Baked Fish Lemon Butter (Print Version)
Tender white fish with a bright lemon butter sauce, baked for a flavorful and easy meal.
# What You'll Need:
→ Fish
01 - 4 fillets (approximately 5.3 oz each) white fish such as cod, haddock, or tilapia
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
→ Lemon Butter Sauce
04 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
05 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
06 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
09 - 1/2 teaspoon paprika (optional)
→ Garnish
10 - Lemon slices
11 - Extra chopped parsley
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking dish with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
02 - Pat the fish fillets dry using paper towels. Season both sides evenly with salt and black pepper.
03 - Place the seasoned fillets in a single layer in the prepared baking dish.
04 - In a small mixing bowl, combine melted butter, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, chopped parsley, and paprika if desired.
05 - Pour the lemon butter mixture evenly over the fish fillets.
06 - Place one lemon slice on top of each fillet.
07 - Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the fish is opaque throughout and flakes easily with a fork.
08 - Remove from oven, garnish with additional chopped parsley, and serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Dinner is actually done in thirty minutes, no tricks or shortcuts that cut corners on taste.
- The lemon butter does all the flavor work while you sit back and let the oven do its thing.
- It tastes like you spent more time than you did, which is the best kind of recipe magic.
02 -
- Fish cooks faster than your brain thinks it should—check it at fifteen minutes, not twenty, or you'll learn this the hard way like I did.
- The difference between moist fish and rubbery fish is about ninety seconds, so set a timer and trust it over your gut.
03 -
- Buy the freshest fish your market has on the day you plan to cook it; quality fish tastes like a completely different dish.
- Fresh lemon zest matters more here than anywhere else because there's nothing to hide behind, so invest in a microplane and actually use it.