Looking for a delicious and budget-friendly seafood dish? Try our baked cod with lemon butter. If you’re a fan of seafood, then you know that it can be an expensive acquired taste. But this recipe won’t break the bank.
This meal is really easy to put together—less than 5 steps—and it cooks quickly. That’s why it’s one of our favorite weeknight go-tos. Pair the cod with some simple brown rice and you’ve got dinner in 30 minutes.
Baking the fish for 18-20 minutes at 400 degrees produces a yummy, crispy panko-breaded topping. Combine that with the flaky inside and you’ve got the perfect bite!
Oh, and don’t toss the leftover pan butter! You can use it to make a flavorful lemon sauce.
Pacific Cod with Lemon Butter Recipe
what you'll need
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter melted, divided
- 4 6 oz cod fillets about 1½" thick
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp fresh parsley chopped
- lemon juice
let's do it
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour 4 Tbsp of the melted butter into a 2-qt casserole dish and set aside.
- Season both sides of fish with salt and pepper and place into casserole dish on top of melted butter. In a small bowl, stir together breadcrumbs, lemon zest and parsley then drizzle in remaining 2 Tbsp of melted butter. Toss with a fork until breadcrumbs are evenly coated in butter then divide crumb mixture evenly over the top of the cod filets.
- Bake 18-20 minutes or until cod is cooked through and flakes easily when pierced with a fork.
- Remove from oven and transfer fish to serving platter. Add a few drops of lemon juice to the butter remaining in the baking dish and season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle butter sauce over fish filets and serve immediately.