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    Home » Seafood

    Lingcod Recipe: Pan-Seared Fish with Lemon Caper Sauce

    Published: Aug 11, 2020 · Modified: Oct 8, 2024 · 39 Comments

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Save Recipe Saved!

    This decadent lingcod recipe features pan-seared fish cooked in butter and oil, and topped with an easy lemon caper pan sauce.

    pan-seared lingcod on a plate.

    We've been eating lots of wild Alaska seafood this summer.

    It's been wonderful.

    Our community supported fishery deliveries have included sablefish, cod, halibut, and the prized Alaska lingcod.

    We've happily enjoyed teriyaki sablefish, sweet chili sablefish, broiled cod, broiled halibut, and halibut tacos.

    When the lingcod arrived, I started researching all things lingcod. Then I moved onto the delicious part, testing lingcod recipes like Panko lingcod and baked lingcod.

    What Is Lingcod?

    Despite the name, lingcod is not a type of ling fish and it is not a type of cod.

    Alaska lingcod is a type of greenling, a bottom dwelling fish.

    Lingcod is dense and mild, and while it doesn't taste just like halibut, the two fish are very similar. If you've got a halibut recipe that you love, you can swap the halibut for lingcod.

    And guys, that's exactly what I did.

    This pan-seared lingcod is based on two of my favorite fish recipes: Julia Child's fish meunière (fish in butter sauce) and this pan-seared halibut with lemon caper sauce.

    What If I Can't Find Lingcod for This Recipe?

    Lingcod is (admittedly) not always easy to find!

    If you can't find lingcod, halibut is the best swap in this recipe.

    That said, this recipe uses a basic pan-searing technique that would be delicious with lots of different types of fish.

    When swapping lingcod for other fish, keep in mind that the cook time will change depending on the thickness of your fish. Also, delicate fish will be more difficult to pan-sear than sturdy, dense fish (like lingcod and halibut).

    How to Make Pan-Seared Lingcod

    Start by patting your (thawed, room-temperature) lingcod dry.

    Dust the fish with flour. If you're gluten-free, it's fine to use an all-purpose gluten-free flour such as Cup 4 Cup.

    Next, add oil and butter to a heavy pan. I use this Lodge 12" carbon steel skillet.

    Wait for the butter to melt, and then add the lingcod to the pan.

    Add Lingcod to Hot Pan.
    Add Lingcod to Hot Pan

    Cook the fillets for about 4 minutes, or until a thin metal spatula will easily slide under each fillet.

    If the fish sticks to the pan and doesn't want to release, wait 30 seconds and try again.

    Flip the fish, and top each fillet with a knob of butter.

    Flip fish + Top with Butter.
    Flip Lingcod + Top with Butter

    Cook another 3-4 minutes, and then remove the fish from the pan.

    Add a little lemon juice and some capers, and stir, stir, stir.

    Add a few herbs, stir again, and turn off the heat.

    Add Lemon Juice, Capers, + Herbs to Pan.
    Add Lemon Juice, Capers, + Herbs to Pan

    Serve the lingcod right away, along with the pan-sauce and your favorite side dishes. I like to serve mine with Instant Pot jasmine rice, garlic cauliflower mash, and honey balsamic brussels sprouts.

    pan-seared lingcod on a plate.
    pan-seared lingcod on a plate
    Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    4.92 from 37 votes

    Lingcod Recipe: Pan-Seared Fish with Lemon Caper Sauce

    This decadent lingcod recipe features pan-seared fish cooked in butter and oil, and topped with an easy lemon caper pan sauce.
    Author: Sarah Trenalone
    Prep Time2 minutes mins
    Cook Time10 minutes mins
    Total Time12 minutes mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: French
    Servings: 2 people
    Calories: 289kcal
    Freezer Friendly?
    No
    Will It Keep?
    No
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 8 ounces lingcod (~2 fillets)
    • 1 tablespoon flour Use gluten-free AP flour if needed
    • pinch salt, pepper
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons butter, divided
    • 1 lemon, juiced
    • 1 tablespoon capers
    • small handful fresh herbs (such as fresh rosemary, chives, or oregano)

    Instructions

    • Pat lingcod fillets dry.  Dust with flour, and shake off any excess.  Sprinkle them on both sides with salt and pepper.
      Prepare a heavy pan with the olive oil and 1 TB butter. Heat on medium-high until butter is melted but not browned, then turn the heat down to medium.
      Place the fillets in the pan and cook about 4 minutes. Don't touch the fillets until they're ready to flip.
      Add Lingcod to Hot Pan
    • Use a thin metal spatula to test the fish.  If you can slide the spatula under the fish without the fish sticking to the pan, it's ready to flip. If the fillets won't release, give them another 30 seconds. They'll release when they've finished cooking.
      After flipping, divide the remaining 1 TB butter over both fillets.
      Flip Lingcod + Top with Butter
    • Cook fish another 3-4 minutes until done. Fish will be golden on both the top and bottom and opaque all the way through when finished cooking.
      Transfer the fish to plates, leaving the excess butter in the pan. Cover fish to keep warm, or set fish in a 200ºF oven.
      Reduce heat to medium.  Add the lemon juice and capers, and stir with a wooden spoon. Add half the herbs and stir again. 
      Serve fish hot with pan sauce and remaining herbs.
      Add Lemon Juice, Capers, + Herbs to Pan

    Nutrition

    Calories: 289kcal (14%) | Carbohydrates: 8g (3%) | Protein: 21g (42%) | Fat: 20g (31%) | Saturated Fat: 8g (50%) | Cholesterol: 89mg (30%) | Sodium: 287mg (12%) | Potassium: 570mg (16%) | Fiber: 2g (8%) | Sugar: 1g (1%) | Vitamin A: 350IU (7%) | Vitamin C: 29mg (35%) | Calcium: 30mg (3%) | Iron: 1mg (6%)
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!

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    About Sarah Trenalone

    Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. She's a photographer, food writer and traveler, and is certified in Backcountry Kitchen and Backcountry Navigation from the Colorado Outward Bound School and Identifying Wild Plants from Backpacker.

    4.92 from 37 votes (17 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




    Comments

    All commentsI made this
    1. Richard Bury says

      October 21, 2020 at 4:01 pm

      I fish Alaska a lot. My two favorites are sablefish and lingcod; both are delicious!

      Reply
      • Sarah Trenalone says

        October 21, 2020 at 6:03 pm

        That's so cool!! And I totally agree, both sablefish and lingcod are AMAAAAZING!

        Reply
        • Jason says

          May 21, 2025 at 1:07 am

          Yummy recipe, but I've found I either need to salt+pepper the fish before coating in flour or mix S&P into the flour before coating the filets, otherwise the seasoning won't stick.

          I tried it first with a blend of fresh rosemary, oregano and chives I already had. I'll make it again tomorrow and am still deciding on the herbs. I think I want some tarragon in there. I may add some minced shallot to the sauce as well.

          Reply
    2. Judi says

      July 02, 2021 at 9:52 pm

      5 stars
      Just made this tonight....sooo good, easy and fast, top of the stove for these hot days...thank you so much!!!

      Reply
      • Alisha Trenalone says

        July 03, 2021 at 9:38 am

        Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for letting us know!

        -Alisha at Champagne Tastes

        Reply
    3. Sara says

      October 07, 2021 at 12:11 pm

      5 stars
      Bought fresh ling cod at the fish market, caught that morning, and found this recipe. Never made ling cod before and I swear, I could eat this every day. It was delicious! Thank you! Will be making it again (and again.)

      Reply
      • Sara says

        October 07, 2021 at 12:17 pm

        Meant to add that I didn't use flour and it is also perfect without. Flour isn't necessary for this scrumptuous dish!

        Reply
        • Sarah Trenalone says

          October 07, 2021 at 1:06 pm

          Yay! So glad you enjoyed 🙂

          Reply
    4. Lynne says

      December 16, 2021 at 12:37 am

      5 stars
      Excellent!

      Reply
      • Alisha Trenalone says

        December 16, 2021 at 3:39 pm

        Thanks!

        -Alisha at Champagne Tastes

        Reply
    5. Megan says

      January 20, 2022 at 7:59 pm

      5 stars
      This is a good one! Very flavourful.

      Reply
      • Alisha Trenalone says

        January 21, 2022 at 11:34 am

        So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for letting us know!

        -Alisha at Champagne Tastes

        Reply
    6. JR says

      May 17, 2022 at 11:12 pm

      5 stars
      This was very yummy. I added shallots and only had green onions and basil, but it was great!

      Reply
      • Alisha Trenalone says

        May 18, 2022 at 10:09 am

        Thanks so much for letting us know, we're glad you enjoyed!!

        -Alisha at Champagne Tastes

        Reply
    7. Joanne Benser says

      August 08, 2022 at 11:18 pm

      5 stars
      I made this using fresh caught blue ling cod and rockfish. It was very good with both! The only thing I would add was another lemon.

      Reply
      • Alisha Trenalone says

        August 09, 2022 at 1:50 pm

        Glad you enjoyed it so much! Thanks a bunch for letting us know 🙂

        -Alisha at Champagne Tastes

        Reply
    8. Heather Poole says

      November 06, 2022 at 10:11 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely delish! Simple and full of taste, served with a Mexican verde rice and sauteed yellow peppers, accompanied with an Italian pecorino wine. Fab!

      Reply
      • Alisha Trenalone says

        November 07, 2022 at 2:04 pm

        Fantastic, thanks for letting us know!

        -Alisha at Champagne Tastes

        Reply
    9. Tammy says

      November 17, 2022 at 12:08 pm

      4 stars
      It was so simple yet delicious. The change I made, which I think was critical, was cooking the sauce in a separate pan vs. the one the fish was cooked in. I think my fish turned out perfectly cooked, but there were some burned bits in the pan that would have transferred to the sauce. I also missed adding the fresh herbs, but it didn't matter. I did add a little garlic powder. Served w/ cauliflower mashed potatoes and my husband loved it!

      Reply
      • Alisha Trenalone says

        November 17, 2022 at 1:05 pm

        Glad you enjoyed!

        -Alisha at Champagne Tastes

        Reply
    10. A.E.R. says

      November 20, 2022 at 2:09 am

      5 stars
      A neighbor gave me 3 lingcod fillets from his successful day of fishing. The Googler led me to this recipe. This dish is light yet packed with flavor. Be sure to use a good, grass fed and high fat content butter. 🙂

      Reply
      • Alisha Trenalone says

        November 20, 2022 at 7:40 pm

        Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for letting us know!

        -Alisha at Champagne Tastes

        Reply
    11. Jim Brookes says

      March 18, 2023 at 12:33 pm

      5 stars
      Easy to make and tastes great. This recipe is a keeper.

      Reply
      • Alisha Trenalone says

        March 18, 2023 at 12:44 pm

        So glad you enjoyed! Thanks for letting us know, Jim!

        -Alisha at Champagne Tastes

        Reply
    12. Kathy says

      August 08, 2023 at 7:37 pm

      5 stars
      This was so easy and fast and delicious!

      Reply
      • Alisha Trenalone says

        August 09, 2023 at 3:17 pm

        Wonderful, so glad you enjoyed!

        -Alisha at Champagne Tastes

        Reply
    13. Kelly says

      August 13, 2023 at 3:27 pm

      5 stars
      Made this last night with some ling cod we caught in Alaska last month and we loved it! Great flavor without taking away the flavor of the fish.

      Reply
      • Alisha Trenalone says

        August 13, 2023 at 6:33 pm

        Wow, congrats on getting that lingcod! And thanks for letting us know you enjoyed the recipe 😄

        -Alisha at Champagne Tastes

        Reply
    14. James says

      August 18, 2023 at 10:55 pm

      5 stars
      This was super easy and so delicious! My neighbor caught a beautiful lingcod along the Sonoma County coast yesterday and gave me large fillet. After cooking per the recipe, I added fresh picked sun gold cherry tomatoes from my garden into the sauce, cut in half and sauteed briefly in the pan prior to pouring over the fish. So good!

      Reply
      • Alisha Trenalone says

        August 19, 2023 at 2:27 pm

        That sounds amazing! Congrats on such a wonderful meal (and a kind neighbor!) 😊

        -Alisha at Champagne Tastes

        Reply
    15. Kitty says

      August 30, 2023 at 7:25 pm

      3 stars
      Lemon (anything acidic) harms the seasoning of carbon steel and cast iron pans. Use stainless steel. Otherwise a great recipe.

      Reply
    16. Rick says

      September 28, 2023 at 12:44 am

      5 stars
      fast, easy and very very tasty.

      Reply
      • Alisha Trenalone says

        September 28, 2023 at 6:47 pm

        Thanks for the kind words!

        -Alisha at Champagne Tastes

        Reply
    17. Aimée Searle says

      December 13, 2023 at 3:43 pm

      5 stars
      So glad I found this recipe again.
      it is the best way I have found to prepare Ling Cod.
      I till have lots of fillets to finish this winter before my man goes fishing in Northern BC again next Spring/Summer.

      Reply
      • Alisha Trenalone says

        December 14, 2023 at 2:57 pm

        An abundance of fish, nice! Glad you enjoy the recipe.

        -Alisha at Champagne Tastes

        Reply
    18. Theresia Harris says

      October 17, 2024 at 4:47 pm

      5 stars
      We loved this simple and elegant recipe for Ling Cod. Thank you.

      Reply
    19. Cathy says

      November 26, 2024 at 8:16 am

      5 stars
      Excellent, and so easy!! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    20. Jennifer says

      January 22, 2025 at 9:26 pm

      5 stars
      I made this and It is delicious. I used a cast iron skillet and dried rosemary and oregano as I didn’t have fresh.

      Reply
    21. Cathy Hicks says

      March 30, 2025 at 6:09 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    bio

    Hi, I'm Sarah! I'm a traveler who loves to eat.   Follow along to join me on my next adventure-- in food or on the road.

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