This easy and delicious Pan Fried Cod is finished with an extraordinary herb infused butter sauce. Cod makes a great meal as it is packed with nutrients, easy to find, reasonably priced, and can be cooked up in many different ways. This Pan Fried Cod dish takes just minutes to make, tastes fabulous and is one of my favorite ways to make fish.
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Why This Easy Recipe Is Always a Favorite
Super Fast and Easy. This whole dish comes together in under 15 minutes. Pan fried cod only requires one skillet so cleanup is super fast too.
Lightly Floured. The cod is lightly floured and pan fried in just enough oil to enable lightly frying the cod.
Pan Searing is so much better for you than deep frying in a deep fryer and much less mess.
Everyday Seasonings. The cod is seasoned with salt, pepper and a bit of paprika before frying. Garlic, tarragon and lemon juice are added to butter for the delicious finishing sauce.
Flaky Inside. Sautéing over medium-high heat for a few minutes per side cooks the cod fillets just until flaky and opaque.
Crispy Outside. Patting the cod dry and lightly coating it with flour makes the cod flesh lightly crispy. Waiting to turn the cod until it readily pulls away from the pan ensures that it is nicely browned on the outside and has a deeper flavor. This is a good example of the Maillard reaction at work.
Buttery Sauce. Butter makes just about everything better. Since it is just added as a sauce, you can omit it if you prefer.
Ingredients
- Cod fillets either fresh or frozen and thawed work well in this recipe. Cod loins fry up very nicely since they are an even shape and thickness throughout.
- Neutral oil for frying such as vegetable oil, canola or safflower. These oils don't impart additional and unnecessary flavor to the cod filets. But if you love to use olive oil that will work as well. Just make sure your oil has a high smoke point.
- All-purpose flour for lightly coating the piece of fish.
- Seasonings and herbs for ideal flavor.
The exact measurements of these ingredients is included in the recipe card.
Best Way To Cook a Piece of Cod
- Pat the cod dry with paper towels.
- Season with kosher salt and black pepper.
- Lightly dredge the cod in flour and shake off any excess.
- Add oil to a skillet over medium-high heat and wait until the oil is shimmering before adding the fish fillet.
- Pan Fry. Add the cod and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until the fish lifts readily from the skillet. Flip the cod and continue to cook, 3 to 4 minutes or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily when tested with a fork. Transfer cod to serving plates and tent with foil to keep warm.
- Reduce the heat to medium heat, add butter and cook until melted. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Remove skillet from the heat. Stir in the tarragon and lemon juice.
- Drizzle the herb butter sauce over each cod fillet. Serve immediately.
Tips for Perfect Fried Cod
- Choose cod fillets that are an even thickness throughout. The cod should be about ¾-inch to 1-inch thick.
- Thaw frozen cod and pat dry. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. An alternative is to thaw cod in a sink or bowl of ice cold water.
- Start with a hot oiled skillet.
- Lightly coat with flour.
- Pan fry the cod until it starts to release easily release from the pan before turning it over. This will make a nice crispy outside.
- Test the pan fried cod for doneness with a fork for perfectly flaky flesh. An internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit is recommended by the USDA for a safe temperature. Check the temperature of the fried fish with an instant read thermometer.
- Keep warm until drizzling with sauce and serving.
- If you are making a large batch of this fish recipe, transfer the cooked fish to a baking sheet and place in a 200 degree oven to keep warm until all the fish are ready to serve.
Pan Fried Cod Variations
This pan fried cod recipe is so versatile. Easily change up one or more ingredients for a fun twist on a favorite cod dish. And if you love cod, you may also want to try my baked code recipe too.
- Use haddock, pollock, grouper or another mild white fish in place of the cod. Make sure these fish fillets are ¾-inch to 1-inch in thickness.
- Add 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme and omit the tarragon to drizzle over your pan fried cod.
- Make a seasoned flour mixture by adding a pinch of garlic powder, onion powder or cayenne pepper to the flour you dip fish in it. You can also use your favorite seasoning blend.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard into the butter mixture.
- Use 1 teaspoon of capers and caper juice in place of the tarragon and lemon juice.
Serving Suggestions for This Pan-Fried Cod Recipe
This easy dinner recipe can be served with tartar sauce and a lemon wedge. You can make this great recipe into fish tacos with your favorite toppings. Another great option is to make a fried cod sandwich and serve with French fries or these air fryer potato wedges.
You can make this easy fish dinner into a tasty healthy dinner by serving it with Sautéed Green Beans, Sautéed Broccoli with Garlic, or a refreshing Cucumber Tomato Salad. All of these side dishes are equally easy to make and can be on the dinner table in the time it takes to pan fry the cod.
📋 Recipe
Pan Fried Cod With an Herb Butter Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 5 ounce cod fillets
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons canola oil or other neutral oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teapoon dried tarragon
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Using paper towels, pat cod fillets dry. Season fillets with salt and pepper.
- In a shallow bowl, add the flour. Add fish to flour and coat it lightly with the flour. Shake off any excess.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the fish and cook, turning once, about 6 to 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Before turning, wait until fish lifts easily off of the skillet. Transfer cod to serving plates, tent with foil and keep warm. Wipe out skillet.
- Add the butter to the skillet and cook until melted. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Remove skillet from the heat. Stir in the tarragon and lemon juice. Drizzle the butter sauce over each cod fillet. Serve immediately.
Cooks Tips
Recipe Variations:
- Use haddock, pollock, or grouper in place of the cod. Make sure they are ¾-inch to 1-inch in thickness.
- Add 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme and omit the tarragon.
- Mix in a pinch of cayenne pepper or saffron to the flour.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard into the butter mixture.
- Use 1 teaspoon of capers and caper juice in place of the tarragon and lemon juice.
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