Baked Fish with Lemon Garlic Butter
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With just 20 minutes and five familiar ingredients, I’ll show you how to make baked fish – AND how to make it perfectly every time. This is my go-to recipe for busy nights when I want something simple and full of delicious flavor. This method is perfect for cooking white fish, so it’s delicate and buttery – you’ll be hooked!
The trick to making really great baked fish is simple: coat it in garlic butter and sandwich it between slices of lemon. The butter keeps the fish tender, while the lemon infuses it with bright, fresh flavor as it bakes.
This recipe works with just about any mild white fish, like cod, lingcod, grouper, snapper, or tilapia. I love using white fish because it’s approachable, affordable, and a great choice if you’re still warming up to seafood. The mild flavor pairs perfectly with the lemony garlic butter, making this an easy, reliable fish dinner I come back to again and again.
Baked fish recipe ingredients
To make this baked fish recipe, gather these ingredients:
- Butter – I think butter gives this dish the best flavor. But you can opt for olive oil if that suits your diet.
- Garlic – I use three big cloves for lots of garlic flavor.
- Lemon – You’ll thinly slice one large lemon.
- White fish – You can use whatever kind of white fish that you have on hand or is available at your grocery store. If you use frozen, make sure to thaw it first.
- Minced parsley – I like to add this for a little color and fresh flavor, but you skip it if you don’t have any on hand.
Variations to try
Lemon is a classic flavor with baked white fish. In this recipe, I add some garlic to the mix. But other flavors work well, too. To switch it up, try sprinkling one teaspoon of any of the spices below on the fish when you season it with salt and pepper. Keep the rest of the recipe the same!
- Italian seasoning
- Dill
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Basil
- Smoked paprika
What to serve with lemon fish
This baked fish recipe is delicious served with some basmati rice (or 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.
Store and reheat
If you have any leftover baked fish, store it in a sealed container in your fridge for 2-3 days. You can reheat it gently in the microwave or serve it cold over a salad for lunch. It’s delicious either way!
Baked Lemon Fish with Garlic Butter
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 lemon
- 1 ½ lb white fish fillets (see notes)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- Minced parsley (to serve)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. 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.4 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.1 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 ½ lb white fish fillets, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon 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
Last step:
- After you make this recipe, take a picture with your phone and share it in the comments section below. I love seeing it when you make my recipes!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Thank you for the help, my dish turned out delicious!
I made this recipe weeks ago and will be preparing it again, this evening .
I do like this recipe a lot.
Thank you.0
Hi. Was wondering if you could substitute olive oil for the butter and if so how much?
Thanks
Yes! You can use 4 tablespoons of olive oil instead. 🙂
Tried this recipe with Northern Pike and it turned out fabulously. Did require a longer baking time as the fillets were quite thick. Will now be using this recipe on a regular basis. Thank you!
It’s great. Thank you 😊
This was fantastic and so quick and easy to make. Thank you for sharing!!
Are you supposed to eat the lemons?
The lemons are there to flavor the fish. I squeeze their juices over top sometimes, but I wouldn’t want to eat them.
How did you get that singe on yours. Did you use those small torch, put it on broil for a minute, cook on the top rack?
A 2-minute broil at the end. It’s not in the recipe as we felt it was too much of a risk that the fish would overcook. 🙂
Good deal with fresh Lake Huron whitefish
Best Ever!
Great Recipe for Fish!
I have made it so many times & the family just Love it!
I too have made this about 5 times, so good and easy to fix. In fact have it ready to go in the oven right now. Thank you for the recipe.
Wow! Most tender, flaky fish dish ever!!! It was a huge hit. I used tilapia and put lemon slices both under and over the fillets. We are allergic to garlic, so I added the parsley to the butter before I basted the fish. Excellent!!
I tried this recipe with halibut and it worked great. So thank you for that! I also tried it with salmon, which I know is not a white fish, but thought it was worth a shot. It wasn’t quite as good because the fillet was thicker and had to be watched more carefully in the oven. Also, it needed more heat. But all in all, this recipe is a keeper, and it’s even opening my mind to eating more fish.
I tried this recipe with halibut. It worked great … thank you. 🙂
Would this work with salmon?
I think it would work well with salmon.
Hi Kristen, I came across your recipe this evening and had nothing laid out to cook. As O went through my freezer I found a pack of tilapia. So When I found your recipe, I wondered if it would be ok to use it on frozen fish. I tried it and my son loved it. Thanks for your recipe. I’ve never baked fish before and it turned out great. I will look for more of your recipes.
This was a quick & easy recipe! I used catfish and the flavor was amazing ! I used the extra seasoning a like suggested !! Thank you very much 🙂