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Lemon Butter Baked White Fish

Liz DellaCroce Avatar

LIZ DELLA CROCE

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This 15-minute lemon butter baked white fish recipe is easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser. Ideal for any mild white fish!

My family loves seafood so when my husband recently requested white fish for dinner, I was happy to oblige. Making seafood at home can be intimidating to some, but keeping it simple can create a delicious and easy dish that even beginner cooks can make. It’s hard to go wrong with baked fish in the oven. My Lemon Butter Baked White Fish uses just a few simple ingredients to make a healthy and fast dinner that’s full of fresh and natural flavors.

Ingredients

  • White fish: When making this dish, I’ll usually grab some cod or tilapia from the seafood counter at my local grocery store.
  • Butter: The butter mixed with other ingredients helps to lock in moisture and flavor while baking the fish.
  • Garlic: Nutty, pungent, aromatic flavor to add to the lemon butter.
  • Minced herbs: Adding some freshly minced herbs to the lemon butter adds great natural flavors. I’ll use parsley, basil, oregano, dill, rosemary, or thyme!
  • Lemon: Lemon juice, zest, and slices are all used to add bright, citrus flavor to this fish dish.

How to Make Lemon Butter Baked White Fish

Start your lemon butter baked white fish by prepping your baking dish with cooking spray, and laying your fish fillets along the bottom. Sprinkle with some kosher salt and black pepper.

Then make your lemon butter. Mix your softened butter with minced garlic, minced herbs, lemon zest, and some salt and pepper.

Spread the lemon butter over the top of your white fish.

Top fillets with thin slices of lemon before tossing in the oven at 350 for 10-15 minutes, or until fish is nice and tender and flakes easily with a fork.

I love to sprinkle additional fresh herbs on top right before serving, and I’ll also leave the lemon slices on so additional lemon juice can be squeezed over the top as desired as well. This goes great alongside any vegetables, salad, or mashed potatoes. Enjoy your Lemon Butter Baked White Fish!

Frequently Asked Questions:

How to do keep fish from drying out while baking?

A great way to lock in the juices and avoid ending up with dry, overcooked, bland fish is by mixing herbs, ground garlic cloves, and lemon zest into softened butter and spreading it over the whitefish before baking.

What types of fish are white fish?

Tilapia, cod, halibut, grouper, flounder, snapper, haddock, and catfish are all kinds of white fish.

Is it better to cook fish in foil?

Cooking fish in foil can help it cook faster, but it isn’t required or “better” necessarily.

Other Seafood Recipes

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Liz eating lemon butter baked white fish.

Finished in about 15 minutes, you’ll have dinner on the table in no time with my Lemon Butter Baked White Fish.

Your fork is waiting.

Lemon Butter Baked White Fish

Liz Della Croce
4.60 stars average
This 15-minute baked white fish dinner recipe is easy to make and always a crowd pleaser. Ideal for any mild white fish!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
CourseDinner
Serves4

Ingredients
  

  • 4 6-ounce white fish fillets such as tilapia, cod or whitefish
  • ¼ cup butter unsalted, softened
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons minced herbs such as parsley, oregano, basil
  • 1 lemon zested and thinly sliced

Instructions
 

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a small bowl mix together softened butter with garlic, salt, pepper, minced herbs and lemon zest.
    1/4 cup butter, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 2 tablespoons minced herbs, 1 lemon
  3. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and place fish fillets in a single layer.
    4 6-ounce white fish fillets
  4. Brush butter mixture evenly on top of fish then top with lemon slices.
  5. Bake until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 15-20 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1filetCalories: 377kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 39gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 150mgSodium: 784mgPotassium: 37mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 355IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg

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4.60 from 125 votes (100 ratings without comment)

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87 responses to “Lemon Butter Baked White Fish”

  1. Victoria Mathews Avatar
    Victoria Mathews

    Made this tonight and my hubby and I loved it. I only had freeze dried dill, and that was delicious. Thanks for sharing!

  2. Brandi Brandom Avatar
    Brandi Brandom

    I have this! On my TBR since September 2017

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I hope you love it!

  3. Jackie Avatar
    Jackie

    EASY, great tastIng fish recipe. I will be using this recipe over and over again. I used purchased lemon-pepper seasoning, powered garlic and onion, dehydrated dill from my garden. 3 tablespoons of butter total. Baked at 350 for 25 minutes with sliced lemons. I used locally fresh caught crappie. Sheer LUSCIOUSNESS!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I’m so glad you enjoyed this Jackie! Love that you have homemade dehydrated dill!!

  4. Gwen Avatar
    Gwen

    Do you remove the skin or leave it on when using white fish.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Either works to be honest!! We usually buy skinless filets though.

    2. Katherine D Avatar
      Katherine D

      I’ve never cooked fish and don’t like smell or taste of it. My husband likes fish and wants me to try cooking it for him. Could I soak the fish in milk to stop the fish from smelling, if I use your recipe? I’m not looking forward to touching raw fish, and will make sure it’s head is off and is fileted already. Ugh…20 years of marriage without this, now he’s begging for fish. I truly don’t want my house stinking and don’t want to be nauseous from it. Help!

      1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
        Liz DellaCroce

        Hi Katherine! The trick to fish that doesn’t smell is to buy fresh fish. Fresh fish shouldn’t have a “fishy” smell and should be fresh like the ocean. Rinse it with water to remove any excess odor. Maybe try scallops or shrimp too?

  5. Amanda Avatar
    Amanda

    Just wondering if I could use this recipe with pickerel?

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      YES absolutely!

  6. Alyssa Avatar
    Alyssa

    Can you use frozen white fish? If so, cook from frozen or thaw?

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      You can cook from frozen without thawing but it will end up a bit watery so if possible thaw and pat dry with paper towel. :)

  7. Bob Avatar
    Bob

    Made a gluten-free version of this recipe. Superb.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oooo so glad you loved it!

    2. Celeste Hickman Avatar
      Celeste Hickman

      Please do share how you made this gluten-free…Thanks!

      1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
        Liz DellaCroce

        The recipe is listed to show you how! :) There’s no gluten anywhere. Enjoy!

  8. Bosack Mary Avatar
    Bosack Mary

    Wow! This lemon herb butter is amazing. So delicious on simple flounder with ????. I thought I’d want Parmesan Cheese but no need for it. I have made herb lemon butter for other things. Thank you Liz

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!

  9. Kait Avatar
    Kait

    So quick question, how important is it to use unsalted butter? I don’t usually keep any on hand (not much of a baker)-and will add to my grocery list as this recipe sounds amazing (if it’s a must). Thanks!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh it’s not that important!!!! Any butter is fine!

      1. Cheryll Craig Avatar
        Cheryll Craig

        2 tablespoons each of all 3 herbs or in total?

        1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
          Liz DellaCroce

          two tablespoons total!!

  10. O'Connor Ronelin Avatar
    O’Connor Ronelin

    Takes more than just 20 mins to cook on 350.
    It took about 45 mins before my daughters ate theirs.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      It might vary depending on the thickness of the fish. Ours are always done in 20!