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Cod piccata takes flaky, pan-fried cod and bathes it in a bright lemon-caper butter sauce that tastes like something from a restaurant, all in about 25 minutes. I threw this together one busy weeknight when I wanted something light but special, and it has been on regular rotation ever since. If you love an easy, elegant seafood dinner, you will also want our baked mahi mahi.
Buttery, lemony, and full of briny capers, this cod piccata is proof that an impressive seafood dinner can be quick and weeknight-easy.
Cod Piccata Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 15 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 25 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 4 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 271kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Buttery and lemony with briny capers over tender, flaky cod
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy and ready in 25 minutes, like our glazed Chilean sea bass
Quick Answer
To make cod piccata, dredge cod fillets in seasoned flour, then pan-fry them in butter and olive oil until golden and flaky. Remove the cod and build a quick pan sauce by sauteing shallot and garlic, then adding chicken broth, lemon juice, and capers and simmering until slightly reduced. Swirl in a little more butter, return the cod to the pan, and spoon the bright, briny sauce over the top.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- A light flour dredge. Coating the cod in seasoned flour gives it a golden crust and helps thicken the pan sauce later.
- Butter and oil together. The oil raises the smoke point so the butter can brown the fish without burning.
- Cook the cod first, then the sauce. Searing the fillets and setting them aside keeps them from overcooking while you build the sauce in the same flavorful pan.
- Scrape up the browned bits. Those fond bits at the bottom of the pan are pure flavor and dissolve right into the sauce.
- Finish with cold butter. Swirling in a final pat of butter off the heat makes the sauce glossy, silky, and rich.
- Capers and lemon for brightness. The briny capers and fresh lemon cut through the butter so the dish tastes light, not heavy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Restaurant-quality, weeknight-fast. This cod piccata looks and tastes fancy but comes together in about 25 minutes.
- One pan, big flavor. The fish and the lemon caper sauce cook in the same skillet, just like our crispy battered fish keeps cleanup simple.
- Light and healthy. Flaky cod in a bright lemon sauce makes a protein-packed dinner that does not weigh you down.
Key Ingredients
A handful of simple, fresh ingredients makes this cod piccata shine. Quantities are in the recipe card below; here is why each one matters.
- Cod fillets. Mild, flaky, and quick-cooking, cod is the perfect canvas for the bright piccata sauce. Fresh or thawed both work.
- Flour. A light dredge gives the cod a golden crust and helps thicken the sauce.
- Butter and lemon. The classic piccata base, rich butter balanced by fresh, tangy lemon juice.
- Capers. These little briny buds are the signature of any piccata, adding a salty pop in every bite.
- Shallot, garlic, and broth. They build a savory, aromatic pan sauce, the same flavor-first approach in our air fryer catfish nuggets.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Cod piccata is easy to adapt to what you have on hand.
- Use another fish. Halibut, haddock, tilapia, or sole all work beautifully in place of cod.
- Add white wine. Replace part of the broth with a splash of dry white wine for a more traditional piccata sauce.
- Skip the capers. Not a caper fan? Leave them out or swap in chopped green olives for a similar briny note.
- Make it gluten-free. Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for the dredge.
- Add more veggies. Stir in baby spinach or halved cherry tomatoes at the end for color and freshness.
- Serve it over pasta. Spoon the cod and sauce over linguine, the same cozy move we love with our beef tips and noodles.
How to Make Cod Piccata
- Pat the cod dry, then mix the flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl.
- Dredge each cod fillet on both sides in the seasoned flour.
- Set the dredged fillets aside on a plate or tray.
- Heat butter and olive oil in a skillet and add the cod.
- Cook until golden, flip, finish cooking, then remove to a plate.
- In the same pan, saute the shallot and garlic in butter until fragrant.
- Add the broth, lemon juice, and capers and simmer to reduce, then swirl in the last of the butter.
- Return the cod to the pan, spoon the sauce over, and garnish with parsley.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Pat the cod very dry. Dry fillets brown better and the flour dredge sticks evenly.
- Do not crowd the pan. Give each fillet room so it sears golden instead of steaming.
- Let the first side set. Cook undisturbed for about 4 minutes so a crust forms before you flip.
- Watch the garlic. Shallot and garlic only need 30 seconds to a minute, so it does not burn and turn bitter.
- Finish off the heat. Swirl in the last bit of butter with the pan off the burner for a silky, glossy sauce.
- Use fresh lemon juice. Bottled juice tastes flat; fresh is what makes piccata taste bright and alive.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Cod piccata is wonderful spooned over a tangle of linguine or angel hair pasta so the noodles soak up that lemony butter sauce. It is just as good over fluffy rice, creamy mashed potatoes, or a pile of orzo. Add a squeeze of extra lemon and a sprinkle of parsley right before serving.
For a lighter plate, serve the cod alongside roasted asparagus, green beans, or a crisp green salad. The fresh, briny sauce pairs beautifully with simple vegetables and a hunk of crusty bread for mopping up every drop.
Rounding out a seafood dinner? Pair it with other light mains like our glazed Chilean sea bass or baked mahi mahi, or keep it cozy next to a bowl of our fresh spring rolls for a fresh starter.
Cod Piccata FAQs
Cod piccata is a quick seafood dish made by pan-frying flour-dredged cod fillets and serving them in a bright lemon-butter sauce with capers. It is a fish twist on the classic Italian-American chicken piccata, swapping in mild, flaky cod for the chicken. The result is a light, restaurant-style dinner that comes together in about 25 minutes.
Yes, cod piccata is very forgiving. Any mild, flaky white fish works well, including halibut, haddock, tilapia, sole, or flounder. Just adjust the cooking time based on the thickness of your fillets, since thinner fish will cook faster than thick cod pieces.
Capers are the signature ingredient in any piccata, giving the sauce its classic briny, salty pop. That said, if you are not a fan you can leave them out or substitute finely chopped green olives for a similar savory bite. The dish will still be delicious, just a little less traditional.
Absolutely. For a more classic piccata sauce, replace about half of the chicken broth with a dry white wine like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. Let it simmer for an extra minute or two so the alcohol cooks off and the flavor mellows into the buttery lemon sauce.
Cod piccata is delicious over pasta like linguine or angel hair, which soaks up the lemon caper sauce, or over rice, orzo, or mashed potatoes. For sides, roasted asparagus, green beans, a simple salad, and crusty bread all pair beautifully. A wedge of lemon on the side lets everyone brighten their plate to taste.
Store leftover cod piccata in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. Reheat gently in a covered skillet over low heat with a splash of broth or water to loosen the sauce, just until warmed through. Avoid the microwave on high, which can make the delicate cod rubbery.
If lemony cream sauces are your weakness, the creamy lemon shrimp delivers the same magic with seafood.
Add this crispy fried shrimp recipe to your seafood lineup.
Add these mahi mahi fish tacos to your seafood rotation.
When you want dinner fast, this air fryer salmon delivers caramelized, restaurant-style results in minutes.
For a fresh summer seafood dinner, try our Italian grilled mahi mahi.
Cod Piccata
Ingredients
- 1 pound cod fillets
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons salted butter divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small shallot minced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup drained capers
- fresh chopped parsley garnish
Instructions
- Pat dry the cod fillets with a paper towel.1 pound cod fillets
- In a large bowl, mix all-purpose flour, salt, and pepper.1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Dredge each cod fillet on both sides in the flour mixture. Set aside on a plate.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and the olive oil over medium high heat in a large sauté pan.3 tablespoons salted butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add cod to the hot skillet and cook undisturbed for 4 minutes on one side until golden brown. Carefully flip the cod and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes on the other side.
- Remove the pan-fried fillets to a plate. Set aside.
- Make the pan sauce, and add another tablespoon of butter to the same frying pan, along with minced shallots and garlic. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic.1 small shallot, 3 cloves garlic
- Add chicken broth, lemon juice, and capers, and scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.1 cup chicken broth, juice of 1 lemon, 1/4 cup drained capers
- Cook for a couple of minutes or until the sauce has reduced slightly.
- Stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter until the sauce is silky smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Add cod filets back to the skillet, and spoon the butter sauce over each filet. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley. Serve with lemon slices if desired.fresh chopped parsley
Video
Notes
- Use any flakey white fish in place of cod.
- Tons of custom options, see my tips above on that.
- Add dry white wine if desired.
- This freezes well, see my tips above on how to store.
- Highly suggest using the capers.
Nutrition
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The comments above the recipe say “Stir in an extra minute of tablespoons of butter for a super emulsified sauce.” Does that mean “For an extra minutes, stir in [an unstated number of] Tablespoons of butter”? If so, how many extra tablespoons?