Blackened Cod with Sweet Potatoes and Zucchini

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This quick and easy Sheet Pan Blackened Cod recipe with sweet potatoes and zucchini is the perfect weeknight meal. The cod comes out flaky with the perfect balance of spice.

309 CAL 34g CARBS 5g FAT 35g PROTEIN 1
3 Comments

This one-pan blackened cod is baked alongside sweet potatoes and zucchini for a delicious and healthy repped dinner. It comes together in under 30 minutes and is full of flavor! Plus, it's Paleo and Whole30 friendly.

After a long hard day, this is the perfect option for a quick and healthy dinner since it is ready in under thirty minutes and requires almost no clean-up. Plus, it's really good for you!

The secret to this recipe is homemade blackening seasoning. You could also add a touch of brown sugar if you like a sweet and spicy flavor combination. This spice blend tastes amazing on just about anything, like this Blackened Shrimp, Tilapia, Steak, and Salmon.

The rest of the dish comes together in no time! The sweet potatoes are tossed in the blackened seasoning and placed in the oven first since they take the longest to cook. Then, the fish and zucchini are added in the last ten minutes to do their thing.

Pro Tip: If you don’t want the juices of the fish to run into the veggies, wrap the cod in a piece of foil so the juices stay with the fish.

Baked blackened cod with homemade seasoning served with sweet potatoes and zucchini.

Key Ingredients and Easy Swaps

Before I share the whole recipe, I have some extra tips and information for you that I think you'll find super helpful.

You only need a few simple ingredients and a handful of spices to make this incredible one-pan recipe.

  • Cod: Use either whole cod or individual fillets. Usually, I use about a 6-ounce fillet per person. You could swap in another sturdy white fish or salmon. 
  • Spices: I used a lot of smoky spices to compliment the taste of the blackened cod. Use both sweet and smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, coriander, black pepper, and a touch of cayenne. Any other seasoning blend you like will work. 
  • Vegetables: I used sweet potatoes and zucchini. You can also use any type of quick-cooking vegetables that you like.

Note: For a full list of ingredients and detailed instructions on how to make this fish and sweet potatoes recipe, take a look at the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!

What To Serve With Blackened Cod

This is an entire meal in one pan so, you really don't need to serve much with it. Some steamed brown rice would taste amazing with it. You could also serve it with a nice green salad like this one made with spring mix or this one with arugula.

This cod recipe would taste delicious with an amazing Greek salad. It has many of the same spices and will bring out the light flavor from the sweet potatoes.

If you are looking for something to serve over the blackened cod, consider making some Corn Salsa or Mango Salsa. The sweetness in these salsas is a perfect pair for spicy fish. 

Turn this dish into Fish Taco Bowls by serving it over a bed of rice or quinoa.

Cod with blackening seasoning served on a plate with roasted sweet potatoes and zucchini.

Recipe Tips And Ideas

Follow these tips to make sure that this fish sheet pan recipe turns out crispy and juicy when you make it!

  • Use your favorite vegetables. You can make this dish with sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, butternut squash, or turnips as your starchy vegetable. Asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, sugar snap peas, or kale would all be great.
  • This tastes great with any type of fish! Try it with salmon, mahi mahi, or tilapia.
  • Add a sprinkle of brown sugar to make the blackened seasoning taste sweeter and balance out the smoky and spicy notes.
  • If you don't like blackening seasoning, simply swap in something else. It would be delicious with Old Bay, Cajun seasoning, or even homemade taco seasoning. It would also be great with lemon pepper. 
  • If you don't want the juice from the fish to combine with the veggies and potatoes, gently wrap the fish in foil (leaving the top open) so the fish cooks separately. 
  • If you like some crunch on your fish, lightly brush the dish with mayonnaise and then press it into some Panko breadcrumbs before baking. 
  • Turn this into fish tacos following the same flavor ideas in these Blackened Steak Tacos.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions I frequently get asked about by some readers...

Always use an instant-read food thermometer when you cook meat. Fish is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.

Yes, you can make fish and vegetables in the air fryer. Cook the fish and quick-cooking vegetables at 400 degrees F for about 15 minutes. Check it after 10 minutes and flip the vegetables over halfway through cooking. The sweet potatoes should be cooked separately since they cook longer.

This is a simple recipe to make on your outdoor or indoor grill too! You will need to parboil or microwave the potatoes first to soften. Then just place the fish and vegetables in a foil packet and then grill it until it's fully cooked. It usually takes about 15 minutes. This is when a meat thermometer comes in really handy.

The best way to store leftover fish is in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Store them in separate containers. They will stay fresh for up to 5 days.

I like to make a breakfast hash with leftover vegetables. I just scrambled some eggs and mix in the leftover vegetable pieces!

You could also just reheat them and serve them on top of some chopped salad and top with homemade salad dressing (like this Greek dressing).

Another way to reuse cooked vegetables is in a healthy stir fry. Add some scrambled eggs and your favorite stir fry sauce with some chicken or steak. It's a delicious and healthy one-pan dinner. I'll sometimes through those veggies in with a quinoa bowl!

Blackened codfish with zucchini and sweet potatoes on a white plate with a fork.
The Recipe
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Blackened Cod with Sweet Potatoes and Zucchini

309 CAL 34g CARBS 5g FAT 35g PROTEIN 1
PREP TIME: 5 Min
COOK TIME: 25 Min
TOTAL TIME: 30 Min
3 Comments
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Ingredients

US METRICS
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp coriander
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 4 sweet potatoes, chopped
  • 1.33 lbs. cod (whole piece or filets)
  • 2 zucchini, chopped (or another quick cooking squash)

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Instructions

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1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix together all the spices to create the blackening season. You could also use store-bought blackening seasoning if you prefer.

Homemade blackening seasoning being stirred in a wooden bowl.
2

Toss the sweet potatoes with olive oil and about half of the blackening seasoning. I like a lot of the seasoning but you may want to use less depending on how much spice you like.

Sweet potatoes being tossed with blackening seasoning.
3

Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Spread the potatoes on the baking sheet in one layer and place in the oven. Cook for 20 minutes.

Sweet potatoes with blackening seasoning baking.
4

After 20 minutes, push the sweet potatoes to one side of the baking sheet and add the fish and zucchini (and/or other quick cooking squash or vegetable). Sprinkle with blackening seasoning. Return to oven and cook for 8-10 minutes until fish is flaky and cooked through.

Cod, sweet potatoes, zucchini, and butternut squash on a baking sheet.
Nutritional Facts
Serving Size: 6 oz. fish and 1.5 cups veggies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 309
Calories from Fat 41
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 5g
7%
Saturated Fat 1g
4%
Monounsaturated Fat 0g
0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
0%
Cholesterol 92mg
0%
Sodium 585mg
25%
Total Carbohydrate 34g
11%
Dietary Fiber 7g
28%
Sugars 10g
Protein 35g

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

The Nutritional Values provided are estimates only and may vary based on the preparation method.

Notes

If you prefer to keep the fish and its juices separate from the vegetables, just wrap the fish in foil so it doesn't release any cooking liquid into the veggies. Make sure to leave the foil open.
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About the author Meet Kristen McCaffrey
Hi, I’m the cookbook author, recipe developer, and food enthusiast behind Slender Kitchen. I am obsessed with making healthy food that is easy to prepare and absolutely delicious. Meal planning is my secret weapon and I hope I can make meal time easier for you with our tried and tested recipes and foolproof meal plans. Learn More
3 Comments
On Blackened Cod with Sweet Potatoes and Zucchini
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Tonie R
March 7, 2024 - 19:30
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5
Wow, I made this for my client (I am a caregiver) and he loved it!
Thank you for the recipe.
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Denise
July 14, 2018 - 15:14
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5
Just made this. Loved it. Easy to make and even my picky husband loved it!
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Taylor G
June 6, 2018 - 19:06
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5
I made this tonight and I loved the recipe, I changed up spices slightly to add more heat. Otherwise thank you so much for this great recipe!!
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