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.
Louis Berry says
My butter sauce didn’t turn out too well….first, I only had salted butter (figured I wouldn’t add salt at the end). It immediately foamed up and was hard to watch the mixture. I let it go 3 min and took off. After I put the very dark liquid in a bowl and added lemon juice, it was like a chemical reaction…..foaming and spitting fiercely. After, it was very bitter.
Was it the butter? Something else? I’ll try again with the correct butter.
Erika says
Sounds like your pan was too hot
betty lou gilliard says
wonderful wonderful…. and the instructions were great also.
DW says
Can you broil the fish instead of on the stove?
Nagi says
Hi DW, you sure could, I’d spray it with oil and then broil until cooked through. N x
Randy Roberts says
That was the most incredible fish i have ever eaten !! Along with your Pad Thia which was also out of this world My family and i have sworn to try one of your recipes every week
Kim says
You are my new cooking guru. I have tried several of your recipes now and all have been fabulous. Thank you x
Juliette Exupery says
I am older than dirst, but started cooking at 17 and never stopped. Of the thousands of cooks on Pinterest, I have made more of your recipes than anyone else. I trust you the most. As a creative cook, you are the bomb!
Nagi says
Thank you so much Juliette, that’s so nice to hear!! N x
sharon George says
Made it; loved it! Another great recipe from you. Also used almond flour and halibut and was delicious.
sharon George says
P.S. Served with sauted asparagus and a boiled red potato, skin on, and they really liked the sauce.
Huda says
It’s the 28th night of Ramadan and I asked the people fasting. What do you want for Sahur? Typical answer…don’t know. I saw your video. Felt inspired. The result was great. My husband and daughter loved it. He said what did you do the fish today??!! Lol.
Nagi says
I’m so glad it was a hit Huda! N x
Janie says
Wow! Cooked fish fillets last night for dinner. I did not have a light colored pan for the butter/lemon sauce but I had a white spoon for stirring so I could see the color. This was amazing Nagi, and that’s coming from someone who’s use to tartar sauce growing up, well no more! Thank you so much!
Elby says
I’ve made this 4 times and it is amazing. I never understood what people meant when they said ‘nutty smell of butter’ but I now know. Thank you so much. This has revolutionised Friday fish and chips for us.
Love your work.
Nagi says
It’s one of my favourite smells Elby… YUM! N x
Jude says
Hi Nagi – do you think this would work well with scallops? I bought a bunch but can’t decide how to prepare them and this sauce sounds delicious!
Teresa Eaton says
Made this for the first time tonight. Really is delicious and easy to make
viktoriya kingsman says
the sauce is the bomb, perfect with fish and a combination of mushy cauliflower from your website.
Thank you Nagi:)
Blaithin McLoughlin says
I never leave comments on websites, but have to – this sauce is just so tasty, it’s like what you’d get in a French bistrot but without the hassle. 3 minutes, unheard of! Thank you so much I’ve shared with all my friends. You are a legend. We had with plaice steamed potatoes and tenderstem broccoli
Alva says
What’s the recipe to the potatoes
Christine says
Would it be ok to use salted butter? I don’t have any unsalted in at the moment.
Nagi says
Hi Christine, yes just reduce the salt in the recipe 🙂 Enjoy!!
Amy says
Has anyone made this with Almond Flour or no flour at all…? Thinking for a low carb option…..
Roberta Day says
yes ..we tried the almond flour and found it very good …will do it again …
Nagi says
Hi Amy, the flour creates a crispy kind of crust around the fish – you could totally skip this if you prefer. N x
Kathryn says
This is soooo nice. The sauce is superb. When I was heating the butter I kept thinking how does nutty smells like(I am a noob when comes to cooking and get anxious and frantic when I don’t know how or when the food should turn out) but as per your notes, indeed I can smell the nutty fragrance. It goes Super well with the fish. Pan fried exactly as per your timing and turns out perfect. Thank you Nagi
Shirley Signorino says
Amazing!
Nagi says
Thanks so much Shirley! N x
DeDe says
I am trying to eat more fish but I have trouble trying to determine when it is done. Any tips/suggestions?
Nagi says
Hi Dede, depends on the recipe/type of fish. You want to cook it until it’s just done at the thickest part, if not slightly under as it will continue to cook off the heat. N x
Carla says
This was sooo delicious. My family loved it and wanted more! I think this sauce will become our ‘go to’ fish sauce. Thanks Nagi
P.S. I need MORE Dozer!!!
Nagi says
Woot! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Natasha says
Oh my goodness!!!!!! I have no words at how delicious this was. I used king fish fillet and served it with a garden salad and chips. My fussy 4 yo also LOVED it.