Did you know that you can cook fish from frozen? In this post you’ll learn how to cook fish like cod and salmon from frozen – there’s a basic method plus one for breaded fish.
What do you do when you forget to take something out of the freezer for dinner? You know that mad panic. You’re halfway home from work or from picking up the kids when you realize that you don’t have any dinner plans. Suddenly you’re pulling a U-turn to head to the grocery store, find something quick and easy to make, stand in line to pay, and then finally back into the car and headed home.
And you still have to actually *make* dinner. But you know what? This doesn’t happen to me anymore. Not since I learned how to cook fish from frozen. (You can also make air fryer frozen fish.)
Scroll down to read more about how it all comes together or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
Can You Cook Fish From Frozen?
Yes! Now that I’ve discovered how to cook fish from frozen, there’s way fewer panicked evenings trying to figure out dinner. Since I learned this technique, I make sure to always have fish fillets or portions in the freezer ready to pop in the oven at a moment’s notice. Cod, salmon, and more are now so much easier to enjoy! Oh, and in case you’re curious, you can cook shrimp from frozen too. Now onto the fish fillets….
Video: How To Cook Fish From Frozen
Making Breaded Fish From Frozen
The recipe below is just for cooking fish without a breading. But if you want it breaded like in the picture, here’s what you do.
I lightly oiled cod portions and put them on a heavy-duty baking sheet that can withstand a high temperature then baked at 450°F until nearly cooked through (about 10 minutes).
Meanwhile, mix together 2 tablespoons of milk with 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard. Set it aside.
In a separate bowl, combine ½ cup panko bread crumbs,1 tsp. olive oil, ⅛ tsp. salt, ⅛ tsp. black pepper,
¼ tsp. garlic powder. Keep stirring for a bit until all crumbs are moistened. Then toast those until nice and brown for a few minutes in a skillet on the stove over medium heat, or on a sheet pan in the 450F oven for 3-5 minutes (watch them carefully and stir once). However you cook them, transfer the crumbs out of the skillet or off the pan immediately so they don’t keep cooking.
I then removed the fish from the oven and brushed the tops of the fillets lightly with the Dijon-milk mixture, and then sprinkled the fillets with the toasted breadcrumbs.
The cod goes back into the oven until the fish registers 145°F on an instant-read thermometer and was flaky in the middle. Easy, right? I hope you love this easy and convenient way to cook fish! -Christine xo
More Cooking From Frozen Guides
You can find all sorts of instructions and tips for cooking from frozen on my site. Here’s some you’ll definitely want to check out.
Podcast Episode: Cooking Frozen Fish
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make this fish, along with some other great tips, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
PrintHow To Cook Fish From Frozen
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 14 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
Did you know that you can cook fish from frozen? These are the basic instructions for cooking cod and salmon portions from frozen. To make the fish with crunchy crumb crust pictured here, the instructions are immediately above this recipe.
Ingredients
- 4 (4-6 oz.) cod or salmon portions
- 2 tsp. olive oil or vegetable oil
- Salt, pepper and/or other seasonings or sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Remove frozen fish from all packaging and rinse under cold running water to remove any ice crystals.
- Arrange fish in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush lightly with oil on all sides.
- Bake for 4-5 minutes. Remove from the oven and add seasonings or sauce.
- Continue to bake until hot and flaky in the center, about 8-12 more minutes. Thicker portions may need to be flipped over halfway through cooking and may require a few extra minutes to cook through.
Love this recipe? I’d appreciate it if you could scroll down and add a *5 star rating* to help others know they’ll love it as well!
This post originally appeared in April 2014 and was revised and republished in September 2023.
Gary Cole says
I was very impressed. I cooked halibut and it came out perfect.
Christine Pittman says
Wonderful, Gary! Thanks for letting us know.
Rondo Hunter says
I haven’t had time to read through all the comments but I feel the need to spread a little information I read. Though not necessary to defrost frozen fillets, if one chooses to do so place them in the refrigerator overnight on a plate or similar, spread with olive olive after a rinse and dry. That’s right, you must remove them from their vacuum-sealed packaging before defrosting. A potential problem is that when the fish within the vacuum seal begin warming up as they defrost, anaerobic bacteria which may be present – thus warranting a rinse – begin to come alive as the temperature warms. From frozen to heat is fine, it’s just the in-between time that one must be aware of. As simple as a rinse and dry, brush with olive oil, season if you desire but especially add a little salt. Keep in mind that many guests may desire lemon wedges with their fish as well. To wrap up, beware of those germs you can’t see.
Para says
Thanks, my mom taoght how to warm frozen fish but i never succeeded to make it right.
Christine Pittman says
Hope you have lots of success with our method!
Jessica Nicholas says
Absolutely amazing I loved it..the older I get the more I love fish and its health benefits
Christine Pittman says
Thanks, Jessica!
Gertrude says
I was very disappointed. The fish was like rubber. So sad. I think my cod pieces were not big enough and I overcooked them.
Christine Pittman says
So sorry, Gertrude. What size was your fish?
Calvin says
Nice and easy recipe, make it right and you won’t be able to tell the difference.
Christine Pittman says
Thanks, Calvin!
Deborah Waddell says
Perfect!
Christine Pittman says
Thanks, Deborah!
Angelica says
You keep surprising me with things you can cook from frozen. I had no idea you could cook frozen salmon! I hate thawing it and don’t cook it often because it’s such a fickle thing. Going to give this a try tonight, I have some salmon waiting in the freezer!
Christine Pittman says
Thanks, Angelica! It’s great to learn new things!
Michael says
Very good recipe, thank you.
I did a white wine sauce with shallots cooked in butter, white wine and sour cream, salt & pepper.
It was a perfect complement to a perfectly cook frozen cod filet
Christine Pittman says
Sounds lovely, Michael! Thanks for sharing!
MadMex says
Oven temps may vary and I give mine a good 30 minutes, or more, head start to preheat to reach desired temp – and I still don’t trust my oven reader. That’s why I use a separate tip-top thermometer in my oven. The oven display may say 450, but my tip-top thermometer may say 425, or even less. I say all that to say this technique worked for me. I love it. It’s my new way. Who knew fish (filets) could be cooked (baked) from frozen? Not me.
Christine Pittman says
So happy it’s becoming your new go-to! Thanks for your feedback, MadMex!
Anu Shukla says
Great
we love your skills,
keep sharing!
Best Cooked Octopus says
Very nice recipe, ideal for a special but light dinner.
Lindsay C says
Tried the breaded recipe using Wild Alaska Pollock, came out AWESOME! Used a honey mustard and rice milk mixture very AMAZING!! Posted to Instagram @cookthestory and #cookthestory
Christine Pittman says
Thanks Lindsay! This is wonderful! I love your IG post too!
Nancy Rigoloso says
I recently discovered your site. Thanks so much for all your practical, tasty recipes, tips, and advice! I buy frozen cod at Walmart. Each piece is sealed in plastic — no air — and frozen. Per your advice, I preheat the oven to 450, and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Then, I melt some butter in the microwave while I pick pieces of frozen fish of like size, unwrap them, and lay them on the pan. I brush the fish with melted butter and season liberally with seafood seasoning. The time in the oven depends on thickness of fish. My son LOVES this for dinner! And, he loves the pan juices, too!
Christine Pittman says
Nancy, This is fantastic. I’m so happy you guys like this recipe. Thanks for letting me know!
John L. Battey says
I lone doing this with frozen Pollock fillets. Pollock is firm , almost dense fish with a mild flavor that accepts almost any kind of seasoning well, and Pollock is the most sustainable of all north American wild fisheries.
Christine Pittman says
Great info, John. Thanks!
Norshafa says
Hi,
I’m planning to cook frozen haddock from frozen for my baby.
I plan to bake in a double pan, on the stove (that’s how I currently toast my bread, as my oven already not working).
Do I need to wrap with a foil, or can I put it direct on the double pan?
Thanks!
Heather says
I just tried this – But instead I kept it in the oven for 15 mins after adding the seasoning… it turned out perfectly! I cut into it and it fell right apart. I used juice from about one whole lemon, which may be why it cooks better because it has the liquid to help cook it through. Thanks!
Christine Pittman says
Heather, so glad it worked for you. I’m going to try it with lemon next time for sure.
Jea says
Made the breaded version tonight for my husband and 9 month old. Turned out great! Served with roasted brussel sprouts and sweet potato.
Christine Pittman says
Jea, That’s great to hear. Thank you for letting me know!
Sheila says
Tried it last week :)
More delicious than I thought. Thanks for your guide.
Christine Pittman says
Sheila, Glad you liked it!!!
Val says
Cooked to a T to your instructions. Timed it perfectly for when my husband got off work. Fillets were not at all thick. The fish was totally raw inside!!! Not impressed.