American
Lemon Garlic Butter Fish
White fish fillets cook in a few minutes, then lemon, garlic, and butter become the sauce in the same pan. It is a light dinner that still tastes like you cooked.
- Prep
- 6 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 16 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Fish is done when it flakes.
- The sauce takes two minutes.
- It is high protein and lower carb.
- A hot pan and dry fillets are the whole trick.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Pat the fish dry. Season with salt and pepper.
- 2
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high. Cook the fillets until golden and they flake easily, about 3 minutes per side, and the thickest part is 145°F. Move them to a plate.
- 3
Lower the heat. Add the butter and garlic. Stir 30 seconds.
- 4
Add the lemon juice and zest. Swirl.
- 5
Spoon the sauce over the fish.
- 6
Finish with parsley. The fish should look moist, not chalky.
Pro tips
- If the fillets are thin, two minutes per side may be enough.
- Wet fish sticks. Dry it.
- Pull it when it just flakes. It keeps cooking on the plate.
Easy substitutions
- White fish
- Salmon, cooked to about 125°F if you like it medium.
- Butter
- Olive oil, for a dairy-free pan sauce.
- Parsley
- Dill.
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate up to 2 days.
Reheating
Warm covered at 275°F until just hot. A hard sear the second time dries it out.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 260
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 2 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
Moderate · Stovetop · Gluten-Free, Lower-Carb, High Protein
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From the kitchen
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A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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