The ULTIMATE Pan Seared Cod Recipe (With Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce)

This pan seared cod recipe is crazy flavorful and super juicy. It combines cod fillets with the perfect balance of spices, butter, and fresh lemon juice to make some tender and flaky fish that's guaranteed to be a family favorite. Plus, it's so, so easy to make. In fact, the best part about this pan fried cod recipe is that you can make it with just a handful of simple ingredients in only 20 minutes! 

The Best Pan Seared Cod

This pan seared cod recipe is so simple, and yet the results are anything but that.

To start, the cod fillets are cooked in the perfect balance of spices and melted butter. Then, it's quickly pan seared and topped with a delicious garlic butter sauce that is literally finger-lickin' good. The result is flavor-packed cod fillets that are perfectly flaky with a crisp exterior that is just addictive.

Honestly, even if you're not a huge fan of seafood, I can almost guarantee you're going to love this recipe. I know that this is the case for my daughter anyway. It's usually impossible to get her to eat fish, but she loves this pan seared cod. 

Plus, the best part about this easy cod recipe is that it's ready in just 20 minutes. And really, only 10 minutes of that is hands on cooking.

Also, sincek this recipe comes together so quickly, you'll have plenty of time to whip up some tasty sides to go with it, like this jollof rice or this old fashioned baked macaroni and cheese.

Ingredients

As I mentioned earlier, the ingredient list for this easy pan seared cod recipe is pretty darn simple. Aside from the fish, you'll likely already have most - if not all - of the ingredients on hand since they're all kitchen/pantry staples.

Anyway, here's everything you'll need to make it:

• 4 5oz. cod fillets, skinless, boneless
• 1 tablespoon flour
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 5 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1 tablespoon chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Not too bad, right?

By the way, when it comes to using fresh versus frozen cod, I always like to go with fresh, but frozen will work too.

As for how to thaw cod, I suggest transferring the frozen cod fillets to a Ziplock bag. Then, you'll want to submerge them under cold water for 15-20 minutes. After that time, they should be thawed enough to cook. Alternatively, you can thaw frozen cod in the fridge overnight before you plan on making this recipe.

Oh, if you're on the hunt for a tasty dipping sauce to serve with this pan fried cod, you really can't go wrong with this tartar sauce recipe.

How To Make Pan Seared Cod

Alright, now we can get to the fun part - it's time to make this pan seared cod!

And, as I mentioned before, it's so easy to put this cod recipe together. You basically just have to coat the cod in your spice mix, pan sear 'em, and then make a quick sauce to drizzle on top. It's really that simple!

So, without further ado, let's make get cooking.

Step 1: Coat The Cod In The Flour Mix

First things first, you'll want to take out a shallow dish and mix the flour with paprika, cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, and thyme on the dish. 

Then, you'll want to rinse and pat dry your cod fillets and season them with a little salt and pepper. Next, you can transfer each fillet to the plate with the flour mixture and coat both sides with it. Then, after you've done that, you can give your filets a quick shake to remove the excess flour and set them aside.

Step 2: Pan Sear The Cod

Once you've coated all of your cod fillets in the spice mix, you can heat a little olive oil and one tablespoon of the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.

When the pan is hot, you can add a couple of cod fillets to the skillet and cook 'em for about 3-4 minutes a side. I recommend using a fish spatula for this part since it helps flip the fish without breaking it apart.

Anyway, once all of your cod is cooked to perfection, you can remove it from the skillet and set it aside.  

Step 3: Make The Garlic Butter Sauce

Now onto the real star of the show, the pan sauce! This is what really adds a ton of flavor to your cooked cod.

After you've removed all of your cod fillets from the skillet, just add the rest of your butter to the pan and let it melt. Then, after it melts, you can add the garlic to the pan, give it a good mix, and cook 'em together until the garlic becomes fragrant.

Once your garlic butter is done, you can remove the pan from the heat, add in your stock and fresh lemon juice, and give everything a little mix until well combined.

Step 4: Serve The Cod

Last but not least, you can add the cooked cod to a plate, drizzle some of that delicious lemon garlic butter sauce on top, and dig in!

Enjoy!

How To Store Pan Seared Cod

This recipe for pan seared cod makes 4 servings, so it should be just enough for a family dinner. That said, it's pretty easy to double up on this recipe if you want extras for meal prep or to feed a large crowd.

Speaking of meal prep, to store your leftover fish, all you have to do is let it cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container. Stored this way, you can keep the cooked cod in the fridge for about 3-4 days.

However, if you want your cooked cod to last longer, you can freeze it in an airtight container - or freezer bag - for up to 3 months.

How To Reheat Pan Seared Cod

Whenever you're ready to enjoy your pan seared cod again, it's pretty good cold, but I think it tastes even better reheated.

So, to reheat your cod fillets, I suggest putting them back in a skillet set to medium heat. Then, just let the fish cook for about 2-3 minutes per side, flipping until they're fully reheated and the fish flakes easily.

FAQs About This Pan Seared Cod Recipe

Is cod good for searing?

Yes, cod is a great fish for searing. It cooks rather quickly and has a nice crunchy crust while staying tender and juicy on the inside.

How is cod supposed to be cooked?

Cod really isn't supposed to be cooked any particular way. But with that said, I think pan searing cod is the best way you can cook cod. As I just mentioned above, pan searing cod allows the outside to have a nice crust while keeping the inside flakey without drying it out.

How do you pan fry cod fillets?

You can pan fry cod fillets by cooking them on a hot skillet with a little olive oil and butter for about 3-4 minutes on each side.

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to pan sear cod!

This recipe is about as quick and easy as pan seared fish gets, and cod has to be one of my favorite fish to fry. It has such a mild flavor, soaks up the lemon garlic butter sauce, and it cooks perfectly every single time. Everyone always loves 'em every time I cook these fish fillets, even if they don't typically like fish. 

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this pan seared cod recipe as much as I/we do.

As always, if you try this recipe, please leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts!

More Seafood Recipes

If you enjoyed this pan seared cod recipe, we have a ton of equally tasty seafood recipes on the blog for you to try next!

Here are some of our most popular ones:

• Fried mahi mahi
• Fried grouper
• Sushi bake
• Baked cod with panko
• Baked haddock
• Seafood casserole

Oh, and make sure to check us out on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for even more delicious recipes! We post new ones on them every day.

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