Lemon Garlic Butter Cod (Printable)
Tender cod pan-seared in lemon garlic butter sauce, ready in 25 minutes for an effortless weeknight meal.
# What You'll Need:
→ Fish & Main
01 - 4 cod fillets (about 5 oz each), skinless and boneless
→ Sauce
02 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
04 - Juice and zest of 1 lemon
05 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
06 - 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
07 - ½ tsp ground black pepper
→ Optional Garnish
08 - Lemon wedges
# How-to Steps:
01 - Pat the cod fillets dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper.
02 - Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat until melted and foaming.
03 - Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
04 - Gently place the cod fillets in the skillet. Cook for 3–4 minutes on the first side, then carefully flip using a thin spatula.
05 - Add the remaining butter, lemon juice, and zest to the pan. Baste the fish with the melting butter sauce as it cooks for another 3–4 minutes, or until the cod is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
06 - Sprinkle with chopped parsley and remove from the heat.
07 - Serve immediately, spooning extra lemon garlic butter sauce over each fillet. Garnish with lemon wedges if desired.
# Expert Pointers:
01 -
- The lemon butter sauce comes together in minutes but tastes like something from a restaurant
- Perfect for those nights when you want something impressive but absolutely effortless
02 -
- Overcooking cod makes it dry and rubbery, so pull it from heat just as it turns opaque throughout
- The basting step isn't optional, it's what infuses all that buttery lemon flavor into the fish
03 -
- Room temperature fish cooks more evenly than cold straight from the fridge
- Don't crowd the pan or your fish will steam instead of getting that golden sear