Sea Bass Recipes

My husband and I keep coming back to the same restaurant for special date nights, because they have the most amazing pesto crusted baked sea bass with a dreamy beurre blanc sauce. After all these years, I decided to try to recreate a homemade baked Chilean sea bass recipe. I skipped the pesto crust to keep it simple, but felt that the beurre blanc was a must. In just 20 minutes, you can have this restaurant-quality meal at home — and it’s the best Chilean sea bass recipe I’ve had yet.

Sea bass can be an expensive fish, so it’s perfect for special occasions, like anniversaries, date nights, Mother’s Day, or Valentine’s Day. But you can easily make this same recipe with other types of fish, such as cod or halibut.

Sea bass refers to a large family of cold water white fish species that live in the ocean, though not all of them are closely related. Chilean sea bass is not really sea bass at all — its real name is Patagonian toothfish — and comes from South American waters. Most people consider this the best sea bass variety of all.

Sea bass has a mild, delicate flavor and white flesh that is similar to cod or grouper. It’s buttery, tender, flaky, and doesn’t taste very fishy.

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for oven baked Chilean sea bass, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

1. First, pat sea bass dry with paper towels. …
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon butter. …
3. Cook for 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in microwave safe dish. …
5. After 5 minutes, flip fish. …
6. Slice lemons into round discs. …
7. Cook for 5 more minutes or until fish is flaky.

Pan Fried Sea Bass with Lemon Garlic Herb Sauce

This pan fried sea bass with lemon garlic herb sauce is packed with flavor from fresh herbs. It’s a delicious 20 minute Mediterranean recipe that’s perfect for a busy weeknight!

Prep: 10min

Total: 20min

Yield: 4

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 318 kcal, Carbohydrate 7 g, Protein 31 g, Fat 16 g, Saturated Fat 6 g, Cholesterol 158 mg, Sodium 883 mg, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter (divided)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1.5 lbs. sea bass (such as barramundi)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more if needed)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (plus more if needed)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1/4 cup dry white wine (such as savignon blanc)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock/broth (or water, in a pinch)
• juice of one lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano (roughly chopped)
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (roughly chopped)
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (roughly chopped)
• lemon wedges for serving (optional)

Instruction:

1. Pat the fish dry with a paper towel.
2. In a shallow dish, mix together the flour (1/4 cup), salt (1 teaspoon), and black pepper (1/2 teaspoon).
3. Dredge each piece of fish in the flour mixture, coating the entire surface, and shake off any excess.
4. In a large skillet, preferably stainless steel or nonstick, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium high heat and add the olive oil (1 tablespoon).
5. Cook the fish in the skillet for 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown and fully cooked. Try not to move the fish too much, especially if you are using a pan that isn’t nonstick, otherwise the fish may be more likely to stick to the bottom and not get browned as nicely.
6. Remove fish from the skillet to a plate.
7. Turn down the heat to low. Add the white wine (1/4 cup) to the skillet to deglaze, stirring up any browned bits. Continue heating until almost all the wine has evaporated.
8. Add one more tablespoon of butter to the skillet. Once it’s melted, add the minced garlic (2 cloves) and fresh herbs (1 tablespoon each of oregano, thyme, and parsley) to the skillet and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
9. Add the chicken broth (1/2 cup) and bring to a simmer. If sauce seems very thin, continue simmering until reduced and thicker to your liking.
10. Turn off heat and stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter and lemon juice (about 2 tablespoons). Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
11. Serve sauce on top of fish.

Chilean Sea Bass Recipe

This easy baked Chilean sea bass recipe is buttery, flaky, tender, and drizzled with a velvety smooth beurre blanc sauce. Ready in 20 minutes!

Prep: 5min

Total: 20min

Yield: 4

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 553 kcal, Carbohydrate 1.8 g, Protein 16.9 g, Fat 52.1 g, Saturated Fat 19.9 g, Trans Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 123.4 mg, Sodium 835.6 mg, Fiber 0.3 g, Sugar 0.7 g, unSaturated Fat 15.3 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 4 5-oz Chilean sea bass fillets ((or other sea bass variety))
• 3 tbsp Olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp Sea salt
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper
• 1/2 medium Shallot ((minced))
• 1/3 cup White wine
• 1 1/2 tbsp White wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp Heavy cream
• 1 tsp Lemon zest
• 1/2 cup Unsalted butter ((cut into small teaspoon-sized cubes, very cold, keep refrigerated until right before using))
• 1/4 tsp Sea salt ((to taste))

Instruction:

1. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the sea bass internal temperature reaches 135 to 140 degrees F, or the fish flakes easily with a fork. (For best results, use an instant-read thermometer — it’s done when it reaches 135 to 140 degrees F.)
2. Serve sauce over baked sea bass immediately, or keep warm in a thermos or in the hot pan on the stove (with heat turned off) for up to 30-60 minutes. The sauce can split if it overheats or cools too much, so keep it warm but not hot.

Chilean Sea Bass Recipe | Grilled In Just 10 Minutes

This Chilean sea bass recipe comes together in under 10 minutes and cooks perfectly every single time! Easy, elegant, and delicious.

Prep: 1min

Total: 8min

Yield: 4

Serving Size: 1 filet

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 filet, calories 132 kcal, Carbohydrate 2 g, Protein 24 g, Fat 6 g, Sodium 367 mg, Fiber 1 g

Ingredients:

• 4 filets Chilean sea bass (6-8 ounces each)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons butter (or olive oil)
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 large lemon (quartered)

Instruction:

1. Pat dry the fish filets then season one side with salt and pepper.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of butter into a non-stick pan or skillet. Once hot, add the garlic and pan fry for a minute. Use a rubber spatula and spread to the side.
3. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and, once melted, add the Chilean sea bass filets, seasoned side down. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the underside is golden. While the first side cooks, sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Carefully flip the fish and cook for a further two minutes, or until fully opaque.
4. Remove the sea bass filets from the pan and drizzle each filet with pan juices. Squeeze one quarter of the lemon over each piece and fish and serve immediately.

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