This quick and easy Butter-Baked Haddock recipe gives you tender, moist, flaky, and flavorful fish every time. Made with just a few simple ingredients and ready in less than 30 minutes, it's a perfect dinner for any night of the week!
I've made a lot of fish recipes over the years, but this is the one that actually made me enjoy cooking and eating fish. It comes from my mom, and it's my all-time favorite.
So simple yet absolutely delicious, it's been a regular on our dinner rotation for a long time now. And it's one of my go-to meals when I want something that's low-calorie but very satisfying!
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Why I Love This Recipe (and You Will Too!)
- Quick & Easy: A few minutes of prep time and then into the oven it goes. From start to finish, it's ready in under 30 minutes!
- Simple Ingredients: They're all easy to find and great to keep on hand for a fast dinner.
- Family-Friendly: Haddock has a very mild, lightly sweet flavor that's not fishy. It's a great way to introduce picky eaters to fish.
- No Breading: Fish is already a light meal, but leaving off the breading makes it even lighter and low-carb.
- Love breading? Try my Baked Haddock With Ritz Cracker Topping.
- Butter: The "secret" ingredient to keeping the fish moist and flavorful.
Featured Review:
So good! We were not fish eaters, but after making your recipe we will have haddock weekly!
~ Diane ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ingredients & Notes
Here are all of the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe, along with a few notes to help you make the best selections.
Ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Haddock fillets - Skinless. They can be fresh or frozen (thawed). Frozen haddock fillets are my go-to for this recipe because that's what's most often available.
- Melted butter - I use salted butter for extra flavor; you can use unsalted if you prefer. And yes, it's a whole stick, but it's used mainly for cooking the fish. Most of it will not be consumed.
- Lemon - We'll be using the juice, and freshly-squeezed lemon juice has the best flavor.
- Salt & Black Pepper
- Paprika
- Dried parsley
How to Make Butter-Baked Haddock
This is a brief overview of the steps. For the full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions, please go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towels.
Place the fillets in a baking dish. Pour the melted butter over the fish.
Evenly squeeze the lemon juice over the fish then season with salt, pepper, paprika and dried parsley.
Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 10 to 20 minutes, basting every 5 minutes, until the fish is cooked through. Enjoy!
My Top Tips
- Don't overcook the fish! If you do, it will likely be dry despite using the butter.
- Haddock is done when the inside has turned opaque white and the fish flakes easily with a fork. According to foodsafety.gov, the internal temperature needs to be 145°F (measure at the thickest part). For optimal texture, moisture and flavor, don't go much above this.
- Cook time will vary depending on the thickness and overall size of the haddock fillets. Be sure to use fillets that are all roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
- This dish is best when served immediately. I don't recommend making it ahead of time because the fish can become overcooked when reheating.
Substitutions & Variations
- Other mild white fish, such as cod or pollock, can be used instead of haddock.
- Since we're only using a small amount, you can use bottled lemon juice instead of fresh (I've done this lots of times). Drizzle ½ teaspoon over each fillet.
- Feel free to change up the seasonings. For example, sometimes I use seasoned salt instead of regular salt, and sometimes I use Old Bay Seasoning instead of paprika. Use whatever flavors you like.
- Chopped fresh parsley can be used instead of dried. Instead of putting it on the fish before you put it in the oven, sprinkle it on after the fish is cooked.
Leftover Storage & Reheating
Once cooled, store any leftovers (including the butter), covered or in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat, put the fish and butter in a baking dish, cover with foil and bake in a preheated 325°F oven until heated through. Take care to not overcook the fish, as this can make it dry.
Serving Suggestions
I highly recommend drizzling a little bit of that butter from the baking dish over each serving for extra buttery deliciousness...so good!
Here are some of my favorite side dishes to serve with it:
- Rice With Mixed Vegetables (it's 2 sides in one!)
- Rice and Pasta Pilaf
- Green Beans Amandine
- Sautéed Spinach With Garlic (I like to set the fish right on top)
I hope you try this Butter-Baked Haddock recipe and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
More Easy Fish Recipes to Try
If you make this recipe, I'd love to know how it went! Please leave a star rating and comment below. Thanks!
📋Recipe
Butter-Baked Haddock
Ingredients
- 1 pound haddock fillets, boneless and skinless, each fillet about 4 ounces; fresh or frozen (thawed)
- ½ cup melted butter
- ¼ large lemon, for about 2 teaspoons of juice total; bottled lemon juice can be used instead
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided; I use kosher salt (if using regular table salt, you may want to use less)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
- 1 teaspoon paprika, divided
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Pat the fish dry with paper towels.
- Place the fish in a baking dish in a single layer.
- Pour the melted butter over the fish.
- Squeeze the juice from the lemon quarter evenly over the fish (about ½ teaspoon of juice per fillet).
- Season each fish fillet with ¼ of the salt and pepper, and then sprinkle each with ¼ of the paprika and dried parsley.
- Bake for 10 to 20 minutes, basting with the butter every 5 minutes, until the fish is cooked through (internal temperature of 145°F) and flakes easily with a fork. The color inside should be opaque white.
- Serve immediately. Drizzle each serving with a little bit of the butter from the pan, if desired (I highly recommend this!).
Notes
- I use an 11x7 or a 13x9-inch dish, depending on the size of the fillets; I like to use the smaller size, if I can, so that the butter is deeper and covers more of the fish.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of the lemon juice or any of the seasonings to suit your own preference. You can also change up the seasonings (for example, sometimes I use seasoned salt instead of regular salt, and sometimes I use Old Bay seasoning instead of the salt and paprika).
- Be very careful to not overcook the fish, as this can dry it out despite using the butter. For optimal texture, moisture and flavor, don't go much above the minimum 145°F.
- The cooking time will vary depending on the thickness and overal size of your fish fillets. I have had very thin fillets (about ¼ inch thick) that cooked in 10 minutes, while thicker fillets (about 1 inch thick) have taken up to 20 minutes.
- Other white fish, such as cod or pollock, can be used in this recipe.
Mary says
I made the fish tonight. Very good and an easy dinner.
Michelle says
Thank you, Mary! So happy you enjoyed it!
norm says
I tried this recipe and it is quick and delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Michelle says
Thanks, norm!
Kristin says
Great recipe! I appreciated the comments about temperature and time according to the measurement of the fish.
Michelle says
Thank you, Kristin!
Taxidea Taxus says
Made this for the third time. Easy peasy and delish. Today topped with crushed pecans during the bake. Awesome.
Michelle says
Thank you!
Kelly says
Forgot to say the taste was very good!