Summary: The best cod recipes are grandma's: simple, unpretentious, with humble ingredients and flavors that transport you back to childhood. Here are 10 classic homemade recipes, those that have been cooked in Spain for generations and remain unbeatable.
At Bacalalo, we have been selecting each piece of cod at Mercat del Ninot since 1990.
Contents
Grandma's Kitchen
In Grandma's kitchen, there was no sous vide, no foams, no spherification. There was an earthenware pot, olive oil, a patiently prepared sofrito, and salt cod soaking in the fridge. And with that, she made magic.
Grandma's cod recipes have something that haute cuisine doesn't always achieve: consistency. They always turn out well because they are recipes perfected over decades, adapted to available ingredients and family tastes.
🐟 Traditional cod, just like at the market
Extra Loin from Iceland, artisan desalted — the same one our grandmothers used.
€44.90 (900g, ~5 servings)
The 10 Recipes That Never Fail
1. Chickpea and Cod Stew (Potaje de garbanzos con bacalao)
The quintessential Holy Week dish. Cooked chickpeas, spinach, cod, and a sofrito of onion, garlic, tomato, and paprika. It tastes even better the next day. View full recipe.
The product we use for this recipe is available in cod, with all the formats and origins we work with at the stall.
2. Onion Cod (Bacalao encebollado)
Pounds of slowly poached onion, a cod loin on top, and olive oil. The simplest recipe and one of the most flavorful. View full recipe.
3. Cod with Tomato (Bacalao con tomate)
Garlic sofrito + grated fresh tomato. The cod loins cook in this sauce for 10 minutes. Serve with white rice. A Tuesday dinner that tastes like Sunday.
4. Baked Cod with Potatoes (Bacalao al horno con patatas)
Oven dish with a bed of potatoes, onion, and bell pepper. Cod on top. 25 minutes in the oven. A complete meal that needs nothing more. View full recipe.
5. Ajoarriero Cod (Bacalao al ajoarriero)
Shredded cod with roasted red peppers, green peppers, tomato, and lots of garlic. The Navarrese dish that grandma made from leftovers and tasted better than the original. View full recipe.
6. Cod Fritters (Buñuelos de bacalao)
Spongy dough with shredded cod, deep-fried in hot oil. The appetizer for family gatherings. You make 50 at once, and none are left over.
7. Poor Man's Cod (Bacalao a lo pobre)
Fried potatoes + fried cod + fried peppers + fried onion. All in the same pan. Resourceful cooking that tastes heavenly. View full recipe.
8. Stuffed Peppers with Cod (Pimientos rellenos de bacalao)
Piquillo peppers with cod béchamel, covered in pepper sauce. The appetizer that always impressed when guests came over. View full recipe.
9. Cod Croquettes (Croquetas de bacalao)
Grandma's béchamel (made slowly, without lumps), shredded cod, chilled overnight, breaded one by one. The best croquettes you've ever tasted. View full recipe.
10. Cod in Green Sauce (Bacalao en salsa verde)
Sliced garlic in oil, flour, fish broth, chopped parsley, and peas. Cod loins cook in this sauce for 12 minutes. Simple, green, flavorful.
Grandma's Tricks Confirmed by Science
- "Yesterday's stew tastes better": True. Resting allows flavors to balance and flavor molecules to integrate.
- "Cod should be added at the end": True. Cod cooks in 10-12 minutes. Adding it at the beginning dries it out.
- "Onions should be sautéed slowly": True. The Maillard reaction over low heat produces sweet flavor compounds not achieved over high heat.
- "Paprika burns quickly": True. Paprika becomes bitter if heated too much. Always add it off the heat.
- "Bones give flavor to the broth": True. Bones provide gelatin and minerals that enrich the broth.
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Refrigerated shipping 24-48h throughout the Peninsula
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest cod recipe to start with?
Onion cod: just onion, cod, and olive oil. It's impossible for it to go wrong if you poach the onion patiently.
Do grandma's recipes work with frozen cod?
They work, but the result is not the same. Desalted salt cod has more flavor, more gelatin, and better texture. Grandmothers always used salt cod.
Why do grandma's recipes turn out better?
Three reasons: she used simple but quality ingredients, she cooked calmly (she wasn't in a hurry), and she had been perfecting each recipe for decades. Repetition generates mastery.
Can cod be made for the whole week?
Yes: prepare a stew, cod with tomato, and a brandade on Sunday. All three keep for 3-4 days in the fridge, and the stew and brandade freeze well.
Related Guides
Grandma's recipes start with good cod. Discover our premium desalted cod from Mercat del Ninot, just like grandmas used to buy, at Bacalalo.
Grandma's Tomato Cod: the recipe that unites Spain
If there's one cod recipe every Spanish grandmother masters, it's this one. With regional variations, cod with tomato is probably the most cooked cod dish in Spanish homes.
Ingredients (4 servings)
- 600g of desalted cod in pieces
- 1 kg ripe tomatoes (or 600g good quality crushed tomatoes)
- 2 large onions
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 green bell pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil, bay leaf, sweet paprika
Preparation
Sauté the finely chopped onion over low heat for 20-25 minutes (patience is grandma's secret). Add the garlic, bell pepper, and sauté for 5 more minutes. Incorporate the grated or crushed tomato and cook over low heat for 30-40 minutes, until the sofrito darkens and loses acidity. Lightly flour the cod pieces, brown them in another pan, and add them to the sofrito. Cook everything together for 8-10 minutes over low heat.
Cod in Green Sauce: Grandma's Basque recipe
Cod in green sauce is the jewel of Basque cuisine. The sauce is made by emulsifying the cooking oil with the cod's natural gelatin — without flour, without cream.
Ingredients (4 servings)
- 4 desalted cod loins of 200g each
- 6 sliced garlic cloves
- 200 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 bunch fresh parsley
- 200g clams (optional)
- 100g peas
Preparation
Brown the sliced garlic in abundant oil over low heat. Place the cod loins skin-side up. Add the clam cooking broth (or water). The secret: move the pot with constant circular motions (back and forth) for 10-12 minutes. The cod's gelatin dissolves in the oil and forms the green emulsion. Add chopped parsley at the end.
Ajoarriero Cod: the Navarrese and Aragonese version
Ajoarriero is a humble dish of muleteers and shepherds that has become a classic of Navarrese cuisine. It is hearty, comforting, and perfect for cold days.
Ingredients (4 servings)
- 500g shredded desalted cod
- 4 choricero peppers (or 2 tablespoons of pulp)
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 medium potatoes, sliced
- 1 large onion
- Olive oil, paprika, chili pepper
Preparation
Fry the sliced potatoes until golden. Remove and in the same oil, sauté the onion and garlic. Add the choricero pepper pulp and paprika (off the heat, so it doesn't burn). Incorporate the shredded cod and potatoes. Mix everything over low heat for 10 minutes. Serve in an earthenware pot.
Regional map of cod recipes in Spain
Each region of Spain has its star cod recipe. This map helps you understand the diversity:
- Basque Country: pil-pil, green sauce, cod a la vizcaína (with choricero pepper).
- Catalonia: cod a la llauna, esqueixada, brandade, cod with samfaina.
- Navarre and Aragon: ajoarriero, cod al chilindrón.
- Castilla: cod al ajo arriero, onion cod, vigil stew.
- Andalusia: pavías, "soldiers of Pavia", cod with tomato, bienmesabe.
- Galicia: cod with turnip greens, Galician-style cod (with "cachelos" and paprika).
- Valencia: baked cod with aioli, cod with chickpeas and spinach.
- Portugal (reference): bacalhau à Brás, bacalhau com natas, bacalhau à Gomes de Sá — more than 1,000 documented recipes.
Grandma's tricks confirmed by science
- "Cod should never boil": correct. Above 80°C, cod proteins contract violently, expelling water. Result: dry and tough. Always cook over low heat.
- "Skin side up": correct. The skin protects the flesh from direct heat. Additionally, the gelatin in the skin dissolves better when in contact with the cooking liquid.
- "The oil must be good": correct. In dishes with few ingredients (pil-pil, salsa verde), the quality of the oil is directly noticeable. Use extra virgin.
- "You have to move the pot, not the spoon": correct for emulsions. The rocking motion of the pot creates a swirling movement that gradually incorporates the oil into the broth. The spoon breaks the cod flakes.
Frequently asked questions about traditional cod recipes
What is the easiest cod recipe for beginners?
Cod with tomato. It has a sofrito base that forgives mistakes, the tomato provides moisture to prevent the cod from drying out, and it doesn't require special techniques. If you master a sofrito, you master this dish.
What cut of cod should I use for each grandma's recipe?
Thick loins for pil-pil and salsa verde (they need gelatin). Chunks for stews with tomato and ajoarriero (they integrate better). Flakes or shredded for croquettes and brandada. Consult the guide to the 5 cuts of cod.
Do grandma's recipes work with fresh cod instead of desalted cod?
Most do, but the result is different. Desalted cod has more gelatin and a smoother texture than fresh. For pil-pil and salsa verde, desalted cod is essential — the gelatin is what forms the sauce.
How long does a traditional cod recipe take to make?
Most cook in 20-40 minutes (not including the prior desalting). Cod is a quick-cooking fish. The time is determined by the sofrito, not the fish. With already desalted cod, you save 24-72 hours of soaking.
All cod recipes by category
Cod lends itself to a thousand dishes. We have compiled our best cod recipes, organized by cooking style, so you can find yours:
Baked and Confit
- Baked Cod: The Definitive Recipe with Potatoes and 5 Variations
- Confit Cod Arguiñano Style: Low Temperature Recipe
- Cod Brandade: Classic Recipe, Emulsion Tricks and
- Baked Cod With Cherry Tomatoes
- Baked Cod With Gratinated Mayonnaise
- Baked Onion Cod
Fried and Breaded
- Cod Fritters: Traditional Recipe for Fluffy Results
- Crispy Breaded Cod: Step-by-Step Recipe with Pro Trick
- Soldaditos de Pavía: The Original Recipe for Andalusian Gabardine Cod
- Crispy Cod With Tartar Sauce
- Cod Fish And Chips
- Andalusian Cod Fritters
Pil-pil and in sauce
- Cod al Pil Pil Arguiñano Style: Step-by-Step Recipe
- Cod in Green Sauce Arguiñano Style: Step-by-Step Basque Recipe
- Cod with Garlic: Quick Recipe with Crispy Garlic and Chili
- Cod in Marinara Sauce
- Cod in Saffron Sauce
Stews and Spoon Dishes
- Cod Migas: 8 Recipes to Make the Most of Every Gram
- Cod with Tomato Arguiñano Style: Step-by-Step Homemade Recipe
- Cod With White Beans
- Braised Cod With Mushrooms
- Mild Curry Cod
Noble cuts (kokotxas, cheeks, tripe)
- Kokotxas al Txakoli with Chili
- Creamy Cod Kokotxa Risotto
- Confit Cod Cheeks on Puree
- Cod Tripe with Tomato and Piquillo Peppers
- Fried Cod Tails with Paprika
Cold, salads and international
- Cod salad: 5 fresh recipes for all year round
- Cod Gazpacho
- Cod Tartare with Citrus
- Malaga Salad with Cod and Orange
- Mexican Style Christmas Cod
- Cod in Air Fryer: 5 Quick Recipes
See the entire Desalted Cod collection →
Buy it at BacalaloExtra Clean Desalted Cod Cheeks - 900g€44.90 · 24-48h refrigerated delivery →
