Perfect Pan Fried Cod Recipe with Garlic Butter
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If you’re in the mood for a meat-free dinner dish, this pan-fried-cod-recipe is perfect! It’s super easy to make and helps you create mouthwatering, tender, flaky white fish with crispy edges that’s full of flavor from a delightful lemon butter sauce. This restaurant-quality recipe takes less than 15 minutes to make, so it’s an easy weeknight meal. Enjoy this family favorite with crusty bread and a salad!
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
Budget-friendly – This pan-fried-cod-recipe uses simple ingredients, so it’s easy on the wallet.
Quick and easy – In only 15 minutes and with a few steps, you’ll have a delicious cod recipe ready to eat.
Restaurant-quality taste—The simple but flavorful ingredients in this pan-fried cod recipe make it feel like you’ve gotten takeout from a high-quality eatery.
Healthy – This dish is pan-fried and doesn’t include a thick batter/coating, so it’s healthier than options like fish fry.
Love fish? Try these recipes : Salmon Tray bake with Asparagus (in 30 minutes) Prawn and Chorizo Pasta and The Best Garlic Prawns
Cooking with Cod
Cod is a fantastic fish to cook with, even for picky eaters. It has a delicious, mild flavour and no fishy taste. Additionally, it has a somewhat firm texture, so even kids like cod fillet recipes.
Since this fish has a subtle taste, it easily takes on added flavors, so you can alter it to your preferences. It’s also quite easy to find at the store and tastes great cooked fresh or frozen. As a bonus, it’s hard to overcook this fish when making it in dishes like this pan-fried-cod-recipe. Cod is also quite budget-friendly, with four loins coming out to around $6.50 (£5.00).
Choosing the Perfect Cod Fillet to Pan Fry
There are a few factors to consider when selecting fillets for this pan-fried-cod-recipe. For one, the fish should smell fresh, i.e., not fishy. It should also be translucent and not have any grey spots. Fresh cod will also have a firm texture. I recommend picking cod loins instead of fillets, which’re meatier and thicker.
Choosing loins over a whole fish saves you time in the kitchen, as you won’t have to skin the fish or remove the bones before baking. Opt for boneless, skinless cod loins, as you’ll be adding a seasoning and flour coating to the fish.
How to keep fish from sticking to the pan
There are a few ways to ensure this pan-fried-cod-recipe doesn’t stick to the pan while cooking. For one, be sure to really dry off and season the fish before you fry it on the stovetop. This will help create a bit of a barrier between the pan and the fish, so it will be less likely to stick.
The best way to cook cod is by avoiding moving it around too much. If you move the fish on the stove too early, it will likely stick. Another tip for how to cook cod in a pan is to ensure the pan is really hot. If you properly heat the pan, it creates a delicious caramelization on the outside of the cod, so it slides out of the pan more easily. You can use either oil or butter to sauté/cook cod and prevent it from sticking. However, I prefer using butter for pan fried cod recipes as it adds extra flavour and richness to the dish.
How to know when cod fish is done cooking
While it’s challenging to overcook cod, it can still occur, creating a rubbery, hard-to-eat piece of fish. The below tips will help you properly prepare this pan-fried-cod-recipe.
How long to cook cod in a pan?
Cod is a fish that cooks pretty quickly. You will only need to pan-fry it for about two minutes on each side before it’s ready to eat. You’ll know the cod is done when it changes to a solid white colour and flakes easily when you test it with a fork. It will also be slightly firm when you touch it.
What does it mean if cod is mushy or rubbery?
If your sauteed cod is mushy or rubbery, you likely overcooked it. Be sure to only cook it until it is about 145°F (63°C) internally. Use a meat thermometer to check the thickest part of the fish if you’re unsure whether it’s done.
Serve the pan fried cod with these easy, side dishes : Easy Cheesy Mashed Potatoes Recipe, some Frozen Jacket Potato in Air Fryer or Airfryer Frozen Fries
Ingredients
Cod – Cod is a more affordable fish that doesn’t taste too fishy, which is why I love using it for dishes like this pan-fried-cod-recipe. However, you can swap it out with other white fish if that’s what you have on hand. Tilapia and grouper will also work well with this dish.
Shallots – I find shallots provide a more elevated flavour in cod fish recipes like this one. You can use yellow or sweet onions instead.
Fresh Parsley – Easy cod recipes work well with fresh parsley, especially if the other seasoning is simple. It provides a fresh flavour to these types of dishes. Other fresh herbs, such as rosemary and dill, will also work.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations/ Adaptations
These easy swaps/variations will help you turn this pan-fried-cod-recipe into your new weekly favourite dish. Instead of cod, try using grouper, mahi-mahi, Chilean sea bass, haddock, hake, flounder, tilapia, or pollock. This seared fish will taste lovely with the lemon butter and herb sauce or with my The BEST Compound Butter.
Instead of creating a buttery, herby dish, consider making cod with Cajun seasoning for a delicious hit of heat. You can also include other spices like garlic powder and onion powder to adjust the recipe to your preferences. For more decadent cod recipes easy, use brown butter instead of regular butter.
You can create brown butter at home by gently heating it in a pan until it turns golden brown. This recipe is also great with a small amount of double cream at the end of the sauce, which makes it even richer. Turn this dish into a gluten-free option by leaving out the flour coating.
How to make pan fried cod
- Start by patting the cod fillets with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Next, to a plate, add the flour, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and optional Cayenne pepper. Stir to combine then dredge the cod fillets in the seasoned flour (Image 1).
- To a large stainless steel plan, add the butter and olive oil into the pan over a medium/high heat (Image 2).
3. Once the butter has melted, add the cod loins and fry for 2 minutes (Image 3).
4. Turn the cod fillets and fry on the other side and set aside (Image 4).
5. Next add the finely diced shallots and garlic into the pan (Image 5).
6. Gently heat for a couple of minutes over medium/low heat (Image 6).
7. Then add stock and the lemon juice and cod back into the pan. Baste the cod for a minute, then kill the heat (Image 7).
8. Garnish with fresh parsley and black pepper (Image 8).
Tips for the best result
Be sure to pat dry before pan frying
To keep this pan-fried-cod-recipe from sticking to the pan, it’s necessary to ensure the fish is as dry as possible before putting it into the pan.
Be gentle when flipping using a thin metal spatula
Cod is a more delicate fish that more easily breaks apart when flipping than other options, like salmon. To help prevent breaking the pan fry cod while flipping, ensure you use a thin metal spatula that you can use to scoop under the fish.
Cook until the internal temp is 145°F (63°C)
You’ll know this fish is ready to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C).
Eat it the day you make it for the best texture and flavor. This recipe is best eaten fresh, so be sure to eat it on the day you make it. You can eat the leftovers the next day, but the texture and flavor are better when it’s freshly cooked.
Serve one of my delicious soup recipes as a starter ; Tomato & Lentil Soup, Creamy Parsnip Soup and Easy Carrot and Coriander Soup
What to serve with Pan Fried Cod
Since you can adjust the seasoning of this pan-fried-cod-recipe quite easily, you can enjoy this entrée with nearly any side. I love eating cod with mashed or roasted potatoes, kale salad, crusty bread, baked veg, and even soup.
Need inspiration for more side dish ideas? Try these recipes : The Crispiest Halloumi Fries, Frozen Jacket Potato in Air Fryer and the The Best Roasted Parsnips
Storage Tips
This pan-fried-cod-recipe is best enjoyed the day you make it. If you do have leftover cod, you can keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. However, they need to be consumed by the next day. Be sure to let the leftover cod fully cool before packing it into a container.
I recommend only creating enough cod for your current meal, even if that means halving the recipe.
How to Reheat Leftovers
The best way to reheat this pan-fried-cod-recipe is by adding it to a pan on low-medium heat and just warming it gently until heated through. As soon as it’s heated, it’s ready to eat!
FAQs
Yes, you can use frozen cod for this pan-fried-cod-recipe. For the best results, allow the frozen fish to thaw overnight in the fridge before beginning the recipe.
If the cod ends up tough or rubbery, it was likely overcooked or left in the freezer for too long. Be sure to check the internal temp and use fresh fish (this can also include freshly frozen fish from the store).
It’s best to season the fish before adding it to the pan. This method helps cook the spices into the fish and prevents the fish from sticking to the pan.
The best way to cook cod fish without it falling apart is to use a very hot pan and ensure the fish is very dry and seasoned before adding it to the pan.
Yes, you can use a loin instead of a filet. I recommend loin as it typically creates a moister, richer dish.
If you tried this Perfect Pan Fried Cod Recipe, it would be mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
Perfect Pan Fried Cod Recipe with Garlic Butter
Ingredients
- 4 cod loins (£4.80)
- 3 tbsp butter (£0.25)
- 3 shallots, finely diced (£0.10)
- 3 cloves of garlic (£0.39)
- Parsley, finely chopped to serve (£0.60)
- Juice of half a lemon (£0.30)
Cupboard Essentials
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 150 ml chicken stock/fish stock
- Optional 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- Salt & Pepper
Method
- Start by patting the cod fillets with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
- Next, to a plate, add the flour, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and optional Cayenne pepper. Stir to combine then dredge the cod fillets in the seasoned flour.
- To a large stainless steel plan, add the butter and olive oil into the pan over a medium/high heat. Once melted, add the cod loins and fry for 2 minutes on each side.
- Set the cod aside, then add the finely diced shallots and garlic into the pan. Gently heat for a couple of minutes over medium/low, then add stock and the lemon juice and cod back into the pan. Baste the cod for a minute, then kill the heat and garnish with fresh parsley and black pepper.
Notes
- Pat dry the cod before pan-frying to prevent sticking.
- Use a thin metal spatula for gentle flipping to avoid breaking the delicate fish.
- Cook until the internal temperature reaches 145°F (65°C) for safe consumption.
Nutrition
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