Lemon Butter Pan Seared Cod

Turn simple fish fillets into the most delicious meal with this easy recipe for Lemon Butter Pan Seared Cod. Flaky fish is cooked in a skillet until golden brown and finished with a decadently rich garlic butter sauce with bright lemon juice.

Pan Seared Cod is ready in 20 minutes, and perfect for any night of the week!

You are going to love this easy recipe for Pan Seared Cod with a simple and delicious lemon garlic butter sauce! It comes together so quickly, with the best savory flavors, and everyone loves it.

This is truly the best cod recipe! You may even get the pickiest eaters to try fish with this one.

I made this last night and it was a perfect recipe. It was amazing and I will make it again. We eat fish (mostly cod) a couple times a week. Thanks for the recipe.

Keli

leave your own review

Looking for more delicious and easy fish recipes? I have so many for you to try!

Honey Garlic Salmon is also made on the stove, with the most amazing sweet and savory sauce. Lemon Butter Baked Tilapia and Beer Battered Fried Fish are fish dinner winners too!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

1. Amazing Flavor – On its own, cod is a mild fish, and benefits greatly from the rich, savory notes of garlic, butter, and spices. A kick of lemon juice makes cod fillets absolutely perfect!
2. Quick and Easy – Compared to other proteins, fish fillets cook up very quickly in a skillet on the stove. This recipe, including the delicious pan sauce, will be ready to serve in just 20 minutes.
3. Versatile Recipe – This method for pan-seared cod can be used with other types of fish, such as tilapia, haddock, catfish, or pollock.

Ingredients For Lemon Butter Cod

Here’s what you need to make this amazing fish dinner:

• Cod Fish Fillets: Start with fresh cod, or buy frozen fillets and thaw them out completely before cooking. Look for fillets that are about 1 inch thick or less.
• Flour: A coating of all-purpose flour helps to brown the fish and aids in thickening the sauce.
• Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and oregano are delicious together!
• Chicken Stock: to make the sauce thick and savory.
• Butter: Use butter and oil to pan-sear the cod, and use cold butter to finish the garlic sauce.
• Garlic: Freshly minced garlic gives this sauce so much amazing flavor.
• Lemon Juice: The bright tang of fresh lemon juice finishes off the sauce perfectly. I also like to serve fish with lemon wedges.

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

How To Cook Cod on the Stove

1. Season the Fish: Pat the cod fillets dry with paper towels. Combine flour with seasonings, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then sprinkle the seasoning blend all over the fillets.
2. Pan Sear the Cod: Start by heating olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cod, and sear for 3-4 minutes.
3. Flip: Cook on the other side for 3-4 minutes, until fully cooked and golden brown. Remove from the skillet and transfer to a plate.
4. Make the Sauce: To the same skillet, add garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Then add chicken stock and allow it to reduce for 6 or 7 minutes. Stir in cold butter so it’s emulsified with the sauce, and continue to cook and thicken until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat, add lemon juice and parsley, and season to taste before pouring the sauce over the cooked cod fillets and serving.

Recipe Tips

• To quickly thaw cod fillets, place them in a plastic zip-top bag, and then place the bag in a large bowl filled with cod water. Weigh down the bag with a plate. Replace the water as needed to keep the fish at a cool temperature. Your fillets will be thawed in less than an hour this way!
• If you have more time, you can also thaw frozen fish fillets in the fridge overnight.
• Dry the fish with paper towels before seasoning and cooking. This will ensure that you get beautiful browning on the fillets.
• The best type of skillet to use when cooking fish is a non-stick skillet. Cod can very easily get stuck to other types of pans, and that makes it difficult to flip over and serve!
• Another great tool for cooking fish is a fish spatula! I highly suggest getting one of these if you don’t already have one.
• Avoid overcooking the fish, as it will be tough and rubbery.

Oh my goodness, this was so easy, but so tasty! I love the fresh flavor the lemon juice adds to the garlic butter sauce. Delish!

Kara

leave your own review

Storing Tips

You can store leftover cooked fish in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Be sure that it is in a well-sealed container.

To reheat, place the fillets in a pan and heat over medium-low heat until warmed through to your liking.

What To Serve With Pan Seared Cod

This tasty fish dinner goes so well with your favorite side dishes!

Make it a pasta night and serve lemon butter cod with my easy creamy lemon pasta or cheesy lemon ricotta pasta.

If your family loves potatoes, my roasted fingerling potatoes are so delicious, creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside. Twice baked potatoes with bacon and cheese are a great option for a fancier meal too.

Recipe FAQs

More Pan Seared Seafood Recipes

Pan Seared Shrimp

Tuscan Salmon

Pan Fried Tilapia

Kung Pao Shrimp

All Seafood Recipes →

This easy recipe for pan seared cod is easy enough for a weeknight meal, and also fancy enough for a dinner party. Don’t forget to save the recipe!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

5 from 35 votes

(Click stars to rate!)

Lemon Butter Pan Seared Cod

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 20 minutes mins

Author: Diana

• Pin It

Print Rate Recipe Text Recipe Email Recipe

Lemon Butter Pan Seared Cod is an easy recipe for flaky fish finished with a decadently rich garlic butter sauce with bright lemon juice.

4 Servings

Lemon Butter Pan Seared Cod is an easy recipe for flaky fish finished with a decadently rich garlic butter sauce with bright lemon juice.

Equipment

• 12-inch non stick skillet
• Fish Spatula

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 6-ounce (170 g) cod fillets about 1 inch thick
• ▢ 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 3 tablespoons (40 g) unsalted butter cold, divided
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic finely minced
• ▢ 1 cup (240 ml) chicken stock
• ▢ 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

• Pat the cod fillets dry with paper towels. Then in a small bowl, combine flour with the seasonings, salt and pepper. Sprinkle the seasons all over the cod from all sides.
• In a large non stick skillet, over medium high heat, heat olive oil and melt 1 tablespoon of butter.
• Add the cod, and sear for 3-4 minutes per side until fully cooked and golden brown. The internal temperature must reach 145°F (63°C). Remove from the skillet, and transfer to a serving plate.
• To the same skillet, add garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Then add the stock, and allow to reduce over medium heat (takes 6-7 minutes). Add the remaining cold butter, and stir it in so it’s emulsified with the sauce (it will help the sauce thicken).
• The sauce is ready when it coats the back of your spoon, and when you run your finger through it, you get a sharp line. Remove from heat, add lemon juice, season with salt and pepper to taste, and add in the chopped fresh parsley. And stir to combine.
• Pour the sauce over the cooked cod fillets, and serve immediately.

Notes:

• To quickly thaw cod fillets, place them in a plastic zip-top bag, and then place the bag in a large bowl filled with cod water. Weigh down the bag with a plate. Replace the water as needed to keep the fish at a cool temperature. Your fillets will be thawed in less than an hour this way!
• If you have more time, you can also thaw frozen fish fillets in the fridge overnight.
• Dry the fish with paper towels before seasoning and cooking. This will ensure that you get beautiful browning on the fillets.
• The best type of skillet to use when cooking fish is a non-stick skillet. Cod can very easily get stuck to other types of pans, and that can make this recipe difficult.
• Avoid overcooking the fish, as it will be tough and rubbery.
• To Store: You can store leftover cooked fish in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Be sure that it is in a well-sealed container.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1fillet, Calories: 316kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 98mg, Sodium: 617mg, Potassium: 816mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 547IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 47mg, Iron: 1mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Little Sunny Kitchen