Lemon Garlic Butter Cod (Printable Version)
Tender cod fillets seared in a rich lemon garlic butter sauce, ready in 25 minutes.
# What You 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
# Directions:
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 Tips:
01 -
- The lemon butter sauce creates its own restaurant quality finish in minutes
- Cod cooks so quickly that dinner is ready faster than delivery would arrive
02 -
- Overcooking cod dries it out quickly, so remove from heat the moment it flakes easily
- Room temperature fish cooks more evenly than cold straight from the refrigerator
03 -
- A zester or microplane releases more aromatic lemon oils than a standard grater
- Warm plates keep the fish at the perfect temperature while you serve everyone