Easy Lemon Butter Fish in 20 Minutes
This Easy Lemon Butter Fish only takes 20 minutes and a handful of ingredients. It's a delicious and nutritious weeknight meal the entire family will devour (even non-fish eaters!)
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 firm white fish fillets, about 6 inches long, 1-inch thickness throughout (cod, halibut, or mahi mahi are great )
- 3 TB melted butter
- Juice and zest from 1 medium lemon
- ½ tsp kosher salt, divided, plus extra to taste
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 TB olive oil
- freshly chopped basil or parsley leaves, for garnish and flavor
- extra lemon slices for serving
Instructions
- Use paper towels to thoroughly pat-dry excess moisture from fish fillets. This step is crucial for fish to brown nicely in pan - otherwise, it will steam instead of brown. Set aside.
- In a bowl, combine melted butter, lemon juice and zest, and 1/4 tsp kosher salt. Stir to combine well. Taste and add a bit more kosher salt, if desired.
- In a separate bowl, combine remaining 1/4 tsp kosher salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Evenly press spice mixture onto all sides of fish fillets.
- In a large, heavy pan over medium high heat, heat up the olive oil until hot. Once your oil is sizzling, cook 2 fish fillets at a time to avoid overcrowding; this allows for even browning.
- Cook each side just until fish becomes opaque, feels somewhat firm in the center, and is browned, about 2-3 minutes per side; lightly drizzle some of the lemon butter sauce as you cook, reserving the rest for serving. Take care not to over-cook, as that will result in a tougher texture. Season with extra kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- If desired, season with extra kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.Serve fish with with remaining lemon butter sauce, basil or parsley, and lemon wedges.
Notes
- Be sure to use coarse kosher salt, not fine table salt. Learn more about kosher salt!
- Actual cook time varies, depending on type, cut, and starting temp of fish. I typically cook 2-3 minutes per side for cold fish fillets that are 1-inch in thickness.
- Check for doneness by lightly pressing fillet centers for firmness. Once it feels somewhat firm, it's usually done. The key to tender, flaky fish is to not overcook.
- A large splatter guard helps a ton against random oil splattering during cooking.
- Serve with Perfect Instant Pot Brown Rice or Best Easy Roasted Vegetables Recipe for a healthy meal that happens to be gluten-free.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 9.9g | Protein: 25.7g | Fat: 19.8g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 88.1mg | Sodium: 158.1mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 3.2g