This easy and impressive Baked Walleye Recipe with Lemon Butter will have the whole family asking for seconds! Bake this simple white fish dish with asparagus or green beans in the same pan with the lemon butter sauce, giving you a one-pan dinner in 15 minutes!
If you've been around very long, you know we're big fans of a quick and tasty walleye dish here at Weekday Pescatarian. Recipes like Sautéed Parmesan Walleye with Arugula Salad and Crispy Cornflake Baked Walleye are on regular rotation.
But one of the best things about this fish is how it can be used interchangeably with some of the most popular and widely-available fish in the world! So if you can't find walleye in your local grocery store, grab a pack of cod, grouper or haddock and you're just a few minutes away from a rockstar fish dinner.
More About Walleye:
Walleye is a freshwater fish originating in the upper Midwest of the United States (in the Lake Erie / Lake Michigan region) and in Canada. It is a mild-flavored white fish with a flaky texture. Walleye fillets are generally fairly thick and even, making them ideal for a wide variety of fish recipes.
If you can’t find walleye in your local grocery store’s fish counter, freezer or seafood market, substitute cod, hake, grouper or haddock in this recipe. Keep in mind walleye is a lake fish, so it will have a slightly milder flavor than the fish caught in sea water.
What you'll need to make this recipe:
Before we get into the step-by-step instructions, a few notes about the ingredients:
Fish: If you live in the midwest US, walleye is widely available and reasonably priced. Outside that region, use your favorite flaky white fish.
Seasonings: Salt, pepper and paprika are a great balance to the lemon garlic butter, but if you have an all-purpose seasoning mix you love, use that instead!
Full ingredient measurements and directions included in the printable recipe card below.
How to make baked walleye:
1. Make lemon butter sauce
Preheat oven to 400℉. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Combine butter and minced garlic in a heat-safe bowl or measuring cup in the microwave for about 45 seconds, until melted.
Add fresh lemon juice. Stir to combine.
2. Bake fish with fresh vegetables
Place fillets of walleye fish on the prepared baking sheet or in a shallow baking pan. (If cooking green beans or asparagus as a side dish, add the fresh veggies around the edges of the pan).
Sprinkle each fillet with paprika, salt and pepper, then pour lemon butter garlic sauce over the fish and veggies. Finally, top fish with lemon slices.
Transfer pan to the preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until fillets reach 145℉ and fish flakes easily.
3. Garnish and serve
Top lemon butter fish with diced fresh parsley and spoon lemon butter garlic sauce over fillets. Serve baked walleye with lemon wedges and Mediterranean lemon dill rice.
Note: Cook times will vary based on the thickness of your fish fillets. For precision, monitor as the fish cooks using a meat thermometer, or test for flaky fish factor at 12 minutes and add a few minutes baking time, as needed.
Wondering what to serve with your perfect baked walleye? Check out 21 Best Sides for Walleye!
FAQ's and Variations:
I used frozen and thawed walleye fillets in this recipe and the final dish was perfectly tender and delicious. When thawing any flaky white fish, I like to put the frozen fillets on a rack over a baking pan in the refrigerator overnight, allowing excess water to drain from the fillets as they thaw. Before covering in the lemon butter garlic sauce, dry well to remove any last bits of water.
Fresh dill, fresh basil or fresh chives would all be lovely in this baked fish dish.
Absolutely. To modify this recipe for stovetop cooking, make the garlic butter sauce, as described in the directions. Start a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Cook the seasoned walleye fillets for 2-3 minutes on the first side, then flip the fish, reduce the heat to medium and add the lemon butter garlic sauce to the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the fish is cooked through. Remove from heat, top with fresh herbs and serve with lemon wedges.
To store, transfer leftover cooked walleye fillets and vegetables to an airtight container or resealable plastic bag and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Most flaky white fish, including walleye, is best cooked to 145℉.
Walleye skin can be eaten, so you don't have to remove it before cooking. Even if you prefer not to eat the fish skin, this baked recipe makes it easy to cook the fish, then use a fish spatula or other thin spatula to simply lift the cooked fillet off the skin. So you can serve skinless walleye fillets, with the skin left on the baking sheet.
Easy Baked Walleye Recipe with Lemon Butter
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
4 (6 ounce) fresh walleye fillets (or frozen and thawed)
4 tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Lemon, sliced
Flat leaf parsley, diced, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Prepare a baking sheet by covering the pan with a sheet of parchment paper. Combine butter and minced garlic in a heat-safe small bowl or measuring cup in the microwave for about 45 seconds, until the butter is fully melted. Remove melted butter and garlic and add the fresh squeezed lemon juice. Stir to combine.
- Dry walleye fillets well using paper towels or a tea towel. Place fish fillets in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. (If cooking green beans or asparagus, add around the edges of the pan). Sprinkle each fillet with paprika salt and pepper, then pour the melted butter garlic sauce over the fish and veggies. Add a thin lemon slice to the top of each fillet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until internal temperature of fish reaches 145℉ and flakes easily.
- Remove from the oven, top with diced fresh parsley and serve immediately with lemon wedges and Mediterranean rice.
Notes
Substitute cod, haddock, hake or your favorite flaky white fish in this recipe.
Cook times will vary based on the thickness of your fish fillets. For precision, monitor as the fish cooks using an instant read thermometer, or test for flaky fish factor at 10-12 minutes and add a 2-3 minutes baking time, as needed.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: Easy Recipes
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Jill
My family caught a ton of walleye and crappie on a recent fishing trip. I made this recipe for my husband, and he couldn't stop saying, "This is so good!" I'll be making this on repeat with all that fish in my freezer. Thanks for sharing such a yummy recipe!
Christina Jolam
I love hearing this Jill! Sounds like you have a fun, fish-loving family! 😉