Baked Lemon Butter Cod

4.59 from 12 votes

Coated in a super garlicky lemon butter sauce with just a bit of spice, this 20-minute Baked Lemon Butter Cod is the quick and easy weeknight recipe you’ve been waiting for! With literally almost no prep involved, this fish dish is light, healthy, and absolutely delicious!

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 258kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

4 cod fillets or other white fish, 6 ounces each
¼ cup butter unsalted, melted
2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
zest from one lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
1 lemon cut in slices

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
In a medium size bowl, combine the melted butter, garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon zest, lemon juice and red pepper flakes. Add the cod fillets to the bowl and toss them around in the lemon butter sauce.
Place the cod fillets in a 9x13-inch baking dish and pour remaining lemon butter sauce over the cod. Place lemon slices around and on the fish.
Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes.
Garnish the cod with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

Notes

Pat the fish dry. Use paper towels to pat the filets dry before tossing them in the butter sauce. Removing the excess moisture will create a more flaky texture.
Let the butter cool. Once the butter is melted, let it cool for a moment before adding the fish. Really hot butter can burn you and cook the outer layer of the filets.
Defrost with cool water. If you opt to use frozen fish, never use warm water to defrost the filets. Either thaw them out overnight in the fridge or place them under cool running water.
All fish is best eaten immediately after it’s made. However, baked lemon butter cod leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in an airtight container. To reheat, just put it in the microwave on low for just a few minutes or in the oven at 350°F (177°C).

Nutrition