Crispy Fish with Sage Butter Sauce

If you’re looking for an easy recipe that will wow your guests, and your taste buds, make this Crispy Fish with Sage Butter Sauce. It is perfect for special occasions but easy enough for a weeknight!

You guys, if you’ve never had Sage Butter Sauce I am about to rock your world. This decadent, butter sauce is one of those recipes that elevates any dish but is ridiculously easy to make. 

I first had this dish when Ryan and I were in Italy. It was served just like this, over some perfectly flaky, fried fish. We went to Italy in 2009 and I still think about this dish. That is how delicious it is. I love the rustic simplicity of it and I think you will too. 

Let’s talk about what you need to make it: 

Ingredients to make Fish with Sage Butter Sauce: 

• FISH: When I first had this dish, the fish was perch. Perch isn’t widely available in my area so I went with cod. You can use any kind of mild white fish that you prefer. This would work well with tilapia, rockfish or halibut as well. 
• FLOUR/EGGS/PANKO: You’ll set up an assembly line with flour, eggs and panko in three separate bowls. This will be used to coat the fish. 
• OLIVE OIL: Used for pan frying the fish. 
• UNSALTED BUTTER: It’s best to use unsalted butter in this dish so that you can control the salt intake. I used salted once and the result was a bit too salty for our tastes. 
• FRESH SAGE: You’ll need to use fresh sage leaves in this recipe (instead of the dried sage or ground sage). Not only will they give you the best flavor but the fresh leaves get crispy in the butter and they are simply divine. 

Step by Step Photos and Instructions: 

Now that you have the list of ingredients, let’s me walk you through just how easy it is to make this Crispy Fish with Sage Butter. 

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STEP #1: Season the fish with salt and pepper. Then dredge it in flour, dip it in egg and finally press it into panko bread crumbs. 

STEP #2: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Depending on the size of your skillet you may need to do this in batches. If you do, simply keep the cooked fish in a warm oven. 

STEP #3: While the fish is cooking, make the sage butter. Melt butter over low heat. Make sure to keep it low you don’t want to burn it. Once it has melted add sage. Cook over low heat until sage leaves start to brown. 

STEP #4: Drizzle sage butter over the top of cooked fish and serve. 

I am not sure what my favorite part about this is. The crispy flaky fish, the decadent sage butter sauce or the crispy sage leaves. It is just all so good. And it is these kind of simple, rustic meals that started my love affair with the kitchen and I hope it adds to yours too! 

STORAGE AND LEFTOVERS: 

This is really best eaten the day that it  is made as the fish won’t reheat very well without becoming over done. You can save the butter however, simply store it in the refrigerator and reheat over low heat. 

What to serve with Crispy Fish with Sage Butter?

I served this with Garlic Rice and some Blistered Asparagus and my family loved it! It was a great light weeknight meal.

If you want to make it a little heartier, try placing the fish on a bed of creamy homemade mashed potatoes and then drizzle the butter over the top of it all.

Note: This recipe was originally published in 2010. It was updated with new photos, nutritional information, and a recipe that makes a larger amount in 2022.