Here’s a simple and elegant Cod with Lemon Butter Sauce—light, flaky, and bursting with flavor 🐟🍋
Cod with Lemon Butter Sauce
Ingredients (2–4 servings)
- 4 cod fillets (about 6 oz each)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Juice of 1 lemon (about 2–3 tbsp)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1–2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare cod
- Pat fillets dry with paper towels
- Season both sides with salt and pepper
- Cook cod
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat
- Add cod fillets, skin-side down if applicable
- Cook 3–4 minutes per side, until fish is opaque and flakes easily
- Remove cod from skillet and set aside
- Make lemon butter sauce
- Reduce heat to medium
- Add butter and garlic to the skillet
- Sauté garlic 30–60 seconds until fragrant
- Stir in lemon juice and zest
- Cook 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly
- Combine & Serve
- Spoon sauce over cod fillets
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley
- Serve immediately with rice, potatoes, or steamed vegetables
Tips & Variations
- White wine twist: add ¼ cup white wine to the sauce for extra depth
- Creamy version: stir in 2 tbsp heavy cream for a richer sauce
- Herb variations: tarragon, dill, or chives work beautifully
- Oven-baked option: bake cod at 400°F (200°C) for 12–15 min, then drizzle sauce on top
If you want, I can give a garlic herb oven-baked cod, one-pan lemon butter cod with veggies, or keto-friendly creamy lemon cod version.
Do you want the one-pan veggie version?