Skillet White Fish with Lemon and Garlic Butter
When we come across some really good white fish like cod or halibut, we know it’s time to make our skillet white fish. Within 20 minutes, we can have a restaurant quality meal ready on the table. And best of all, we do use some butter but not TONS of butter to make the fish too rich. Some restaurants use way too much butter when trying to cook healthy fish. It’s like a contradiction!
Video: 20 Minute Skillet White Fish with Garlic
Pan-Searing Fish with Less Butter
Some restaurants use way too much butter when cooking fish. We’ve seen it with our own eyes and it just takes away from the point of wanting to eat healthy fish. That’s why we started cooking white fish at home to keep it true to the healthy concept . The pan searing technique is simple and the sauce is a no-brainer. And best of all, it only takes about 15-20 minutes to bake. Inspired from our baked cod recipe, this skillet version is the best white fish recipe to make during the week. When we get home after a long days work, this is a satisfying meal to make in under 30 minutes. The garlic butter is fantastic too when spread on some thick cut bread for a fast garlic butter bread. It’s always a winner!
Different types of white fish?
This recipe works with any white fish. But timing will vary depending on how thick the your white fish fillet is. Also, the amount of fish you cook changes time too. Basically if you double the recipe, expect the fish to take a little longer to cook. So start with our base time and add more time if needed. Here’s some other types of white fish you can pan sear and cook in a skillet:
- Fresh Cod
- halibut
- Quality Tilapia
- Catfish
- sea bass
- haddock
- rockfish
- here’s a great article about white fish varieties
Tips for Pan-Searing Garlic Butter White Fish
- If you have leftover butter, use it on bread for warm baked garlic bread. You can save any leftovers to cook eggs for breakfast. This compound garlic butter is useful for so many things.
- There’s some great frozen fish brands out there to use if you can’t get a hold of fresh fish. Just make sure the fish is fully thawed before baking.
- To make this extra flavorful, add a small handful of chopped fresh dill. The combination of garlic, parsley and dill is wonderful.
- Meyer lemons are wonderful to use on this recipe. It’s fragrant and a little more sweet, which is why we love using meyer lemons on fish.
- All skillet white fish recipe details are in the recipe box below.
Skillet White Fish with Garlic Butter
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (340 g) white fish (two 6-ounces/170g filets), skinless
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) kosher salt , or to personal taste
- fresh cracked black pepper , to taste
- 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) butter
- 3 large cloves garlic , minced (about 2 Tablespoons/30 ml)
- 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) minced parsley
- Lemon slices , optional for serving
Instructions
- Rinse the fish and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the 2 Tablespoons (30ml) of olive oil and when heated, add the filets to the skillet, skinned side down. Press down on each filet with a spatula so that the bottom side makes good contact with the skillet (this will help get a better crust and less sticking). Reduce the heat to medium and cook without moving the fish for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.
- Flip the fish to sear the other side.
- Add 2 Tablespoons (30ml) of butter to the skillet. If cooking thicker filets, cover the pan with a lid to help the fish cook through.
- Baste the fish occasional with the butter in the skillet, and cook for another 3-4 minutes (continue to cook covered if filets are thick), or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Internal temperature of the fish should be 145°F/63°C.
- Remove just the fish from the skillet and set it aside while you make the garlic butter in the same skillet you just cooked the fish.
- Add the minced garlic and parsley to the skillet and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the garlic is cooked to your preference.
- Return the cooked fish to the skillet. Spoon the garlic butter sauce over the fish and serve with optional lemon slices.
Video
Nutrition Information per Serving
Is it Better to use Fresh or Frozen Fish
Fresh is always better but there’s quality frozen white fish too. If you choose to use frozen fish, make sure it’s thawed all the way through before cooking. Blot the thawed fish with paper towels to remove any excess moisture before cooking it.
Can you use salmon for this recipe?
Yes, salmon works great too! The garlic butter is fantastic on salmon. Add the garlic butter salmon on a salad, noodles, rice or pasta. There’s so many wonderful ways to serve fish.
Meal prep for this white fish recipe
When you come home from a long day of work but still want a fresh seafood dinner, you can plan ahead. You can easily meal prep by making the compound butter ahead of time. Also prep and cut your vegetables ahead of time that you want served with the fish. Or you can even pre-cook the veggies and just heat them before serving.
Storing and freezing leftovers
If you have leftovers, store it in airtight containers for up to 2 days. Try to eat it right away as the flavors and freshness are best within 1-2 after cooking. You can freeze it too for up to 2-3 months. But again, don’t wait too long because frozen foods can easily get freezer burn and compromise on the flavors and freshness.
Best and Easy Fish Recipes
- Broiled halibut with white wine lemon caper mint sauce
- Skillet chicken in creamy mushroom wine sauce
- garlic parmesan salmon
- healthy air fryer salmon
