Easy Lemon Butter Fish in 20 Minutes

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 7 minutes
• total time: 19 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 firm white fish fillets (about 6 inches long, 1-inch thickness throughout, cod, halibut, or mahi mahi are great)

• 3 TB melted butter

• Juice and zest from 1 medium lemon

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt (plus extra to taste)

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 3 TB olive oil

• freshly chopped basil or parsley leaves (for garnish and flavor)

Directions

1. Use paper towels to thoroughly pat-dry excess moisture from fish fillets. This step is crucial for fish to brown nicely in pan - otherwise, it will steam instead of brown. Set aside.

2. In a bowl, combine melted butter, lemon juice and zest, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Stir to combine well. Taste and add a bit more kosher salt, if desired.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 tsp kosher salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Evenly press spice mixture onto all sides of fish fillets.

4. In a large, heavy pan over medium high heat, heat up the olive oil until hot. Once your oil is sizzling, Cook 2 fish fillets at a time to avoid overcrowding (allows for even browning). Cook each side just until fish becomes opaque, feels somewhat firm in the center, and is browned, about 2-3 minutes per side; lightly drizzle some of the lemon butter sauce as you cook, reserving the rest for serving. Take care not to over-cook, as that will result in a tougher texture. Season with extra kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

5. Serve fish with with remaining lemon butter sauce, basil or parsley, and lemon wedges.

Nutrition

• Calories: 302 kcal
• Total Fat: 19.8 g
• Saturated Fat: 7 g
• Cholesterol: 88.1 mg
• Sodium: 158.1 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 9.9 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.8 g
• Total Sugars: 3.2 g
• Protein: 25.7 g