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Home > Condiments, Sauces & Seasonings > Best Lemon Butter Sauce

Best Lemon Butter Sauce

Last updated April 21, 2021. Originally posted April 21, 2021 By Jyothi Rajesh Leave a Comment

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lemony buttery sauce in small bowl with text
lemony buttery sauce in small bowl with text

Lemon butter sauce takes only 15 minutes to make that has restaurant quality flavors. This rich, deliciously lemony, buttery sauce is perfect with pan fried fish, scallops, lobster, shrimp, veggies, chicken and even stir with pasta.

small bowl of rich lemon butter sauce
Jump to:
  • Why is this sauce worth making at home?
  • Ingredients you’ll need:
  • How to make lemon butter sauce?
  • Helpful Tips
  • Serve lemon butter sauce on:
  • FAQS
  • 📋Best Lemon Butter Sauce

Why is this sauce worth making at home?

1. Enjoy luxury meal at the comfort of your home! Why go to posh restaurant when you can make restaurant quality sauce at home that pairs perfectly with pan fried fish.
2. It’s so easy to make. Takes 15 minutes to make this rich lemony buttery sauce.
3. Basic minimal ingredients needed. All you need is just 4 ingredients for lemon butter sauce recipe.
4. The sauce can be used on any dish to elevate it’s taste and flavor, use it on veggies, chicken and stir it with pasta.
5. A great make-ahead sauce that keeps well refrigerated.

Ingredients you’ll need:

Here’s what you’ll need-

For lemon butter sauce:

  • 6 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper, fine ground
  • 1 tablespoon hot water

For pan fried fish:

  • White fish fillet
  • 3 tablespoon flour
  • 2 teaspoon paprika
  • Salt and pepper to taste
all ingredients for lemon butter sauce on white board

The key to rich buttery sauce is brown butter. Butter and lemon are best together. But to make it incredible brown butter is what you need! Brown butter adds nutty toasty  complex flavor to the sauce.

Entire butter is not turned to brown butter. In this recipe, small portion of butter is turned to brown butter, and the rest is stirred with lemon juice. By doing this you get slightly creamy sauce without adding any diary or cream into it.

Always use fresh squeezed lemon juice. Bottle juice might be tempting and easy to use, but don’t! Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds the crispy zing flavor to the sauce.

Use fine ground pepper (or white ground pepper) in lemon butter sauce recipe.

lemony buttery sauce in small bowl

Additional ingredients & substitutions

To keep it pure and simple fresh lemon juice and butter is all you need. The resulting lemon butter sauce is rich with toasty flavors that can be used on any dish to elevate it’s flavors.

If you like you can elevate the flavors of this sauce by adding additional ingredients like:

  • Garlic – fresh minced garlic sauted in butter or garlic powder can be used.
  • Capers – to make exclusive lemon butter sauce for fish a few capers chopped and added to sauce adds wonderful flavors.
  • Dill – fresh dill adds amazing flavors to the sauce.
  • White wine – adds luxury restaurant quality flavors to the sauce.
  • Cream – to make creamy lemon butter sauce, cream is whisked with the sauce. This creamy sauce can be used on any dish like pan fried chicken.
small bowl of rich lemon butter sauce

How to make lemon butter sauce?

It’s easy to make this lemon butter sauce at home which has restaurant quality flavors. When paired with pan fried fish, you have a luxury meal. Insanely delicious!

Cook fish or other seafood on which you want to use the sauce first.

  • Use white fish fillet, season with salt pepper and paprika on both sides. Rub the spice mix to coat evenly.
  • Coat fish in plain flour on both sides, shake off excess flour.
  • Heat vegetable oil or canola oil in a pan. Fry fish in pan for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
  • Remove fish on to a plate and leave aside until use.
step by step pictorial collage of pan fried fish

Use silver based sauce pan or skillet while browning butter.  Light based pan really helps you tell when butter turns brown and it’s ready.

  1. Take 2 tablespoon of butter and add it to silver based skillet pan. Place it on medium-low heat. Do not increase heat. It’s crucial to heat butter in medium-low heat. Butter needs all your attention.
  2. Keep swirling the butter every now and then. Butter will first foam up and form bubbles (the water content in butter) and then slowly begin to change color.
  3. When it turns golden brown, you should be able to smell nutty flavor.
  4. Remove pan immediately from heat as butter will go from golden brown to burnt in few seconds! Do not burn butter.
  5. Pour brown butter into a small bowl and leave aside.
step by step pictorial collage of making brown butter
  1. Clean the skillet with kitchen towel.
  2. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt and fine ground pepper. Whisk and cook on low flame until lemon juice is reduced to half.
  3. Remove skillet from heat, whisk in 2 tablespoon of butter until fully melted.
  4. Place the skillet back on low heat and whisk remaining butter little at a time. Don’t rush the process by increasing heat. If heat is too high, the sauce will separate! Low heat is crucial to get smooth sauce.
  5. Once all butter in added to the sauce, remove the skillet off stove.
  6. Stir in prepared brown butter. Whisk until combined.
  7. Viola slightly creamy, nutty, lemony, buttery sauce is ready!
step by step pictorial collage of making lemon butter sauce

It’s rich! Use it sparingly on pan fried fish, scallops, shrimp, salmon, on veggies, or stir with pasta.

Helpful Tips

  1. Use silver based sauce pan or skillet while browning butter.  Light based pan really helps you tell when butter turns brown and it’s ready.
  2. Butter needs all your attention. Butter should be heat on low or medium-low flame. Do not get tempted to crank up the heat to medium-high. Butter will go from brown butter to burnt very fast.
  3. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for fresh zingy flavor.
  4. Lemon butter sauce solidifies as it cools down. If it hardens, simply microwave it for 10 seconds only in microwave. It you over reheat the sauce, it can separate.
  5. Lemon butter sauce is RICH sauce with loads of flavors. Use small amounts of the sauce on the dish.
small bowl with lemon butter sauce

Serve lemon butter sauce on:

This bright, yellow lemon sauce makes an excellent sauce for seafood.

Use it sparingly on

  • pan fried fish,
  • drizzle over scallops,
  • with shrimps,
  • great addition to lobsters.

This sauce elevates the flavor and taste of green vegetables like:

  • Broccoli,
  • Asparagus,
  • Beans,
  • Brussels sprouts,
  • Artichokes.

Don’t just stop there.

Drizzle on ravioli pasta or pan grilled chicken.

pan fried fish with lemon butter sauce

FAQS

Too many steps in the recipe! Can I just brown all butter instead?

While you can simplify the recipe by browning all butter and adding lemon juice to it, I suggest give the actual recipe a try. You’ll love how the sauce has slight creamy texture and looks bright yellow lemon instead of all brown sauce.
By browning small portion of butter, you are enhancing the flavor of sauce. And by slowly stirring in butter, you add slight creamy element to it. Together it gives you insanely delicious sauce. Trust me and follow the recipe!

Can I use bottled lemon juice?

No don’t! While it may be tempting to use bottled juice, freshly squeezed lemon juice is what adds fresh zingy flavor to the sauce. Bottled juice is too zingy and will alter the taste and balance of the sauce.

My sauce separated! What did I do wrong?

Your heat was too high while making the sauce. Always cook butter on medium-low heat. Don’t rush the process by increasing heat. If heat is too high, the sauce will separate! Low heat is crucial to get smooth sauce.

Why my sauce turn solid?

It’s best to cook fish or sea food or chicken or pasta first and then make your sauce. That way you can use the sauce on the dish immediately when it’s ready. If you delay to use the sauce once it’s ready, it will solidify.
Don’t worry if sauce solidifies. You can reheat in microwave for 10 seconds. Please do not over heat sauce as too much heat may separate the sauce.

How can I store leftover lemon butter sauce?

You can make lemon butter sauce 30 minutes ahead of time as it will stay warm and can be used. If there are leftovers you can store in airtight containers refrigerated for about 2 days.
Before serving, reheat sauce in microwave for 10 seconds only. Do not over heat.

pan fried fish with lemon butter sauce

MORE FISH RECIPES:

Garlic Lemon Baked Tilapia

Tilapia Fish Tacos

Baked Filet-O-Fish Burger

Spicy Indian Fish Curry

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small bowl of rich lemon butter sauce
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📋Best Lemon Butter Sauce

Jyothi Rajesh
Lemon butter sauce takes only 15 minutes to make that has restaurant quality flavors. This rich, deliciously lemony, buttery sauce is perfect with pan fried fish, scallops, lobster, shrimp, veggies, chicken and even stir with pasta.
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Prep Time 7 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Course condiments, Sauces
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 217

Ingredients
  

For lemon butter sauce:

  • 6 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper fine ground
  • 1 tablespoon hot water

For pan fried fish:

  • 1 White fish fillet
  • 3 tablespoon flour
  • 2 teaspoon paprika
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Cook fish or other seafood on which you want to use the sauce first.
    Use white fish fillet, season with salt pepper and paprika on both sides. Rub the spice mix to coat evenly.
  • Coat fish in plain flour on both sides, shake off excess flour.
  • Heat vegetable oil or canola oil in a pan. Fry fish in pan for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
  • Remove fish on to a plate and leave aside until use.
  • Use silver based sauce pan or skillet while browning butter.
  • Take 3 tablespoon of butter and add it to silver based skillet pan. Place it on medium-low heat. Do not increase heat. It’s crucial to heat butter in medium-low heat. Butter needs all your attention.
  • Keep swirling the butter every now and then. Butter will first foam up and form bubbles (the water content in butter) and then slowly begin to change color.
  • When it turns golden brown, you should be able to smell nutty flavor.
  • Remove pan immediately from heat as butter will go from golden brown to burnt in few seconds! Do not burn butter.
  • Pour brown butter into a small bowl and leave aside.
  • Clean the skillet with kitchen towel.
  • Add freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt and fine ground pepper. Whisk and cook on low flame until lemon juice is reduced to half.
  • Remove skillet from heat, whisk in 2 tablespoon of butter until fully melted.
  • Place the skillet back on low heat and whisk remaining butter little at a time. Don’t rush the process by increasing heat. If heat is too high, the sauce will separate! Low heat is crucial to get smooth sauce.
  • Once all butter in added to the sauce, remove the skillet off stove.
  • Stir in prepared brown butter. Whisk until combined.
  • Viola slightly creamy, nutty, lemony, buttery sauce is ready!
  • It’s rich! Use it sparingly on pan fried fish, scallops, shrimp, salmon, on veggies, or stir with pasta.

Video

Notes

  1. Use silver based sauce pan or skillet while browning butter. Light based pan really helps you tell when butter turns brown and it’s ready.
  2. Butter needs all your attention. Butter should be heat on low or medium-low flame. Do not get tempted to crank up the heat to medium-high. Butter will go from brown butter to burnt very fast.
  3. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for fresh zingy flavor.
  4. Lemon butter sauce solidifies as it cools down. If it hardens, simply microwave it for 10 seconds only in microwave. It you over reheat the sauce, it can separate.
  5. Lemon butter sauce is RICH sauce with loads of flavors. Use small amounts of the sauce on the dish.
 
Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that nutritional information provided is only a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 217kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 9gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 464mgPotassium: 172mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1018IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 1mg
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Jyothi - Author of Curry Trail.

Welcome, I'm Jyothi

My food philosophy is simple, fresh and full of flavors! I love ‘spicy’ food. In fact so much so that I can skip dessert for extra spicy savory food!

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