Cod With Harissa Butter and Lemon
Published Oct. 3, 2025
- Total Time
- 15 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 10 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 4tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 to 2tablespoons harissa paste
- Zest of ½ lemon (optional), plus 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1teaspoon honey
- 1garlic clove, minced or crushed through a press
- Salt and black pepper
- 4cod fillets (5 to 7 ounces each), with or without skin
- 1½tablespoons olive oil
- Chopped fresh parsley (optional), for garnish
- Steamed vegetables, rice, couscous or bread, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
308 calories; 18 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 31 grams protein; 521 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a small bowl, mix the softened butter, 1 tablespoon harissa, the lemon zest (if using), 1 teaspoon lemon juice and the honey and garlic until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper, then taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more harissa or lemon juice as desired. Set aside.
- Step 2
Pat the cod fillets dry with paper towels. Season all sides with salt and pepper.
- Step 3
Heat the oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cod (skin-side down if the fillets are skin-on) and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on one side, until the fish fillets release easily from the pan.
- Step 4
Gently flip the fillets, then place about ½ tablespoon of the harissa butter on each one and add the remaining harissa butter to the pan. Continue to cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the cod is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork and the harissa butter has turned into a glossy sauce.
- Step 5
Garnish with parsley if desired and serve immediately with your choice of side.
Private Notes
Comments
SO GOOD..used the full 2 Tablespoons of Harissa (Belazu Rose Harissa) and the lemon zest. Served the fish on a nest of tagliatelle; side of simply steamed broccoli, both of which benefitted from the pan sauce; lemon wedges to serve. Excellent flavor.Very easy recipe; highly recommend!But I would do things differently next time; the thicker portions of the cod held together well, but the thinner tail sections just fell apart; a firmer fish like sea bass, halibut or snapper might work better here
Used snapper since I couldn't find any cod at the store. Delicious! Soaked up the sauce with fresh ciabatta. Had rainbow carrots from the farmer's market roasted in the oven as a side dish.
This sauce is delicious. Made it as written with cod the first time, and then with wild sockeye salmon a couple of days later. I think this sauce would also be great with shrimp or even chicken thighs.
This dish really punches above its weight for how easy it is. The dish came together in about 10 minutes total. The harissa butter was a great way to mute some of the crazy spicy flavors of the harissa, but still get the heat and bring out some of the other spices in the sauce. I can’t eat dairy so I opted for a plant-based butter instead of oil and I think it worked out better because it was emulsified. I paired it with basmati and coconut turmeric cabbage. I’m adding this to my weeknight rotation of meals. It was delicious.
YUM! Cut back on the honey and it hit all the right notes. The cod really soaked up the flavors. We had plenty of pan sauce to drizzle over couscous and cauliflower roasted with harissa and cumin.
I want to make this with skin-on fish. But don’t understand why I would fry it ski side-down, flip it over and then put the butter mix on it? Shouldn’t the butter be on the flesh-side?