Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Simple ingredients deliver a restaurant-quality meal in this lemon butter cod recipe. Tender pan-seared cod fillets are finished in a garlicky lemon butter sauce for a weeknight meal that feels a little fancy.
How long it takes: 18 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large skillet, citrus zester or grater
Servings: 4
The Easiest Cod You’ll Ever Make
Fish is one of those things that sounds like a good idea until it’s 5:30 and you’re tired and suddenly it feels risky. Will it be dry? Weird? Somehow both?
This recipe is my no-fail go-to recipe for cod.
It’s fast, it’s simple, and the sauce does all the heavy lifting. Butter, lemon, garlic. Nothing groundbreaking, but it makes the fish taste like something you’d want to eat, not just something you feel like you should eat.
What makes mine special:
- Quick and easy: Ready in just 18 minutes, this lemon butter cod comes together fast enough for a weeknight, but the flavor is worthy of serving at a dinner party!
- Fresh yet rich flavors: The buttery sauce is balanced with fresh lemon and garlic, so even though the sauce is rich, this is a dish that never feels heavy. It goes well with everything from potatoes to pasta, and most vegetable sides or salads, too.
- Beginner-friendly: Cod is a great fish to start out with if you’re not very familiar with cooking fish. It’s mild-tasting, flaky, and fairly inexpensive. This is a no-fail recipe! (Be sure to try cod in this Parmesan baked cod recipe or quick and easy air fryer cod.)
Ingredient Notes
- Cod fillets: You can use fresh cod or frozen; just be sure to fully thaw frozen cod so it cooks evenly and to a safe temperature (follow package instructions). Cod loin also works – it is sometimes thicker so it may take slightly longer to cook.
- Olive oil and butter: The oil sears the fillets, while the butter is the base of the sauce. It’s worth it to spring for a high quality butter here—I love using Kerrygold.
- Garlic and lemon: Along with the butter, fresh garlic and lemon are dominant flavors in the sauce. You’ll need both the juice and the zest of the lemon, along with additional wedges for serving. Remember to zest the lemon before you juice it (it’s so much easier!).
- Parsley: If you want to garnish the cod, fresh parsley adds a fresh, herbaceous finish and a pop of color. I always serve it with lemon wedges, too.
How to Make Lemon Butter Cod
Prepare. Use paper towels to pat the fillets dry. This helps you achieve that perfect sear and reduces splattering. Season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper.
Cook the cod. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Once it’s shimmering, sear both sides of the cod for 3 to 4 minutes. The length of cooking time will depend on the thickness of the cod fillets but try not overcook it. When it’s done, the fish should flake easily and the internal temperature should reach 145ºF. Transfer the fillets to a plate and tent with foil.
Start the sauce. If you want, carefully wipe the pan clean with a damp paper towel. (I usually do; otherwise your sauce may have a brownish appearance because of the residue left in the pan.) Over low heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook until it’s fragrant, but not browned.
Make it lemony. Add the lemon juice to the pan and simmer for a minute or two to reduce the sauce, then stir in the zest.
Finish. Add the fillets back to the skillet and spoon the sauce over the cod fillets. Simmer for a minute or two to warm the cod and allow it to absorb some of the flavorful sauce.
Serve. Plate the cod, drizzling the lemon butter over each fillet. Add a sprinkle of parsley on top, if desired, and serve with lemon wedges.
Recipe Variations
- Use a different kind of fish. This simple butter sauce will work with pretty much any type of seafood, including shellfish such as shrimp or scallops. It’s wonderful for tilapia, haddock, flounder, and so on. Adjust cooking time as needed.
- Experiment with other herbs. Add fresh thyme or dill to the butter sauce or as a garnish for a different flavor profile. If you have your own herb garden, try lemon-scented herbs like lemon balm, lemongrass, or lemon verbena.
- Make it creamy. Stir in a splash of heavy cream for a richer sauce.
- Add a little spice. Add a small pinch of red pepper flakes with the garlic for a bit of a kick.
What to Serve With Lemon Butter Cod
- Starchy sides: Try rice pilaf, mashed potatoes, buttery orzo, couscous, or crusty bread to soak up the sauce. This creamy lemon orzo with greens would be a wonderful match.
- Vegetables: Virtually any vegetable side would go with this simple lemon butter cod. I often serve it with roasted green beans, sautéed asparagus, or sautéed spinach.
- Salads: This arugula salad recipe has a lemony vinaigrette that would pair well with lemon butter cod. You can substitute different greens if you’re not a fan of arugula. Spring orzo salad is another great choice; it’s loaded with spring goodies like asparagus, arugula, and spinach, and has a lemony basil dressing. It’s one of my favorites!
Refrigerator: Store leftover cod in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Do not freeze this recipe; the texture and flavor will be “off” the second time around.
Reheat: Warm the lemon butter cod and sauce gently in a skillet over low heat.
More Seafood Recipes
Lemon Butter Cod
Ingredients
- 4 cod fillets (5 to 6 ounces each, thawed if frozen, see note)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter (see note)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about ½ lemon, zest first!)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
For serving (optional):
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 4 lemon wedges
Instructions
- Pat cod fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper.4 cod fillets, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- Heat olive oil in a large nonstick or stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add cod and sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown on each side, and cooked through (internal temp should reach 145°F and fish should flake easily with a fork). Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the fillets.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Transfer to a plate and tent with foil. If desired, carefully clean out pan using damp paper towels to remove any browned areas.
- Over low heat in the same skillet, melt butter. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Don't allow the garlic to brown; cook just until fragrant.3 tablespoons butter, 3 cloves garlic
- Pour in lemon juice and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly reduced. Stir in lemon zest.2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Return cod to the skillet and spoon sauce over the fillets. Simmer gently for 1 to 2 minutes to warm the cod and allow it to soak up some of the sauce.
- Plate each serving of cod with a drizzle of the lemon butter sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with extra lemon wedges, if desired.1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, 4 lemon wedges
Notes
- Cod: Cod loin fillets will also work well for this recipe. They’re slightly thicker and may take a little longer to cook, but are also a little less fragile.
- Butter: I usually use Kerrygold salted butter for this recipe. If you use unsalted butter, you might want to add a little more salt to the recipe.
- Try different kinds of fish. The lemon butter sauce goes well with tilapia, haddock, flounder, and so on. It works well for shrimp or scallops, too. Adjust cooking time as needed.
- Variations: Use any fresh herbs that you like. You can also cook the herbs with the sauce. Try dill or thyme. If you have your own herb garden, lemon-scented herbs like lemon balm, lemongrass, or lemon verbena would be excellent, too. Another option is to add a pinch of red pepper flakes and/or a splash of heavy cream to the sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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