Melt the butter: Add the butter to an 8 x 8-inch baking dish. Set the baking dish in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
4 tbsp unsalted butter
Meanwhile, prepare the batter: In a bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest by rubbing them together to release the oils. Then, add the flour, salt, and baking powder and whisk to incorporate evenly. Add the milk and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.
½ cup granulated sugar, 2 tsp lemon zest (about 1 lemon), ¾ cup all-purpose flour, ¾ tsp kosher salt, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, ⅔ cup whole milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract
Assemble: Once the butter is melted in the oven, about 4-6 minutes, remove the baking dish. Pour the batter into the baking dish with the melted butter. There is no need to stir. Add the quartered strawberries directly on top of the batter.
4 cups strawberries
Bake in the preheated oven until the cobbler is golden and set in the middle, 45-55 minutes. Once baked, remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes before serving.