This pan-fried cod recipe is like no other! The cod fillets are cooked in a buttery wine sauce, allowing the fish to soak up so much flavor. You’re left with a flaky fork-tender fish exploding with flavor. The cod is beautifully enhanced with the white wine sauce, adding richness to every bite. Cod fish is so diverse, it can range from an incredible fish recipe like this, to homemade fish tacos.
A white fish, like cod, naturally pairs incredibly with butter. That is why our skillet-buttered cod is one of our best recipes!
One of the best parts of this cod recipe is that it will be ready in 15 minutes. The cod fillets are seasoned, then cooked in a tomato butter wine sauce and topped with fresh herbs. The tomatoes burst and release juices, complimenting the delicious wine and butter sauce.
If you’ve never tried a wine sauce, then you are missing out! Wine can bring such a depth of flavor and richness to our dish. Our chicken marsala recipe is made so delicious with a marsala wine. You can even use wine to create a rich pasta dish, like our chicken scampi pasta.
Why You Should Try This Recipe:
- Classy. The flavors in this dish are so elegant you’ll feel like you’re at a fancy restaurant.
- Easy recipe. This 15-minute recipe is too easy not to try.
- Meal prep. Make this fish in advance for an easy meal prep.
Ingredients:
- Cod – skinless cod filets.
- Spice blend – a blend of salt, ground black pepper, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder
- Wine sauce- unsalted butter, chicken broth, white wine, and cherry tomatoes make up the rich wine sauce.
How to Make Pan-Fried Cod
- In a small bowl, combine the seasoning ingredients and mix. Season the cod fillets on both sides.
- To a skillet that’s on medium-high heat, add broth, wine, and cherry tomatoes. Cook for five minutes or until tomatoes begin to burst and the alcohol cooks off.
- Add butter to the pan and stir it in until the butter melts.
- Add the cod fillets and pan fry for 3-4 minutes on each side. Flip and cook for 3-4 more minutes.
- Finish with fresh herbs and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
A delicate cod fillet is best served over fluffy white rice or mashed potatoes with a side of air-fried asparagus.
How to Store Cod
Refrigerate: Store leftovers of cod in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Reheat: Warm up the fish on low-medium heat until reheated.
Freeze: We don’t recommend freezing the cooked cod because the fish is delicate, and being thawed and reheated will ruin the texture.
Recipe FAQs
Use any dry white wine for this recipe, and I used an inexpensive Chardonnay with excellent results.
This wine sauce pairs best with a white fish. You can use flounder, halibut, and even tilapia!
Although the wine adds incredible flavor to the dish, you can substitute it for chicken broth.
Try These Other Seafood Recipes:
- Flounder with Vegetable Recipe – one-skillet wonder.
- Bang Bang Shrimp – Bonefish copycat recipe for fried shrimp.
- Blackened Tilapia Recipe – so quick to make.
- Creamy Vegetable Tilapia – an unforgettable casserole.
If you tried this pan-fried cod recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below – we appreciate it!
Cod Recipe in Butter Wine Sauce
Ingredients
cod-
- 1 1/2 lbs fresh cod fillets
- 5 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup white dry wine
- 6 oz cherry tomatoes
- herbs chopped (cilantro or parsley)
cod seasoning-
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground paprika
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp chili powder
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the seasoning. Combine the salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, garlic and chili powder.
- Season cod on all sides.
- In a skillet, over med heat, add the broth, wine and cherry tomatoes, cook 5 minutes or until tomatoes start to burst and release juices.
- Add butter, cook until butter melts, stirring the sauce.
- Once butter melts add the cod. Cook over medium/high heat 3-4 minutes on each side, flipping halfway through the cooking. (DON'T over cook the cod.)
- Pour sauce over cod. Add fresh chopped herbs and serve.
Notes
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers of cod in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Reheat: Warm up the fish on low-medium heat until reheated.