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Season cod fillets are pan seared in butter and lemon to create a delicious easy fish main course that is delicious served over rice.

You might say this Buttered Cod was last Year’s New Year’s resolution!

Yep… Last year I decided I wanted to work more fish into our diet! Something that didn’t come from a can! (Notice I said “diet” and not “life”… when you’re married to an avid “fisherman” you NEVER need more fish in your life! Stocking reports become a daily event! Yawn!) 

I love “seafood” over “lake food”! I’m just not a huge “trout and bass” fan. (Okay! I know…my husband doesn’t get it either!) It’s not that I mind it… I just prefer seafood critters! 

Cod and Halibut are two of my favorites! Thankfully Mr. Nest loves seafood as much as I do! So he loved this Pan Seared Buttered Cod! LOVED IT!

It’s a super quick, easy, and tasty main dish that even the pickiest fish eater will love! This fish is packed with flavor (thanks to all the butter, seasonings, and lemon) and melts in your mouth! 

Seasoning Mix

Like any great recipe with meat as it’s main ingredient…it starts with the seasonings.

This recipe is no exception. It begins with a simple seasoning mix that can be made from ingredients found in your pantry. It is a GREAT basic Seasoning mix for fish, so I made up a big batch to have on hand.  You, however, can just mix up what you need for this recipe.

In a small bowl mix together the following ingredients:

• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika

How to make Buttered Cod in Skillet

Before you begin, and to make life easier…cause I’m all about making life easier when it comes to dinner…prepare the remaining ingredients you’ll need for this dish. It comes together quickly, and you won’t have time to stop during cooking to get what you need. 

In small individual bowls place the butter in 1 Tablespoon sliced increments, lemon wedges, and either chopped parsley or cilantro. Cilantro is a love of mine…but you can certainly use parsley. I loved the depth of flavor the cilantro adds. 

Let’s Get Cooking!

You can use either fresh or frozen, thawed, cod. I purchase mine from that fine upscale fish market… Walmart! In all fairness I’ve purchased frozen cod there a lot this past year and have been pleasantly surprised every time at how good it is. 

Cut the Cod into smaller pieces. Nothing a fisherman’s wife likes more than to hack away at fish! (Cheap Therapy my friends!) 

Season all sides of the cod with that easy seasoning mix you made above! Give it a good sprinkle all over…don’t be shy! Pretend you’re a teenager putting body spray on for the first time! (You know you put too much on! We all did! A blind dog could sniff out a 13-year-old boy coated in “Axe” at a fish market! Lol)

How To Skillet Fry Fish

It’s butter time!

Yep… time to get ready to let those well seasoned portions of cod slip into a big ol’ skillet filled with hot buttah! Let’s get your sizzle on!

Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. 

Once the butter has melted…add the seasoned cod to the skillet, stand back and take in the sizzle! We want the fish to get a quick golden brown sear on it. Cook for 2 minutes. 

TIP: Remember…lighter fish like Cod and Halibut cook quickly! You don’t want to overcook them, or you’ll have fish mush! YUCK! 

Turn heat down to medium. Carefully turn cod over and top with remaining butter and cook another 3–4 minutes. YES! ALL THE REMAINING BUTTER! Slap it on there! This is after all…”Buttered Cod”!

Butter will completely melt and fish will cook through. Remember…you don’t want to overcook the fish, or it will become mushy and completely fall apart. (Trust me… I‘m mushy and I’m completely falling apart! I don’t recommend it!) 

TIP: When fish is completely cooked it will become white rather than translucent and gently flake.

Drizzle cooked cod with fresh lemon juice and top with preferred chopped fresh herbs if desired. 

Isn’t that a spectacular dish?!! It’s such a stunning Cod dish… and it only took a matter of minutes to make it!

I served mine over Rice-a-roni Rice Pilaf…because I was going for a quick easy dish. Why rice? We made rice because we wanted a side dish that was going to soak up all that glorious butter sauce!

The sauce makes ya want to lick your plate clean! I kid you not! It has all the subtle flavors from the cod, lemon, and seasonings. In a word… Heavenly!

Let’s take a closer look…just cause it’s so pretty…and because I live with a “fisherman”!

It almost looks like you’ve dredged this fish through flour…but nope! All those delicious seasonings and of course…the Butt-ah! 

Throw in a garden salad and a few slices of crispy sour dough bread to chase that butter sauce around on your plate, and you’ve got a fantastic meal in minutes! Plus it’s a great recipe for adding more fish into your diet this year!

If you’re looking for other wonderful fish dishes I have several other family favorites like my lip-smacking Classic Fish and Chips, or maybe you’re a shrimp lover…if so you’ll love this Easy Marinated Grilled Shrimp! My friend Julia over at Julia’s Simply Southern has a Great Recipe for Old Fashioned Tartar Sauce.

If you try this recipe please let me know. I always love hearing from my followers!

Remember to sign-up for my bi-weekly Newsletter…I promise to work harder on getting it out on time this year! Sigh! I really need an assistant…and soon! (I’ve actually needed one for 32 years…right after the first baby appeared on the scene! Lol) 

Happy Nesting…and Fishing! 

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