This Lemon Butter Sauce for fish is outrageous – 3 minutes, 2 ingredients, totally restaurant worthy.
The secret is browned butter – called Beurre noisette in French. Learn how to pronounce it so you can loftily tell your family and friends “we’re having French tonight!” (But don’t tell them how simple it is?)
Restaurant-style Lemon Butter Sauce for Fish!
Great quality fish is not cheap. But worthy of investment because:
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it’s good for you;
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a beautiful piece of fish requires very little done to it to make a meal that you’d pay serious $ for at a fancy seafood restaurant; and
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they’re quick to cook.
And so I present to you, your new favourite posh-yet-easy-and-super-quick way with fish: Pan fried until golden then drizzled with a 3 minute Lemon Butter Sauce that you’re going to go nuts over.
The Lemon Butter Sauce
The Lemon Butter Sauce is just made with butter and lemon. But it’s not “just” butter and lemon.
It’s brown butter and lemon.
If you’re new to brown butter, this is going to change your world – it’s addictive. Brown butter is everything you love about melted butter, boosted with an incredible nutty, toasty aroma.
The French call it Beurre noisette. The literal translation is “hazelnut butter”, and even though hazelnuts don’t come into the equation at all, we get it. 🙂
How to make Lemon Butter Sauce
3 minutes, 3 steps, 2 ingredients:
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Melt butter;
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Leave until the butter turns brown and the smell suddenly changes and becomes nutty – about 3 minutes;
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Stir through lemon juice.
The recipe video is helpful if you’re a first timer to browned butter – especially the pre and post comparison.
Quick Tips
While brown butter is simple to make, if it’s on too high a heat, it can go from nutty perfection to burnt in seconds. So here are a few quick tips:
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Use a silver based small skillet or pot so you can see when the butter changes colour;
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Make the Lemon Butter Sauce before the fish so you can concentrate on getting it right. It stays warm for up to 30 minutes – but if you are delayed and it solidifies, it only takes 10 seconds in the microwave to melt it back to its original state; and
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Don’t try to make the Lemon Butter Sauce in the same skillet as the fish – the pan will be too large.
Use sparingly – it’s rich!
And you don’t need much – this stuff is rich! The recipe makes slightly more than you need because running out of sauce in the middle of dinner is dismal, but in all honesty, my standard serving is 1 tablespoon of Sauce per fillet of fish.
It looks a lot browner in the bowl than it does when you drizzle it over the fish. Which is actually perfect – it’s a bright yellow Lemon colour once drizzled. 🙂 If it was just plain melted butter, you wouldn’t have that same intense deep yellow colour that you see on the plate – nor would it pool on the plate like in the photo below.
The fish fillet is pictured in this post with the Kale and Quinoa Salad I published on Monday. 🙂 Keeps for days in the fridge, my friends! Don’t think of it as a trendy “health food” salad. It’s just a darn tasty filling salad that just happens to star 2 superfoods. Tested and proven!
Here are a few more ideas for things to serve this fish with:
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Mashed potato or mashed cauliflower (for a low carb option)
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For a true indulgent restaurant experience, try Paris Mash – the richest, creamiest mashed potato in the world
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Curried Basmati Rice – this aromatic pilaf would be terrific paired with the fresh fish flavour
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A garden salad or leafy greens with French Vinaigrette or Italian Dressing
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Broccoli Salad or Magic Broccoli (the best roasted broccoli ever!)
And more fish recipes!
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Honey Garlic Salmon and Lemon Honey Glazed Salmon – super quick!
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See all Fish recipes
Hope you enjoy! – Nagi x
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Lemon Butter Sauce for Fish
Ingredients
Lemon Butter Sauce:
- 60 g / 4 tbsp unsalted butter , cut into pieces
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Salt and finely ground pepper
Crispy Pan Fried Fish:
- 2 x thin white fish fillets (120-150g / 4-5oz each), skinless boneless (I used Bream, Note 1)
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp white flour
- 2 tbsp oil (I use canola)
Serving:
- Lemon wedges
- Finely chopped parsley, optional
Instructions
Lemon Butter Sauce (see video):
- Place the butter in a light coloured saucepan or small skillet over medium heat.
- Melt butter then leave on the stove, whisking / stirring very now and then. When the butter turns golden brown and it smells nutty - about 3 minutes, remove from stove immediately and pour into small bowl. (Note 2)
- Add lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir then taste when it has cooled slightly. Adjust lemon/salt to taste.
- Set aside - it will stay pourable for 20 - 30 minutes. See Note 3 for storing.
Crispy Pan Fried Fish:
- Pat fish dry using paper towels. Sprinkle with salt & pepper, then flour. Use fingers to spread flour. Turn and repeat. Shake excess flour off well, slapping between hands if necessary.
- Heat oil in a non stick skillet over high heat. When the oil is shimmering and there are faint wisps of smoke, add fish. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes until golden and crispy on the edges, then turn and cook the other side for 1 1/2 minutes (cook longer if you have thicker fillets).
- Remove immediately onto serving plates. Drizzle each with about 1 tbsp of Sauce (avoid dark specks settled at the bottom of the bowl), garnish with parsley and serve with lemon on the side. Pictured in post with Kale and Quinoa Salad.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
3 hours ago: as usual, refusing to get out of the car knowing what lies ahead – a hose down.
Jho atem says
Very delicious recipes
AvaCarolina says
Once again – the perfect instructions made simple. Love that you explain why and how. this is the only way to cook fish
Nagi says
Thank you so much!!! ❤️ N x
maha says
your recipe is amazing , I love it , but can I use arrowroot instead of flour for keto diet?
Desire Ferguson says
After I made this recipe, my husband asked for your phone number to call and say thank you! ha!
pie lady says
LADY !!! let me tell you …FIRST of all i love the red power heels in your corporate past …sooo cute …ANND about your dreams im soo glad you went for it!! NEXXT this meal was sooooo butter lemon slurping good !! oh my …im in our restaurant now …i was wondering could you recipe me a curry salmon soup …i want you to hook me up with an easy soup for my customer peeps out here in Ocoee Fl. they are STARVIN!!
Ewa says
Fantastic! Just had it with cod and loved this. I love things super lemony so added a touch more lemon juice, but the original recipe was amazing as well.
Ewa says
Fantastic! I love things super lemony so added a touch more lemon juice, but the original recipe was amazing as well.
Karen Johnson says
Can you use catfish?
Dan says
I had this a couple days ago and it was good but I’m still alive. Pretty disappointing.
Sabeen says
Absolutely amazing recipe, easy and well explained and the fish and sauce was a super hit! Thank you
Nestor says
Wonderfully simple. Amazingly delicious.
Dianna says
Hi Nagi, I am wondering if you could make the brown butter sauce and use it in a packet of fish and veggies covered and cooked in foil or would it burn the brown butter? I have some recipes for cooking fish in a packet in the oven and thought this might be a great addition. I guess if there is a chance that it could burn since it is browned butter, then I could just add to the packet when it comes out of the oven. It wouldn’t be the same as cooking in it but I think it would be delicious any way you can use it…lol! Thanks for your super recipes!!
Monica says
Thank you for your attention to detail. I do have a lot of experience in the kitchen, but I like that you did step-by-step instructions, like patting the fish dry before dredging in flour (and then shaking off excess flour). And heating the pan before adding the oil to it. I especially liked where you said that the fish would not stick if you wait for it to unstick itself–totally right! Husband and I loved this recipe and will make again. We made it with fresh-caught speckled trout from the Gulf of Mexico! Thanks! We plan to try more of your recipes!
Anne says
Great recipe and super easy. I made whiting in the oven, seasoned lightly with cajun seasoning. Added a little coriander and black pepper in the sauce which was good, but was also good without.
becky says
This sauce is killer with pulpo too….I was trying to think of something that would juice up my husbands love of rice with every meal….worked like a dream and didnt kill the flavor of the pulpo either….another great hit from Dozer’s mom!!!
Yvette Francisco says
Big hit! Even my Mom was impressed and that’s hard to do :). Thank you !
Nagi says
WOOT! Sounds like you nailed it Yvette! N x
richard says
Butter lemon sauce: Make sure the lemon gets STIRRED IN AT THE END. I put at the beginning; now I have a burned lemon butter sauce disaster.
Nagi says
Hi Richard, sorry you had issues here but yes, that’s right, the sauce is set aside while you cook the fish – as per the directions in the recipe 🙂 N x
Michelle says
First time ever leaving a comment on a recipe . This is my favorite new way to make fish, my mom loved it. Used it with flounder and melted the butter by color. Yum making some more today.
Nagi says
I’m so glad you loved it Michelle, thanks so much for taking the time to let me know! N x
Rachel D. says
This was excellent! My husband says he thinks it’s his favorite way to eat fish from now on. I didn’t time the butter, instead I went by color and smell. Saving this recipe.
Angelica says
What specific fish did you use for this recipe?
Nagi says
Hi Angelica, as noted in the recipe, I used bream – but nay thin white fish fillets would work here. N x