Baked Fish Lemon Butter (Printable version)

Lightly baked white fish with zesty lemon butter and fresh herbs for a quick flavorful dish.

# Ingredient List:

01 - 4 white fish fillets (about 5 oz each, e.g., cod, haddock, or tilapia)

02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

03 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

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)

10 - Lemon slices

11 - Extra chopped parsley

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking dish with parchment paper or lightly grease it.

02 - Pat fish fillets dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and black pepper.

03 - Place fillets in a single layer in the prepared baking dish.

04 - In a small bowl, mix melted butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, parsley, and paprika if using.

05 - Pour the lemon butter sauce evenly over the fish fillets.

06 - Top each fillet with a lemon slice.

07 - Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

08 - Remove from oven, garnish with extra parsley, and serve immediately.

01 -

The lemon butter does all the heavy lifting, making delicate fish taste like restaurant food in under thirty minutes.
It's forgiving enough for weeknight cooking but impressive enough to serve when people are actually coming over.
You probably have most of these ingredients already, which means dinner happens without an extra trip to the store.

02 -

Wet fish steams instead of baking, so that paper towel step is non-negotiable if you want a good result.
Every oven runs hot or cold, so start checking at 15 minutes—overcooked fish goes from tender to rubbery in about ninety seconds.

03 -

If your fillets are thick, pound them gently to an even thickness so they cook at the same rate.
Make the butter sauce while the oven preheats so it's ready the moment you need it—this keeps everything moving smoothly.