- Serve the poached cod over a bed of rice or orzo, spooning some of the coconut milk poaching liquid on top until it is brothy and soup-like. Garnish with additional fresh dill and chili oil.
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 145° F (63° C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat or fish
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Russell says
Quick and easy! Loved it
evann says
easy & tasted p good! i'm going to bravely attempt to freeze the leftovers, i'll let you know how it goes
Jackie says
Easy and very tasty
Anonymous says
Fantastic flavor. Definitely get the fish on top of a lemon like it says. I tried it both supported and unsupported by a lemon and the direct pan contact caused it to flake too soon and fall apart. Low and slow poach.
Camille says
Fabulous recipe!! Who knew I could successfully poach fish 🥴 I was worried that it may come out bland, but all the flavors balance perfectly. I actually swapped the lemon and dill for lime and cilantro. So so good!
Emily says
Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Camille. I'm also so excited to hear that the lime/cilantro swap worked out well, I'll have to make it that way for myself next time 🙂
Anonymous says
Wow!!
Anonymous says
This turned out so good! I added some capers to the dish. Definitely a keeper!
STEVEN D LOPEZ says
easy and delicious.
Dell says
Excellent recipe! Only changes I made was to cook the orzo partially before adding it to the coconut cream and fish, so it became like a creamy pasta and fish. Very tasty and good for those who need low sodium! Will make it again!
Anonymous says
Loved this. We added curry paste to it 😙👌
Michelle says
This was amazing!! I used halibut and it will definitely be on repeat.
Daxa B. says
I used walleye and served over basmati (with whole whole spices of a couple cardamom, a couple of cloves and a star anise). It came out beautifully. I'm interested to try this recipe with basil instead of dill, as well. Wonderful!
Beth Potter says
Love this recipe, it’s so different from what I normally make, but still super easy and my kids love it!
suzan harding says
can this recipe be doubled to serve 4?
Emily says
definitely!
Kateser says
This was great! Sablefish (Black Cod) was on sale and this made for a simple and falvorful dinner. Had all the other ingredients on hand and it came together quickly. Can't wait to try your other falvor recommendations as well. Thanks!
Manny says
Incredibly delicious and oh so easy
Annabelle says
Added some fish sauce instead of more salt while simmering.
Karen j. says
Really good! Very easy.
Max says
Delicious! I used frozen cod because that’s what I had and it turned out great. Next time I’ll try it with fresh cod and use lime and cilantro instead of lemon and dill. Yum!
Susan says
My husband had 2 helpings! Delicious and light, thanks!
Jessica F says
Absolutely delicious. and simple! flavor is so important to me, and this was so flavorful! loved it.
TracyV says
Love love love this! So easy and quick!
RJ says
So good, and so easy!
I just made one change—used fresh cilantro instead of fresh dill.
I’ll be making it again.
Joanna says
Perfect weeknight recipe! High reward for few ingredients and fast cooking time.
Sarah says
So excited about this recipe! Curious if anyone has tried haddock instead of cod for it?
Emily says
Hi Sarah! I haven't personally tried it, but I know that many people have made this dish with other kinds of fish and have had success! The overall texture and flavor may be slightly different, but the cooking process should be the same for any type of fish. Let me know how it goes!
Emilia says
Super easy, quick and delicious recipe! I didn’t have dill, so I subbed what I had (parsley) and it was still great.
Gigi says
Absolutely love this recipe, its bright, a little sweet, a little savory, and very satisfying to both eat and look at (it turned out so pretty!)
Annie says
Just made this and LOVE how easy and delicious it is. I didn’t have coconut milk so I mixed 1.75 cups of milk+cream and it is delicious. Will be adding this to my dinner menus
Steph L says
This recipe was fabulous! Super easy to make, and SO tasty. I ended up eating all the leftovers the same night because it was just too good. The chili oil drizzle at the end is a must, it really elevates the dish.
Victoria Park says
Sounds delish- am eager to try!