Lemon Brown Butter Perch is a simple yet incredibly flavorful recipe. Perch filets are lightly dredged in flour and fried in brown butter and served with a squeeze of lemon. Serve with your favorite rice, a simple salad or your favorite veggie side dish. This recipe will serve 4 in about 25 minutes.

Lemon Brown Butter Perch

Hello, easy weeknight dinner!

This recipe checks all the boxes. Quick and easy – check! Few ingredients – check! Delicious – check! It literally takes minutes to whip up and tastes amazing. The nuttiness of the brown butter with the freshness of the lemon is – *chefs kiss*.

Lemon Brown Butter Perch

I serve it with fluffy cooked jasmine rice and a simple arugula salad.

ingredients for Lemon Brown Butter Perch

To Make This Lemon Brown Butter Perch You Will Need:

  • unbleached all-purpose flour
  • fine salt
  • ground black pepper
  • perch
  • salted butter
  • lemon

season flour with salt and pepper

In a shallow bowl, add 2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon fine salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper. Whisk to combine.

perch

Start with 1-1/2 pounds of perch filets. Because these aren’t too thick, I serve 2 perch filets per person. I also left the skin on. Why? Because these are pretty thin filets and I want to get as much meat as possible. Perch skin is edible, however it’s also very easy to eat the perch even if the skin is intact.

You could also make this recipe with tilapia, rockfish or red snapper. I find it hard to believe that a fish wouldn’t work in this recipe.

dredge fish

Dredge each piece of fish, pressing it into the flour.

flour on both sides

Coat on both sides.

Shake off any excess.

set aside

Repeat with the remaining filets.

melt butter

Next melt 4 tablespoons salted butter in a 12-inch skillet.

Stir and cook over medium to medium-low until the butter has browned and smells nutty.

cook fish

Work in batches of 2, placing 4 filets down (skin side up) and cook 3 minutes.

work in batches

Turn and continue to cook another 2 to 3 minutes or until the fish flakes easily. Transfer to a clean platter and repeat with remaining perch.

Lemon Brown Butter Perch

Add the last of the perch to a platter and drizzle with with the brown butter from the pan.

Lemon Brown Butter Perch

Squeeze lemon over top right before serving. And season with salt and pepper IF needed, to taste.

Lemon Brown Butter Perch

And that’s it! SO easy! I promise you are going to love this one!

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Lemon Brown Butter Perch

Enjoy! And if you give this Lemon Brown Butter Perch recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!

Lemon Brown Butter Perch

Lemon Brown Butter Perch
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Yield: 4 servings

Lemon Brown Butter Perch

Lemon Brown Butter Perch is a simple yet incredibly flavorful recipe. Perch filets are lightly dredged in flour and fried in brown butter and served with a squeeze of lemon. Serve with your favorite rice, a simple salad or your favorite veggie side dish. 

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • pound perch, about 8 filets, see notes
  • 4 tablespoons butter, salted
  • 1 whole lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions 

  • In a shallow dish, combine flour, salt and pepper.
  • Gently press filets in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess. You want a light coating.
  • Meanwhile, add butter to a 12-inch skillet. Cook over medium to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until browned.
  • Work in batches of 2, cook 4 filets at a time for 3 minutes, flip and continue to cook another 2 to 3 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.
  • Transfer fish to a platter, and repeat with remaining perch filets.
  • Drizzle with remaining brown butter from the pan and serve with a squeeze of lemon over top. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

Notes

Because perch is so thin, I plan for 2 filets per person. However if making this recipe with tilapia, I would only prepare it with 1 filet per person.
Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on SimplyScratch.com should only be used as a general guideline.
Serving: 1g, Calories: 236kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 125mg, Sodium: 727mg, Potassium: 328mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 298IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 97mg, Iron: 2mg