Cod for Groups: Quantities and Recipes for 8-20 People

How much cod per person: the basic rule

Updated March 2026. Every day at Mercat del Ninot we see what works and what doesn't. This is our real experience.

The most frequent question before any group meal is always the same: how much do I buy so that there is neither too much nor too little. With cod, the answer depends on whether you buy the product already desalted or in its dried and salted version, and on its role in the menu: a single dish, a second course, or part of a buffet with more options.

The basic rule, valid for most main course recipes, is this:

• Desalted cod (ready to cook): 200-250 g per person as a main course. For dishes with many accompaniments (potatoes, chickpeas, vegetables), you can reduce to 180 g.
• Dried salted cod: approximately 300 g per person, since during desalting the fish loses between 30% and 35% of its weight in salt and absorbs water. The result after soaking is equivalent to the 200-250 g reference.
• Fritters or croquettes (starter or complement): 3-4 units per person if served as an appetizer; 6-8 if they are the main course of an informal meal.

These margins work well when cod is the absolute star of the dish. If it's part of a broader menu with a first course, second course, and dessert, you can reduce by 10-15% without anyone going hungry.

For a very detailed guide on how many servings you get per kilo depending on the cut (loin, chin, tail, shredded), consult our article how many servings you get from 1 kg of cod.

Quantity table by recipe and number of diners

The following tables translate the basic rule into concrete figures for the most common group sizes at Easter gatherings: 8, 10, 15, and 20 diners. The weights are for desalted cod ready to cook. If you buy dried, multiply each figure by 1.4 to account for the loss during desalting.

Baked cod with potatoes (main course)

Potaje de vigilia with chickpeas and spinach

Potaje is a very complete dish: chickpeas and spinach add volume, so the amount of cod per person can be slightly less than in a baked preparation.

Cod in green sauce (main course)

Cod fritters (appetizer or starter)

For fritters, pre-made dough greatly simplifies logistics. Our ready-to-fry cod fritter dough eliminates the preparation phase and allows you to serve fresh, crispy pieces in a matter of minutes, even with large groups.

Easy-to-scale recipes for large groups

Not all recipes scale with the same ease. Some — like green sauce — are technical and require constant attention; others — like baked cod or potaje — practically make themselves once the oven or pot is involved. For groups of 10 or more people, the key is to choose preparations that don't tie you to the stove while you attend to your guests.

Baked cod with potatoes for groups

Baked cod with potatoes is, without a doubt, the most convenient recipe for large groups. It doesn't require constant supervision, can be prepared in several trays at the same time, and the result — juicy loins on a bed of potatoes with onion and pepper — never disappoints.

How to scale the recipe

The only real limiting factor is oven space. A standard 60x40 cm tray comfortably holds 6-8 servings. For 10-15 people you will need two trays; for 20, three or four. Domestic ovens with several levels allow you to cook two trays at once, although the bottom tray needs about 5 more minutes or a change of level during the last few minutes of cooking.

The temperature and cooking time do not change when scaling: 200 °C with top and bottom heat, 20-25 minutes for the potatoes (pre-cooked or blanched 10 minutes before), and 12-15 additional minutes for the cod once placed on top. The last 3 minutes with active grill browns the skin and makes a visual difference.

Keys to serving with a group

• Prepare the trays up to 24 hours in advance (potatoes and vegetables already cooked, raw cod on top, all in the fridge) and bake at the time of serving.
• If you have two ovens or one with many levels, synchronize the trays so that everything comes out at once.
• Serve directly on the tray — saves plating and maintains temperature.

The detailed recipe with exact times and order of steps is in our guide to baked cod with potatoes.

Potaje de vigilia in a large pot

Potaje is the perfect recipe for large groups. A stew of chickpeas, spinach and cod that gains flavor with rest, can be cooked the day before and only gets better when reheated. For 15 or 20 people, a 15-20 liter pot solves the dish in a single batch.

How to organize potaje for groups

The logistics of potaje for groups revolve around two factors: soaking the chickpeas (12 hours in cold water) and desalting the cod (if using dried cod). Both must be done in advance, which makes this dish a very convenient option for large meals: all the preparation work happens the day before, and on the day of the meal you just have to heat and adjust the saltiness.

• Day before: Soak the chickpeas. If using dried cod, start desalting (change water every 8 hours).
• Morning of the day: Sauté, chickpeas on the fire for 1.5-2 hours, add spinach and cod for the last 15 minutes.
• Serving: Rest 10 minutes off the heat. Serve in the pot itself if it's large and presentable, or in a soup tureen.

For recipe details — sautéing, spices, order of incorporation — consult our complete recipe for cod potaje with chickpeas and spinach.

Additional advantage of potaje: it can be made with shredded cod

For very large groups (15 people or more), shredded cod is an economical and practical option: it integrates well into the broth, flavors the entire pot, and does not require the careful presentation of whole loin. You calculate the same — 150-180 g of desalted shredded cod per person — and the result is just as tasty, with a lower cost per serving.

Cod in green sauce for many

Green sauce is a preparation that demands more attention than the oven or pot, but it makes a greater impression at the table. The technical key is the pil-pil: moving the casserole in a circular motion to emulsify the cod gelatin with the oil and broth. For groups, the strategy is to prepare the sauce separately in a large casserole and add the already poached cod.

Strategy for large groups

Working with whole cod loins in a single large casserole is complicated when you exceed 8 servings — the loins break when turned, the sauce doesn't emulsify evenly, and the heat doesn't reach all pieces equally. The professional solution is this:

1. Poach the cod in batches of 4-6 loins over very low heat (confit at 60-65 °C for 8-10 minutes). Reserve the loins and save the gelatinous liquid they release.
2. Prepare the green sauce in the large casserole: sautéed garlic, white wine, fish stock, and the reserved liquid. Reduce and emulsify.
3. Incorporate all the loins into the sauce just before serving, 3-4 minutes over low heat so they warm up without breaking.

This technique decouples the cod cooking from the sauce preparation, allowing you to have everything ready in advance and only do the final assembly at the time of serving.

Trays of fritters and croquettes: the host's go-to

Cod fritters and croquettes are the best ally for a host cooking for groups. They can be prepared or fried hours in advance, hold well in the oven at 80 °C to maintain temperature, are served on trays without the need for individual plating, and work as an appetizer while guests arrive or as an informal dish in a buffet-style meal.

Planning for large trays

• Fritters: The batter can be prepared up to 48 hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Fry in batches of 8-10 units, drain on paper towels, and keep warm in an oven at 80 °C.
• Croquettes: The béchamel with cod can be made 2 days in advance. Shaping and breading, the day before. Frying, the day of service. The raw desalted cod croquettes already come shaped and breaded — they only need direct frying from the refrigerator (4 minutes in oil at 175 °C).
• Winning combination for a group appetizer: A tray of fritters and a tray of croquettes perfectly covers the starter for 15-20 people with very little preparation effort.

How to organize preparation: 3-day timeline

The difference between a group meal that goes well and one that creates stress in the kitchen is usually planning. Cooking cod for 10 or 15 people is not difficult — it's a matter of distributing the work over several days so that on the day of the meal there's nothing urgent to resolve.

3 days before the meal

• Place your online order if you don't have the product. For Easter, do it a week in advance to guarantee refrigerated shipping.
• Check that you have all the ingredients and equipment: a sufficiently large oven tray, a pot of at least 10 liters for the stew, plenty of olive oil.
• If you buy dry cod, start desalting: 36-48 hours in cold water, changing the water every 8-12 hours. Store in the refrigerator throughout the process.
• Soak chickpeas the night before cooking (12 hours).

For detailed instructions on the desalting process, read our guide on how to properly desalt cod at home.

Day before the meal

• Stew: Cook the complete stew. Let cool and store in the refrigerator. The next day it only needs 15-20 minutes of gentle reheating.
• Croquettes: Shape and bread the croquettes. Store on a tray with baking paper, covered with film, in the refrigerator.
• Fritter batter: Prepare the batter. Store covered in the refrigerator.
• Baked cod: Prepare the trays with pre-cooked potatoes and vegetables and the cod loins on top. Cover with film and store in the refrigerator.
• Green sauce: Prepare the sauté and the base sauce. Store separately from the cod.

Day of the meal (Day D)

With this plan, on the day of the meal you have less than an hour of active work in the kitchen for a complete group menu. The rest of the time you can spend with your guests.

Buying cod for a group: desalted vs. dry

When cooking for many people, the format in which you buy cod has practical implications that go beyond price. Each format has distinct advantages depending on the type of gathering and the time you have available.

Desalted cod: the most convenient option

Desalted cod already has the correct salt level — no soaking, no changing water, no refrigerator space occupied by the process. It is the most logistically simple option for groups, especially if the order arrives one or two days before the meal and you don't have time to manage the desalting.

• Advantages: Ready to cook directly; no risk of being too salty or bland; doesn't take up refrigerator space for 2-3 days.
• Considerations: Requires refrigeration until use; shorter shelf life than dry (consume within 3-5 days of delivery).
• Ideal for: Weekend meals with mid-week ordering, groups inexperienced in desalting cod, when preparation time is tight.

See the full range of desalted cod available — loins, jowls, and shredded in different formats.

Salted dry cod: total control over the process

Dry cod gives more control over the final result: you can precisely adjust the salt level according to the type of recipe (stew can handle more residual salt than green sauce, which is more sensitive). In addition, it can be stored at room temperature for months, allowing you to buy in advance without worrying about the cold chain.

• Advantages: Long preservation without refrigeration; lower price per kg than desalted; possibility of adjusting the salt level.
• Considerations: Requires planning (36-48 hours of desalting); takes up refrigerator space during the process; larger purchase volume for the same number of servings.
• Ideal for: Groups of experienced cooks, purchases far in advance, menus where cooking is part of the experience.

See the full range of salted dry cod available.

Recommendation for group Easter celebrations

For most groups, desalted cod is the most practical option. The only exception is if you want to make stew with shredded cod — in that case, dry shredded cod is more economical and the desalting process (which for small pieces only takes 8-12 hours) does not involve significant effort.

Service for hospitality and events

If you are organizing a corporate meeting, an Easter catering, a social event, or a restaurant service, the quantities scale differently and logistics require a different approach.

At Bacalalo, since 1990, we have been supplying both individuals and hospitality professionals from Mercat del Ninot in Barcelona. For volume orders — from 5 kg of desalted cod or 10 kg of dry cod — we offer:

• Wholesale price adapted to the volume and regularity of the order.
• Specific formats for professional kitchens: whole loins of 1-1.5 kg, whole jowls, bulk shredded cod.
• Refrigerated shipping in 24-48 hours throughout the Peninsula — the same cold chain we use for individual orders, with the capacity to manage larger volume.
• Personalized attention to plan the order according to the menu and number of diners.

If you manage a restaurant, catering, or event and need quality cod in quantity, access our page for Horeca professionals or contact us directly to prepare a customized quote.

For a complete analysis of Easter cod recipes and menus, including first course, main course, and dessert options, also consult our guide to the complete Easter cod menu and our selection of cod recipes for Easter 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions