Bacalao a la Portuguesa Recipe: Baked Cod with Potatoes 2026

Bacalao a la portuguesa is a traditional dish from northern Portugal, also known as bacalhau à Margarida da Praça. It comes together with just a handful of ingredients, but the result is spectacular, so it pays to start with good-quality produce.

The recipe uses desalted cod, so if you salt your own at home, plan for enough time to soak it properly. Otherwise, buy cod that is already desalted and ready to cook, which makes this an easy weeknight option.

You can use thinner or thicker cod loins, depending on what you prefer. Just keep in mind that the thickness determines the baking time: the loins used here were about 3 cm thick and needed 15 minutes in the oven at 180 ºC.

Ingredients for Bacalao a la Portuguesa

For 2 servings:

• 500 g desalted cod
• 400 g potatoes
• 250 g onion
• 345 g olive oil
• Salt
• Ground black pepper

How to Make Bacalao a la Portuguesa Step by Step

1. Dry the cod well

First, pat 500 g of desalted cod very dry with kitchen paper to remove all the moisture. A dry surface helps the fish sear properly in the pan later.

2. Slice the potatoes and onion

Peel 400 g of potatoes and cut them into half-centimeter slices. Also cut 250 g of onion into juliana strips.

3. Sauté the onion

Put a frying pan with 30 g of olive oil over medium heat and, once hot, add the onion with a pinch of salt. Cook the onion for about 15 minutes until nicely softened, then remove it and set aside.

4. Lightly fry the potatoes

Add 300 g more olive oil to the pan and raise the heat a little. When the oil is hot, add the potatoes and fry over medium heat for about 5 minutes. The goal is to partly cook them, since they will finish in the oven, so when they are lightly fried on the outside, remove them and sprinkle with a little salt.

5. Sear the cod

Next, sear the cod in the pan. Put a frying pan over high heat with 10 g of olive oil and, when very hot, place the cod skin-side down. Cook it for 1 minute, drizzle 5 g more olive oil on top and flip it to cook for another minute.

6. Layer the baking dish

In a baking dish, make a base with the potatoes and place the cod on top. Then spread the softened onion over each piece of cod.

7. Bake for 15 minutes

With the oven preheated to 180 ºC with top and bottom heat, place the dish on the middle rack and bake at 180 ºC for 15 minutes.

8. Add black pepper and serve

To finish, serve the bacalao a la portuguesa sprinkled with a little freshly ground black pepper.

Tips for the Best Bacalao a la Portuguesa

Start with quality cod

Because this dish uses so few ingredients, good-quality cod makes all the difference. Use cod that is fully desalted and ready to cook, or plan ahead and soak your own until it tastes just right.

Match the baking time to the thickness

The thickness of the loin decides the baking time, so thicker pieces need longer in the oven. Loins around 3 cm thick are done after 15 minutes at 180 ºC.

Don't fully cook the potatoes in the pan

Fry the potatoes only until lightly golden on the outside, about 5 minutes, since they finish cooking in the oven. This keeps them tender without turning greasy.

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