Cod Fish Cakes

Our delicious Cod Fish Cakes are made with fresh cod and potatoes, then breaded, fried to brown, and baked to cook through.

Fresh Cod Fish Cakes

Living along the coast of Massachusetts, we are fortunate that we have access to affordable fresh fish, so we eat seafood quite often. 

In particular, we eat a lot of cod. It’s a versatile fish with a mild flavor and firm but flaky white flesh. It’s perfect for recipes like our Cod Fish Cakes!

These cod fish cakes are lightly golden on the outside, and tender and flaky on the inside.  They make a delicious meal and are traditionally served with a dollop of tartar sauce on top and Boston Baked beans and creamy coleslaw on the side.

Why You'll Love Cod Fish Cakes

• They are a quintessential New England seafood dish with a taste of the ocean in every bite.
• The cod has a mild flavor so both kids and grownups will enjoy this dish.
• It’s a versatile recipe. You can enjoy this dish as an entree with coleslaw and baked beans, or serve the fish cakes on a toasted buttered bun and enjoy as a sandwich instead.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

• Cod Fish – Buy fresh or frozen cod fish. Since the fish will be chopped and is going to be mixed with other ingredients, you don’t need to break the bank on the more expensive “Captain’s Cut cod filets. If you want to make this recipe with salted cod – see Notes section of recipe card. 
• Russet Potatoes – This potato variety cooks up light and fluffy and won’t overwhelm the cod cakes.
• Unsalted Butter
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Sweet Onion – Such as Vidalia
• Celery
• Garlic
• Eggs
• Fresh Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley
• Heavy Cream
• Dried Potato Flakes – This serves as an additional binder.
• Hot Sauce – Any favorite brand will work.
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• Salt – Only add salt if you are making this recipe with fresh cod.
• For the Breading – Corn flour, eggs, whole milk, and plain breadcrumbs.
• Vegetable or Canola oil – For frying.
• Tartar Sauce – For serving, see our homemade tartar sauce recipe here.
• Lemon Wedges – For garnish.
• Boston Baked Beans – See our recipe here.
• Coleslaw – See our recipe here.

How Do I Make Cod Fish Cakes?

1. Cut fresh or frozen cod fish into very small pieces (about the size of a small pea).
2. Place peeled Russet potatoes into a pot of water and boil for ten minutes. Turn off heat and let the potatoes sit in the hot water for 30 more minutes. Cool and shred with large holes of a box grater.
3. Melt butter and olive oil together then sauté onions, celery, and garlic. Set aside to cool.
4. In a large bowl mix cut up cod, shredded potatoes, onion and celery mixture, eggs, parsley, cream, potato flakes, Tabasco, black pepper and salt.
5. Place a small scoop of the filling in a sauté pan and fry to cook – taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Refrigerate the remainder of the filling for one hour to firm up.
6. Scoop out fourteen (4 ½ ounces each) portions of the filling, then shape into round discs and lay out onto a parchment covered pan. Freeze until completely frozen (we froze ours overnight).
7. When ready to bread, fry and serve, lay out three bowls. Put corn flour in one, eggs and milk beaten in the other and breadcrumbs in the third.
8. Dip each frozen fish cake in the corn flour, egg wash and breadcrumbs and fry in the hot oil for 1-2 minutes just to brown the outside.
9. Remove fish cakes to a sheet tray and bake for 30 minutes to cook through to at least 145 degrees F when poked with a probe thermometer.
10. Serve with tartar sauce, lemon wedges, Boston Baked Beans, and coleslaw.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I make Cod Fish Cakes ahead of time?  Yes – you’ll want to make these enough in advance that they have time to freeze and firm up before breading and cooking.
• How do I store leftovers?   Store un-breaded fish cakes in the freezer (see below). Store cooked fishcakes in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
• How do I reheat leftovers? These are best reheated in the oven so they stay crisp. You can also reheat in the microwave, but this method will make them soft and even a bit soggy.
• Can I freeze?  Yes, make the patties and freeze on a tray without touching each other. Then bag them after they are frozen. When ready to use, bread the frozen fish cakes, fry, and bake as listed in the recipe.

This Cod Fish Cakes recipe originally appeared on A Family Feast in May 2013. We’ve updated the post and photos but the delicious recipe remains the same.

Click here for more delicious Seafood Recipes!

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Cod Fish Cakes

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Our delicious Cod Fish Cakes are made with fresh cod and potatoes, then breaded, fried to brown, and baked to cook through.

• Author: A Family Feast
• Prep Time: 45 minutes plus overnight to freeze
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 12 hours
• Yield: Serves 7
• Category: entree
• Method: Baked, fried
• Cuisine: American, New England

Ingredients

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1 pound Russet potatoes, peeled and left whole

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup sweet onion, diced

1/2 cup celery, diced fine

1 tablespoon garlic, minced fine

1 pound fresh or frozen cod fish

2 whole eggs

2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped fine

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup potato flakes (boxed dry mashed potato flakes)

Few shakes of your favorite hot sauce

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt (omit salt if using dried salted cod)

For breading and frying

2 cups corn flour

3 whole eggs

1/3 cup milk

2 cups plain breadcrumbs

Vegetable oil for frying

Lemon wedges for garnish

Serving suggestions

Tartar Sauce

Boston Baked Beans

Coleslaw

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Instructions

1. Place the peeled whole potatoes in water and bring to a boil and boil for ten minutes. Turn off the burner and let them sit in the hot water for 30 minutes. Remove and once cool enough to handle, shred on the large holes of a box grater. Set aside.
2. In a sauté pan, melt butter in oil over medium heat and add onions and celery and cook for three minutes. Add garlic and cook for one more minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Chop cod fish into small pieces (small pea size) and place into a large bowl.
4. Add cooled shredded potatoes, cooled onions and celery mixture, eggs, parsley, cream, potato flakes, hot sauce, black pepper, and salt. (Leave out the salt if you are making this recipe with salted cod – see Notes below.)
5. Mix mixture together, then test a small scoop by cooking in a saute pan with a little oil. Taste to check for flavor. Add more salt and seasonings if needed.
6. Scoop remaining mixture into fourteen 4 ½ ounce portions onto your cutting board or a piece of parchment paper.
7. Form each scoop into a disc shape and lay out on a parchment covered tray that will fit in your freezer. Make sure that they do not touch each other. Cover and freeze until completely frozen. We froze ours overnight.
8. When ready to bread, fry and bake, lay out three bowls. Put corn flour in one, beaten eggs and milk in a second and breadcrumbs in a third.
9. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
10. Dip each frozen fish cake in the corn flour, then egg wash, then breadcrumbs.
11. Heat 3-4 inches of oil in a wok or heavy pan and heat to 350 degrees F.
12. Fry a few fishcakes at a time, just to brown, about 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Lay out on a sheet tray covered with foil as you fry. This step is just to brown.
13. Place the 14 browned fishcakes on a parchment-lined sheet tray and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F.
14. Serve with Tartar Sauce and lemon wedges plus Boston Baked Beans and Coleslaw.

Notes

To make these Cod Fish Cake with Salted Cod:

• In addition to the ingredients listed above, you will also need a gallon of milk to soak the fish. You won’t need any additional salt either.
• You must soak the salted cod for 48 hours in milk, draining and replacing the milk after each 24 hour period. On the third day, you must rinse the salted cod and soak several times in cold water throughout the day. If you don’t take all these steps, the finished fish cake will be salty. Sometimes the salted cod may require another day of soaking in cold water to remove all the salt.
• Once rehydrated, pick, and trim the meat from the bones and skin. Discard the waste and cut the cod into very small pieces. Continue with the recipe as listed above but do not add any salt.