Baked Fish with Lemon Garlic Butter

This baked fish is coated with an easy lemon-garlic butter and baked to tender perfection. So quick and easy to make but loaded with flavor. Simple but delicious.

Ingredients

For the Lemon-Garlic Butter

3 tablespoons butter melted
3 cloves garlic minced
2 teaspoons lemon juice

For the Fish

1 ¼ pounds fish fillets
1 teaspoon salt
freshly cracked black pepper to taste
parsley optional, chopped, for serving
lemon slices optional, for serving only

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.

Step 2

In a small bowl, whisk together butter, garlic, and lemon juice.

Step 3

Place fish in greased baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 4

Drizzle lemon-garlic butter over fish.

Step 5

Cover dish with foil. Bake 16 to 18 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Step 6

Divide into portions, top with lemon slices and parsley (optional), and serve.

Chef’s Tips

If you have access to fresh wild-caught fish, absolutely use it! If not, frozen fish will be just fine. Frozen fish are usually processed and frozen not long after being caught, so it’s often just as good as fish from the counter.
Fish cooks really quickly, but cook times will vary from one oven to another. The thickness of your fish fillet makes a difference, too! The easiest way to tell your baked fish is ready is to check its flakiness. Insert a fork into the thickest part of the fillet at a 45° angle, then twist the fork and pull up a little. If the fish flakes easily, and the flakes are opaque, then your fish is ready! If the fish resists and is still a little translucent, keep cooking – but keep an eye on it, because it’ll cook fast!
Want more flavor? Add a little rosemary, basil, paprika, Italian seasoning, or Cajun seasoning when you sprinkle the salt and pepper on the fillet.