Black Cod Teriyaki (Sablefish Recipe)

This easy black cod (or sablefish) recipe is made by marinating fish in homemade teriyaki sauce and baking it until it’s tender and flaky.

Guys, something exciting happened.

I signed up for a CSF (a community supported fishery).

It’s like a CSA (community supported agriculture), but instead of monthly farmer’s market pickups, I get monthly seafood deliveries.

And I am thrilled!

If you’re a seafood lover who has trouble finding specialty or high-end fish, or if you just really love seafood and want to support a fishery directly instead of a supporting a supermarket chain, a CSF is a wonderful option.

We signed up to get deliveries from Sitka Salmon Shares in Sitka, Alaska. So far, everything we’ve received has been exceptional.

That said, there are plenty of CSFs out there, so if you’re interested, look around and find one that works for you!

My first CSF box was full of black cod (sablefish).

What is Black Cod (Sablefish)?

Alaska black cod, also known as sablefish, is sometimes called “butter fish” because it’s so rich and decadent.

Black cod has both more fat and more omega-3s than Alaska King salmon, the fattiest fish I’d eaten up to this point.

And despite the name, this is a totally different fish than regular Alaska cod.

What Fish Can I Substitute In this Recipe If I Can’t Find Sablefish?

Try swapping sablefish for another fatty fish like salmon.

You could also swap sablefish for Chilean sea bass, but make sure the sea bass packaging is labeled with sustainable seafood certifications. Chilean sea bass is often considered an over-fished, at risk species.

What Does Black Cod Taste Like?

The high fat content gives this fish rich, mellow flavor.

From my experience working with King salmon, I knew that extremely rich and fatty fish need a strong, contrasting flavor to help accent, but not add to, the fat.

For example, I love seared King salmon with cherry sauce, poached King salmon with blueberry sauce, and grilled King salmon with plum sauce.

Black cod also pairs well with flavors like miso, soy sauce and ginger. Miso black cod is a Japanese delicacy.

While I wanted to try miso black cod (and still might at some point), most of the ingredients (like sake, mirin and white miso) are hard for me to find locally. I thought they might be hard for you to find too.

Instead, I started with something a little easier to accomplish for this sablefish recipe: Black cod teriyaki.

And it was so incredibly delicious!

If you have extra black cod (or if you like spicy food!) try this broiled black cod with sweet chili sauce.

If you can’t find black cod, I also tested this recipe with salmon and it was wonderful too.

And if you just love teriyaki sauce on everything, I also recommend trying my seared ahi tuna steaks with ginger soy sauce (a.k.a. teriyaki sauce).

How to Make Black Cod Teriyaki

Start by making the sauce.

Whisk together rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, wasabi (or horseradish), and a little sugar.

Set the sablefish in a baking dish, and pour the marinade over the fish.

Let the sablefish marinate for at least a half hour.

Next, carefully use your fingers to rub most of the marinade off of the fish. Don’t throw away the marinade: you’ll be using it in just a minute.

Set the fish in an oiled oven-safe pan or a baking dish. I used my Lodge 12″ carbon steel skillet.

Slide the fish into the oven.

While the fish bakes, pour the teriyaki marinade into a small pot.

Bring the teriyaki sauce to a boil, and then simmer it for a few minutes to thicken the sauce.

As soon as the black cod is flaky, it’s done cooking.

I like to use a fork and poke the side of the fish a little bit. If it starts to fall apart, it’s ready.

Pull it out of the oven.

Next, brush some of the teriyaki sauce onto the fish.

It’ll look gorgeous before glazing, but after glazing, this fish is downright decadent.

Serve the black cod right away, along with a side of Instant Pot jasmine rice and oven-roasted broccoli with chili. I like to drizzle the extra teriyaki sauce over the side dishes too!