This is the best recipe for rockfish! The mild, flaky, white fish is coated in the most incredible lemon butter pan sauce that’s seasoned with capers and parsley. It’s so quick and easy that you can have this restaurant quality meal on the table in only 20 minutes.
Pan-Seared Rockfish
Rockfish is one of my favorite types of fish because it’s so delicious and super easy to cook. It has a mild flavor with just a hint of sweetness and the meat is perfectly flaky once it’s been cooked.
In this recipe, we season the fish with a simple blend of salt, pepper, and garlic, then dredge it in flour before pan-searing it. The results are a perfect golden-brown sear and delicious flavor.
After it’s finished cooking, we’re topping it with an incredible lemony herb butter sauce. The sauce is made with butter, lemon juice, capers, dill, and parsley, which are all flavors that pair so well with this mild, white fish. The flavor is perfectly balanced between salty, fresh, tangy, and rich.
Ingredients
Rockfish Fillets: Rockfish is a mild, white fish that is perfect for pan-searing. The flavor is slightly sweet and it has a lovely flaky texture. Look for fillets that have a firm texture and that don’t have any noticeable odor.
Olive Oil: This is the oil we’re using to sear the fish. Feel free to swap this for your favorite cooking oil.
Garlic Powder, Salt, and Pepper: This simple combination of spices enhances the flavor of the fish without overpowering it.
Flour: Dredging fish in flour helps it achieve a beautiful golden-brown sear and helps make it crispy. You can skip the flour if you’d prefer, but the fillets won’t have the same lovely, golden, crispy exterior.
Unsalted Butter: This makes up the base of the pan sauce, which adds a delicious, rich flavor to the fish.
Lemon Juice: Lemon juice balances out the richness of the butter in the sauce.
Capers: Capers add a tangy flavor that pairs incredibly well with fish, lemon, and fresh herbs.
Dill and Parsley: These fresh herbs are a classic flavor pairing with fish and lemon. They add an amazing herby flavor to this dish.
Alternative Ingredients
This is a recipe that’s easy to adapt based on your taste preference, so feel free to play with the ingredients. If you can’t find rockfish, try using cod, halibut, or tilapia. Rice flour is a great substitute for all-purpose flour to make this recipe gluten free. Try swapping dill or parsley with basil, tarragon, or chives for different flavors. If you don’t have capers, try using green olives for a similar briny flavor.
How To Make Pan-Fried Rockfish
Prepare and Season the Fish: Rinse the rockfish fillets under cool running water and pat them dry with paper towels to remove the excess moisture. Lightly oil both sides of the fillets, then season them evenly with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. (See the recipe card below for the full printable instructions.)
Dredge: Place flour in a shallow dish and dredge each fillet, shaking off the excess.
Sear the Fish: Heat a large skillet. Add the olive oil and some butter. Once hot, add the fillets and then reduce heat a bit. Cook until the fish releases easily from the pan, then flip and cook until golden brown and flaky.
Make the Sauce: In the same skillet, reduce the heat, and add the remaining butter, lemon juice, capers, dill, and parsley. Stir and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet until the sauce thickens slightly.
Serve: Spoon the lemon-herb-caper butter sauce over the rockfish fillets and serve immediately with additional lemon wedges. See the recipe card below for the full written instructions, including ingredient amounts, cooking times, and helpful tips, etc.
Pro Tips
- Dry the Fish: Drying the fish with paper towels helps remove excess moisture, which both helps it get a beautiful golden-brown sear and gives you a better flaky texture when it’s finished cooking.
- Preheat the Pan: In order to prevent the fish from sticking, it’s super important to preheat the pan first. A hot pan locks the moisture in the fish, while a lukewarm pan actually draws the moisture out of the fish, which is what causes it to stick.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Pan: If you overcrowd the pan, there will be too much moisture in the pan, which will create a steaming effect instead of a searing effect.
- Use a Fish Spatula: Using a thin metal spatula helps you lift up the delicate fish and flip it without tearing it. It really makes a difference in how well your pan-seared fish turns out.
What Does Rockfish Taste Like?
Rockfish is a delicious fish that has a mild taste and flaky texture. Since it has such a lovely, mild flavor, it takes on the flavors of the sauce very well, and it’s a great fish to serve people who aren’t normally big fans of seafood.
Is Rockfish The Same As Red Snapper?
While they’re similar because they’re both mild, white, slightly sweet fish, Pacific rockfish and red snapper are not the same. Red snapper is very popular and many of the fish sold as red snapper are actually rockfish.
How Do You Know When Rockfish Is Done?
Fish is finished cooking when it reaches an internal temperature of 145F. Some people also use the fork test. To do this, gently twist a fork into the fish at the thickest point. If it flakes easily, it’s finished cooking. It’s always best and the most accurate to judge doneness using the internal temperature though.
What Should I Season Fish With?
My favorite way to season fish is with a combination of fresh herbs, lemon, capers, and butter. It creates a flavorful, savory, and bright combination that pairs incredibly well with fresh fish.
What To Eat Rockfish With
The flavor of this rockfish recipe is so amazing on its own, so I try to keep the side dishes relatively simple to let the flavor of the fish shine through. I like serving it with seasoned rice or some lemony Greek potatoes and some simple buttered boiled green beans.
Keep In Touch
I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe in the comments or on Instagram! @KeyToMyLime #KeyToMyLime
Seafood Recipes
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out all of our other shrimp and fish recipes. Some reader favorites are:
- Shrimp Kabobs
- Air Fryer Fish Tacos
- Air Fryer Tilapia
- Kani Salad
- Brown Sugar Soy Sauce Salmon
- Garlic Butter Salmon
- Honey Garlic Shrimp
BEST Pan-Seared Rockfish with Lemon Butter Sauce
The best rockfish recipe! This mild, flaky, white fish is coated in the best lemon butter pan sauce that’s seasoned with capers and parsley.
Ingredients
- 2 rockfish fillets (about 4 ounces each)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter (divided)
- 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon capers (drained)
- 1/2 Tablespoon fresh dill (finely chopped)
- 1/2 Tablespoon fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- Additional lemon wedges (for serving)
Instructions
- Rinse the rockfish fillets under cool running water and pat them dry with paper towels. Make sure to remove as much moisture as you can to help prevent the fish from sticking to the pan and help it brown better.
- Rub a very small amount of oil on both sides of the fillets, then season both sides of each fillet evenly with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Place the flour in a shallow dish. Dredge each seasoned fillet in the flour, shaking off the excess.
- Heat a large stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil and 1/2 Tablespoon of butter. Once the butter is melted and the oil is hot, add the fillets to the skillet, and turn the heat down to medium.
- Cook for about 3-4 minutes, then use a thin metal spatula to flip the fish. The fish will release from the pan once it's ready to flip. If the fish is sticking, allow it to cook for 30 more seconds, then try again. Cook for about 3 more minutes or until the rockfish is golden brown and flakes easily with a fork.
- Carefully remove the fillets from the skillet, transfer to a plate, and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
- In the same skillet, reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the remaining butter, lemon juice, capers, fresh dill, and parsley.
- Stir and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, cooking for about 1-2 minutes or until the sauce is slightly thickened.
- Spoon the lemon-herb-caper butter sauce over the cooked rockfish fillets.
- Serve immediately with additional lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
If you prefer a more subtle caper flavor, you can rinse them before adding to the sauce.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1/2Amount Per Serving: Calories: 352Total Fat: 22.9gCarbohydrates: 13.5gFiber: 0.6gSugar: 0.3gProtein: 21.3g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
I hope you enjoy this pan-seared rockfish recipe as much as I do! It’s such a quick and simple dish, but it really is the best rockfish recipe!
