Spanish Cod in Piquillo Pepper Sauce (Bacalao en Salsa de Piquillos) brings together flaky, tender white fish and the smoky sweetness of roasted Spanish red peppers. This classic recipe showcases how simple, high-quality ingredients transform into a rich, restaurant-quality meal in just over half an hour.
Spanish Cod in Piquillo Pepper Sauce: Bacalao en Salsa de Piquillos
Spanish Cod with Piquillo Pepper Sauce: A Taste of Northern Spain
If you love Spanish food with bold flavor but simple ingredients, this Spanish Cod with Piquillo Pepper Sauce is a recipe worth adding to your repertoire. The beautiful orange-red sauce is made with sweet piquillo peppers, slowly caramelized onions, and garlic, creating a silky sauce with the unmistakable flavor of roasted Spanish peppers.
The combination is especially interesting because it reflects the culinary traditions of Navarra and the Basque Country, where piquillo peppers and salt cod have long been important ingredients. Piquillo peppers are particularly associated with Lodosa in Navarra, where they are traditionally roasted and preserved, giving them their distinctive sweet, slightly smoky character.
Here, the peppers are blended with slowly cooked onions rather than covered with heavy cream, allowing their natural sweetness and roasted flavor to remain at the center of the dish. The result is a vibrant sauce that feels rich while still being unmistakably Spanish.
The cod is briefly seared before being finished gently in the sauce, allowing it to absorb some of that wonderful piquillo flavor while remaining tender and moist. Serve it with crusty bread to make the most of every drop of sauce.
A Taste of Spain’s Northern Coast
This recipe is also a perfect introduction to my The Ultimate Guide to Spanish Fish & Seafood Recipes: Coastal Traditions & Classic Recipes.
Spain’s relationship with the sea has created an extraordinary variety of regional fish and seafood dishes. From the Basque Country and the Cantabrian Sea to Galicia, CĂ¡diz, and the Mediterranean coast, each region has developed its own way of combining the catch of the sea with local ingredients and traditional cooking techniques.
This cod with piquillo pepper sauce sits naturally within that northern tradition, where bacalao, olive oil, garlic, peppers, and slow-cooked sauces come together to create some of Spain’s most iconic seafood dishes.
đŸ‘‰ Explore The Ultimate Guide to Spanish Fish & Seafood Recipes and discover more traditional Spanish recipes from the country’s diverse coastal regions.
Ingredients
| Metric Amount | Imperial Amount | Core Ingredient | Preparation |
| 400 g | 14 oz | Desalted cod fillets | Dried thoroughly with paper towels, skin-on |
| 1 unit | 1 unit | White onion | Sliced into thin julienne |
| 1 unit | 1 unit | Red onion | Sliced into thin julienne |
| 4 units | 4 units | Garlic cloves | Thinly sliced |
| 200 g | 7 oz | Piquillo peppers | Jarred, drained thoroughly |
| 100 ml | 3.5 fl oz | Dry white wine | Room temperature |
| 45 ml | 3 tbsp | Extra virgin olive oil | High quality |
| 1 pinch | 1 pinch | Sea salt | Adjusted to taste |
Instructions
1. Sautéing the Garlic Base
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced garlic cloves and cook gently for 2 to 3 minutes until they turn light golden brown without burning.
2. Slow-Caramelizing the Onions
Add both the sliced white and red onions to the pan. Lower the heat to low and cook slowly for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are completely softened, sweet, and translucent.
3. Deglazing with White Wine
Pour in the dry white wine and increase the heat slightly to medium-high. Let it simmer and reduce for 2 to 3 minutes until the harsh alcohol scent completely evaporates, leaving behind a rich, concentrated liquid base.
4. Incorporating the Piquillo Peppers
Add the drained piquillo pepper strips into the pan with the caramelized onions. Sauté over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes to allow the sweet, smoky pepper flavors to infuse into the onion mixture.
5. Reserving a Portion for Garnish & Blending
Before blending, reserve 2 tablespoons of the rustic onion and piquillo pepper strips in a small bowl to garnish the fillets later. Transfer the remaining mixture into a blender and puree for 1 to 2 minutes until an ultra-smooth, velvet-like sauce forms. If the sauce feels too thick, splash in a tablespoon of warm fish stock or water to adjust the consistency before tasting for salt.
6. Searing the Cod
Thoroughly pat the cod fillets dry with paper towels. Heat a splash of olive oil in a skillet over high heat. Place the cod fillets skin-side down first and sear for 2 minutes to crisp the skin, then flip and sear the flesh side for just 1 minute.
7. Simmering Cod in Piquillo Sauce
Lower the heat to low, pour the blended piquillo sauce into the pan around the cod, and place the fillets with skin facing up. Simmer gently for 4 to 5 minutes, spooning the warm sauce over the fish to finish cooking it through while keeping the flakes juicy.
8. Garnishing and Resting
Top each seared cod fillet with the reserved piquillo pepper and onion strips to add a beautiful rustic texture and color contrast. Remove the pan from the heat and let the dish rest covered for 2 minutes before serving.
Chef’s Notes for Spanish Cod in Piquillo Pepper Sauce
Should you use fresh cod or desalted salt cod for this recipe? Both options work wonderfully, but traditional Spanish recipes favor desalted salt cod (bacalao desalado) because its firm texture holds together exceptionally well during cooking. If using fresh cod fillets, ensure you pat them completely dry and adjust the salt levels in the sauce since fresh fish lacks the subtle background salinity of cured cod.
Why do we add the piquillo peppers after reducing the white wine? Adding the piquillo peppers after reducing the wine protects their distinct roasted flavor. Cooking jarred piquillo peppers in boiling wine for too long strips away their natural smoky sweetness and gives them an unwanted acidic taste.
How do you prevent the piquillo sauce from separating or becoming grainy? To achieve a silky emulsion, blend the cooked onion and pepper mixture while it is warm and use a high-speed blender. If your sauce looks slightly dry or thick, adding a small stream of warm fish stock or extra virgin olive oil while blending creates a glossy, stable finish.
Common Mistakes Cooking Spanish Cod in Piquillo Pepper Sauce
Rushing the onion caramelization: Attempting to cook the onions on high heat to save time will scorch their edges and create a bitter sauce. The signature sweetness of this dish relies on taking 20 to 30 minutes over low heat so the natural sugars in the white and red onions slow-release and melt together.
Searing the fish flesh-side down first: Starting the searing process on the delicate flesh side causes the cod fillet to curl up and break apart in the pan. Always place the cod skin-side down first in a hot skillet; this sets the structure of the fish, crisping the skin while keeping the interior moist.
Boiling the cod inside the sauce for too long: Submerging the cod in boiling sauce for 10 to 15 minutes overcooks the fish, turning its delicate flakes dry and rubbery. The cod should only sear briefly in the pan and then gently finish inside the warm sauce over low heat for 4 to 5 minutes.
Ingredient Swaps & Variations on Spanish Cod in Piquillo Pepper Sauce
White Fish Alternatives: If cod is unavailable, swap it with other firm white fish fillets like hake (merluza), sea bass, or halibut.
Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free: This recipe is naturally 100% gluten-free and dairy-free as it relies purely on blended vegetables for thickness rather than flour roux or cream.
Spicy Twist: Add a quarter teaspoon of Spanish hot smoked paprika (pimentĂ³n picante) or a small dried cayenne pepper when sautĂ©ing the garlic for a subtle spicy kick.
Card Recipe
Spanish Cod in Piquillo Pepper Sauce: Bacalao en Salsa de Piquillos
Spanish Cod in Piquillo Pepper Sauce brings together flaky, tender white fish and the smoky sweetness of roasted Spanish red peppers. This classic recipe showcases how simple, high-quality ingredients transform into a rich, restaurant-quality meal in just over half an hour.
Ingredients
- 400 g (14 oz) Desalted cod fillets
- 1 unit White onion
- 1 unit Red onion
- 4 units Garlic cloves
- 200 g (7 oz) Piquillo peppers
- 100 ml (3.5 fl oz) Dry white wine
- 45 ml (3 tbsp) Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch Sea salt
Instructions
1. Sautéing the Garlic Base
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced garlic cloves and cook gently for 2 to 3 minutes until they turn light golden brown without burning.
2. Slow-Caramelizing the Onions
Add both the sliced white and red onions to the pan. Lower the heat to low and cook slowly for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are completely softened, sweet, and translucent.
3. Deglazing with White Wine
Pour in the dry white wine and increase the heat slightly to medium-high. Let it simmer and reduce for 2 to 3 minutes until the harsh alcohol scent completely evaporates, leaving behind a rich, concentrated liquid base.
4. Incorporating the Piquillo Peppers
Add the drained piquillo pepper strips into the pan with the caramelized onions. Sauté over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes to allow the sweet, smoky pepper flavors to infuse into the onion mixture.
5. Reserving a Portion for Garnish & Blending
Before blending, reserve 2 tablespoons of the rustic onion and piquillo pepper strips in a small bowl to garnish the fillets later. Transfer the remaining mixture into a blender and puree for 1 to 2 minutes until an ultra-smooth, velvet-like sauce forms. If the sauce feels too thick, splash in a tablespoon of warm fish stock or water to adjust the consistency before tasting for salt.
6. Searing the Cod
Thoroughly pat the cod fillets dry with paper towels. Heat a splash of olive oil in a skillet over high heat. Place the cod fillets skin-side down first and sear for 2 minutes to crisp the skin, then flip and sear the flesh side for just 1 minute.
7. Simmering Cod in Piquillo Sauce
Lower the heat to low, pour the blended piquillo sauce into the pan around the cod, and place the fillets with skin facing up. Simmer gently for 4 to 5 minutes, spooning the warm sauce over the fish to finish cooking it through while keeping the flakes juicy.
8. Garnishing and Resting
Top each seared cod fillet with the reserved piquillo pepper and onion strips to add a beautiful rustic texture and color contrast. Remove the pan from the heat and let the dish rest covered for 2 minutes before serving.
Notes
2 serves
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 411Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 455mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 3gSugar: 8gProtein: 49g
