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:
it’s good for you;
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
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:
Melt butter;
Leave until the butter turns brown and the smell suddenly changes and becomes nutty – about 3 minutes;
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:
Use a silver based small skillet or pot so you can see when the butter changes colour;
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
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:
Mashed potato or mashed cauliflower (for a low carb option)
For a true indulgent restaurant experience, try Paris Mash – the richest, creamiest mashed potato in the world
Curried Basmati Rice – this aromatic pilaf would be terrific paired with the fresh fish flavour
A garden salad or leafy greens with French Vinaigrette or Italian Dressing
Broccoli Salad or Magic Broccoli (the best roasted broccoli ever!)
And more fish recipes!
Honey Garlic Salmon and Lemon Honey Glazed Salmon – super quick!
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.
This was amazing and easy- will totally make this again. The fish and the brown butter sauce!! Thank you!
How could a recipe so easy with so few ingredients be so good. Thx.
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I made this first time and my family loved it! Video was so helpful and all the ingredients info also so easy to see.
Thank you so much!
Absolutely amazing. Simple yet flavorful. And yes, that odd nuttiness comes through though not overpowering.
Excellent.
Used tilapia and followed your directions. Didn’t know browned butter would make such a difference!
This was really simple to make and so tasty. We squeezed the lemon on top of the fish when done and spooned the butter on top .
Love fish but seldom make it at home. I will definitely make this recipe again! So simple and delicious! Thanks for sharing.
This recipe is amazing. I’m terrible at cooking fish, I always burn it however I followed the instructions and it was a grand success. I felt like we ate at a restaurant tonight. Thanks Nagi!
Woo hoo that’s great Cindy!! N x
When and where can I buy your recipe book Nagi
It will be available in October, Kay! N x
I made this tonight for dinner.
It was easy and delicious. My family loved it
That’s great Kathy! I am happy that they liked it! N x
So easy to make and yet elevates fish to the next level. I used it over broiled haddock with butter (yes, more butter!) panko topping.
Everything’s better with BUTTER!! N x
LOVE this recipe. I’ve made it twice in the past two weeks! It brings fish to a whole other level, and it’s so simple to make!
I’m not a big seafood eater but hubby has a sore throat due to Covid, so soft foods are required.
Covid or not, this is going in to our dinner rotation. It was delicious. I served it with the magic broccoli and the whole meal was restaurant quality. Thankyou Nagi.
My husband and I are looking to incorporate more seafood into our diets, and I was interested in departing from the usual coated-and-fried-then-slathered-with-tartar-sauce option. I can’t believe how quick and easy this sauce was – and how complex and flavorful it takes for coming together in literal minutes. I think grating some fresh garlic in would be absolutely delicious. As-is, the nutty and bright flavors made the fish shine! This is definitely being added into my arsenal for future meals.
I needed a quick sauce for a chilean sea bass I just seared and found this. Perfect and quick. The brown butter gave it a great pop. Thanks.
Wow – always looking for some way to brighten up plain, frozen haddock filets I like to have weekly. I confess to deep frying – without a deep fryer – just to get some texture & flavour but messy to clean up -batter, oil, etc and of course not very nutritious. This recipe is the best!!! So simple. First try added some chive from the garden but could add many other herbs in the future to change it up – tarragon, parsley, dill, thyme, whatever..
It has the aroma and flavour of high end restaurant offerings. Thank you!
Your recipes look so good I have to try them
I didn’t know what to do with 2 frozen Hoki fillets! Nagi to the rescue. Followed this recipe to the letter after defrosting the fish. Yum! The nutty lemon brown butter is soooo good!
Hi. Thank you for sharing this recipe. It came out so well. I also made the Greek Lemon rice along with the fish and served it with a basic salad. It was so so good