Baked Cod with Lemon Butter (Printable Version)

Tender cod fillets baked in zesty lemon butter sauce for a light, flavorful weeknight dinner ready in 30 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Fish

01 - 4 cod fillets (about 5 oz each), skinless and boneless

→ Lemon Butter Sauce

02 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
03 - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
04 - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
05 - 1 tsp lemon zest
06 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 tsp fresh parsley, finely chopped (plus extra for garnish)
08 - 1/2 tsp salt
09 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Garnish

10 - Lemon slices
11 - Fresh parsley, chopped

# How-To:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to hold the cod fillets in a single layer.
02 - Pat the cod fillets dry with paper towels and arrange them in the prepared baking dish.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper.
04 - Pour the lemon butter mixture evenly over the cod fillets.
05 - Top each fillet with a lemon slice.
06 - Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the cod flakes easily with a fork and is opaque throughout.
07 - Remove from the oven, garnish with additional parsley, and serve immediately.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The lemon butter sauce creates this luxurious finish without any heavy cream or complicated techniques
  • It comes together in under 30 minutes but tastes like something from a nice restaurant
  • The fish stays incredibly tender because baking is more forgiving than pan searing
02 -
  • Overcooking is the enemy, start checking at 15 minutes because cod continues cooking after it leaves the oven
  • Patting the fish dry seems tedious but it's what prevents that watery puddle underneath
  • Room temperature fish cooks more evenly, so try to take it out of the fridge 20 minutes before starting
03 -
  • Zest your lemon before juicing it, much easier to handle when it's whole
  • Let the finished fish rest for 2 minutes before serving, this helps the sauce redistribute
  • Make extra sauce and serve it on the side, guests always want more

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