Baked Fish with Lemon Garlic Butter
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This baked fish is our absolute favorite baked white fish recipe. It's cooked in a delicious lemon garlic butter sauce until tender and flaky. It's a 20 minute dinner recipe you don't want to miss!
If you're looking for a delicious alternative to this baked fish recipe, try our lemon pepper fish and our favorite lingcod recipe next!
This is a recipe for making baked white fish. There are several kinds you can choose from: cod, lingcod, grouper, snapper, tilapia. White fish are mild-flavored so it's a good choice if you're unsure about eating fish.
Bonus that they tend to be very inexpensive! We love this recipe as it is full of bright lemon flavor that goes so well with the mild-tasting fish.
How to bake fish
This is a very easy recipe. Here's what you're going to do:
- Lay some lemon slices in a baking dish.
- Season the fish with salt and pepper and put it on top of the lemons.
- Melt some butter and add garlic and lemon zest to it before spooning or brushing it onto the fish.
- Now pop the fish into the oven for 10 minutes and dinner will be ready!
How long to bake fish?
One of the great things about making baked fish is that it cooks quickly so you can get a healthy dinner on the table fast.
The exact cooking time varies a little, depending on the thickness of the fish fillets. In a 425-degree Fahrenheit oven, the fish will be cooked in 10-12 minutes.
Because white fish is pretty thin, it can be a little tricky to use an instant-read meat thermometer. If you want to try, fish is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees.
How can I tell when the fish is finished cooking?
When cooked, the fish will become completely opaque ā rather than the slightly translucent color it has when raw. And it will flake easily with a fork.
Seasonings for oven baked fish
Lemon is a classic flavor with baked white fish. In this recipe, we add some garlic to the mix. But other flavors work well, too. To switch it up, try sprinkling on 1 teaspoon of any of the spices below when you season the fish with salt and pepper. Keep the rest of the recipe the same!
- Italian seasoning
- Dill
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Basil
- Smoked paprika
What is the best kind of fish to bake
This recipe works best with mild-flavored white fish. Some of our favorite kinds of white fish are:
- Cod
- Lingcod (pictured)
- Tilapia
- Haddock
- Grouper
- Rockfish
- Sole
Does the fish need to be flipped part way through baking?
Nope! White fish is very delicate and would fall apart if you tried to flip it. Simply leave it to bake on one side.
What to serve with baked fish
This baked fish recipe is delicious served with some basmati riceĀ (or low-carb cauliflower rice!) and some roasted broccoli on the side.
You could also opt for a potato side such as mashed potatoes with cream cheese or crispy roasted potatoes. And a salad such as our spring mix salad or our favorite kale salad rounds out the meal.
Popular baked fish recipes
Lemon Garlic Butter Baked Fish Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 lemon
- 1 Ā½ lb white fish fillets (see notes)
- Ā½ teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper
- Minced parsley (to serve)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.Ā
- Melt the butter in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and let it cook for 1 minute. Zest the lemon (preferably with a Microplane) and add it to the butter.Ā4 tablespoons butter, 3 cloves garlic
- Thinly slice the zested lemon and place the slices in the bottom of a baking dish. If there are extras, save them for the top of the fish.Ā1 lemon
- Dry the fish with paper towels, season both sides with salt and pepper, then lay the fish on top of the lemon slices. Spoon or brush the garlic butter over the fish.1 Ā½ lb white fish fillets, Ā½ teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper
- Bake the fish for 10-12 minutes, or until it flakes easily with a fork. Serve with a little parsley sprinkled over the top for color.Minced parsley
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our fish recipes!
Wow! Thank you for the recipe.
yummy & simple
Could I make this with hake?
Yes, that would work well!
My family loved this recipe and gave it 5 stars. We will definitely use this recipe again. It is really delicious and a crowd pleaser. It was super easy to make which is great. Thank you for sharing it.
This was a really easy recipe. Even my fish hating son liked it. I love fish. Fish was a staple in my home growing up.
So quick and easy to make. Came out delicious! My kids loved it! I’ll be making this again.
This looks quick and easy. Most importantly, I think my son will actually eat it. He is not a fish lover. Fish was a staple when I grew up. We lived very close the Baltic Sea and a fish monger would come around once a week with fresh caught fish. The grocery stores of course had fish as well.
Cant’ believe how easy it was!
This was a great recipe. Thanks for sharing it!
Delicious with just lemon and salt and pepper and garlic. I served with steamed rice and fresh microwaved buttered carrots. It was a fast and delicious recipe for cod fish.
Wonderful recipe, I used Pollock filets, Italian dressing and added capers.
Thank you !
Super easy way to prepare haddock! Came out delicious. Served over farro with roasted asparagus, and drizzled some of the leftover butter sauce over the top. Yum!
I made this Baked Fish recipe using Cod and followed the recipe except I add a sprinkle of Italian Spice mix and toasted sliced almonds. My family loved it!Ā
Thank you so much for this recipe and the many others I have tried and enjoyed.
Deboria Henson
Amazing and BEAUTIFUL
Only way to enjoy baked fish
LOVE the recipe
So good and so easy! My wife commented twice on how good they were. Will make again! Thank you!!
I’m trying it for supper. Thank you ā£ļø
Look very yummy