Baked Fish with Lemon Butter (Printable)

Tender baked fish fillets with a bright lemon butter sauce and fresh herbs for dinner.

# What You'll Need:

→ Fish

01 - 4 white fish fillets (approximately 5.3 oz each; cod, haddock, or tilapia)
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/4 teaspoon ground 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 Make It:

01 - Set oven to 400°F and line a baking dish with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
02 - Pat fillets dry and season both sides evenly with salt and black pepper.
03 - Place the seasoned fillets in a single layer within the prepared baking dish.
04 - In a small bowl, blend melted butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, chopped parsley, and optional paprika until combined.
05 - Evenly pour the lemon butter mixture over each fish fillet.
06 - Top each fillet with a lemon slice for added flavor and presentation.
07 - Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
08 - Remove from oven, garnish with additional parsley, and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's ready in under 30 minutes, which means weeknight dinners actually happen.
  • The lemon butter sauce tastes fancy enough to serve guests, but requires almost no skill.
  • One pan means one thing to wash, and that alone might change your life.
02 -
  • Patting the fish dry isn't fussy; it's the difference between fish that has texture and fish that turns out mushy.
  • Watch for doneness at 15 minutes because ovens vary wildly, and overcooked fish loses all its delicate charm.
  • Use a fork to test for doneness, never a knife—a fork won't tear the flesh apart the way a knife can.
03 -
  • Room temperature fish cooks more evenly than straight-from-the-fridge fish, so take it out 10 minutes before baking.
  • Extra lemon zest stirred in right at the end, after cooking, keeps that bright fresh note from getting muted by heat.

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