Lemon Baked Cod with Asparagus

Dinner doesn’t get easier or healthier than this! Baked Lemon Cod and Asparagus are roasted together in a foil packet. Super flavorful dinner with easy cleanup!

I know, I know. We’re all preparing for THE biggest meal of the year, to be followed by holiday parties galore. But, I started this blog with the goal of sharing mostly easy, weeknight friendly recipes for busy families. So in the spirit of keeping weeknight dinners a reality while you’re busy as heck, I want to share one of my favorite “life hacks” for a quick and healthy dinner; foil dinners, like this lemon baked cod!

The idea behind a foil dinner is pretty simple. You pair meat with cut vegetables or fruit, some seasonings or sauce, and throw it all in a foil packet. This packet is then placed on a baking tray, and baked for some amount of time. Foil dinners are super quick to throw together, with cutting veggies being the most time consuming thing you usually have to do. They are usually very healthy and low carb, while being filling. They’re hands off, meaning once you have them in the oven, you’re completely free until they’re ready to eat. And finally, they’re SO easy to clean up! Honestly, these foil dinners are a breath of fresh air for me. I feel like I’m always doing dishes. It’s such a welcome break.

Making Lemon Baked Cod with Asparagus in a foil packet is very, very simple.  I went to the store to grab my ingredients; cod, asparagus, lemons, onions, seasonings, and bread crumbs.

To make the dish, place a large sheet of aluminum foil on a baking tray. Spray it with cooking oil. Layer the lemons, cleaned asparagus, another layer of lemons and onions, and finally the cod. Drizzle with olive oil, a few sprays of lemon juice, and seasonings. Then, fold the edges of the foil together and pop in the oven! Make sure to keep the foil packet on the baking tray to make it easy to remove the packet from the oven.

The amount of protein/veggie/fruit/seasoning combinations you can use in foil dinners are literally endless, but I wanted to leave you with a few suggestions. The trick is pairing protein with fruits and veggies that have very similar roasting times. Any large vegetables or fruits should be cut to bite sized portions (1 inch or so) to make sure they cook through.

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Baked Lemon Cod with Asparagus in Foil

Yield: Serves 2

Dinner doesn't get easier or healthier than this! Lemon Cod and Asparagus are roasted together in a foil packet. Super flavorful dinner with easy cleanup!

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Ingredients

• 12 ounces cod, fresh or thawed, at room temperature
• 1 pound asparagus, washed and trimmed
• 2.5 medium lemons, sliced
• ½ medium yellow onion, sliced into rings
• 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• ½ tbsp garlic salt
• ½ tbsp lemon pepper
• 2 teaspoons Italian breadcrumbs (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place large foil sheet on baking tray. Spray with cooking oil.
3. Place slices of one lemon, and half of the onion slices on the foil sheet.
4. Top lemon and onion slices with asparagus, then another layer of lemon and onion.
5. Top with cod. Pour butter over the top of the cod, then sprinkle with garlic salt and lemon pepper. Sprinkle bread crumbs (optional) over cod. Top with another layer of aluminum foil.
6. Roast for 13-15 minutes, until cod starts to flake and asparagus is crisp-tender.
7. Optional: Broil on top rack for 1 minute to brown bread crumbs.

Notes

This recipe works great with salmon filets, too!

Nutrition Information

Yield 2 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 387Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 124mgSodium 2154mgCarbohydrates 25gFiber 8gSugar 7gProtein 47g

The nutrition for this recipe is calculated by an app and may be incorrect.

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Nourishing your family during the busy holiday weeknights is totally possible with a few “life hacks” like these simple foil dinners. I’d love hear from you! Do you have any tips or tricks that help keep dinner on the table during these busy holiday months, like these foil dinners? 

If you love this lemon cod recipe, I think you’ll also enjoy my Baked Sriracha Fish  or this easy Praline Glazed Salmon.

Or, one of these awesome fish recipes:

• Pan Seared Sablefish (Black Cod) with White Wine Tomatoes
• Pan Seared Cod with Tarragon Cream Sauce
• The Best Grilled Cod Recipe
• Air Fryer Fish Sticks
• Baked Baja Fish Tacos