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.
I’m 62 and have been eating pan fried fish with brown butter my entire life. I never add lemon to the butter but simply squeeze fresh lemon over the fish in my plate and then melt the butter in the frying pan I cooked the fish in. When the butter is ready, pour it over the lemon dressed fish and it will SIZZLE, adding a nice auditory touch that gets your taste buds going in anticipation. No need to dirty a separate pan and cooking the butter in the same pan as the fish will allow it to pick up the flavours of the fish and the little brown bits of flavour that are left in the pan.
Best fish recipe! My family loved this and all came back for more!! Thank you.
That’s great to hear Janet!!
The best lemon butter sauce recipe I’ve ever tried.
That’s awesome, thanks so much Jane!
WOW!! This did not disappoint! Absolutely loved it.. Tasted like a 5 star restaurant. Thanks! will be making this again and again…..
That’s great to hear Jeanne!
I just made this and it was so delicious! Absolutely the best sauce for fish. No drop of sauce left here. Thanks for the great instructions – fish turned out perfectly cooked too!
Wahoo! Sounds like you nailed it Angela!
What’s the difference between beurre noixette and ghee? Also, how could I add garlic–or cook the garlic in/with the sauce. It’s …. amazing.
Hi Giovanna, Beurre noisette is browning the milk solids in butter to get a nutty rich taste. Ghee is simply clarified butter where the milk solids are removed – N x
I also like to add capers and dill to this makes an amazing sauce
This is the absolute best lemon butter sauce ever. Been craving fish for couple of weeks, but my husband not a fish eater. Made for lunch and it was so delicious had two glasses of white wine.
I’m so glad you loved it Carol!!!
Glad l found these recipes , few ingredients , fast and easy with spectacular results .
I’m so glad you loved them Barry – N x
I made it! It was amazing!!
🤗🤗🤗🤗
Wahoo, thanks for the feedback Firdus!
So simple but scrumptious – thanks Nagi!
You’re so welcome Janany!
Fabulous!!
Thanks so much Debra!
This was fabulous. I put it over mahi-mahi and it was perfect. Can’t wait to try another of your recipes.
Yum, I love mahi-mahi! ❤️
Delicious sauce to jazz up pan fried fish.
Thanks so much Magda!
Nagi, when I die I want to be buried in this sauce. It was DIVINE!!! This was so unbelievably simple and SO GOOD!!
Made this dish for myself, and “WOW”. I didn’t even know you could brown butter. This sauce is the Best and so easy. I can’t wait to make this for my family.
Woah what a compliment! I’m so glad you love it ☺️
Just made this for dinner using fresh grouper and grass fed butter. Super easy to make and delicious! Definitely better than eating at a restaurant
hello, can i used cat fish fillet for this recipe?
Sure could Aileen!
Can i cook barramundi with this recipe, Nagi? Thank you so much
Oh my gosh YES! Barra is perfect for this sauce 🙂
please help….how could i substitute mustard for this so simple sauce which was delicious?
This brown butter for white fish was an awesome recipe. Followed the directions as is. Did not make changes. My family loved the meal. Thanks for sharing.
That’s great Ann!