Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass Recipe with Lemon Butter
This tender, juicy, and flavorful pan-seared Chilean Sea Bass recipe is smothered in lemon caper butter and seared to perfection. An easy, delicious meal that brings elevated dining right to your home kitchen in just 20 minutes. Tasty enough for special occasions, easy enough for a weeknight! Cooking fish has never been easier!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What is Chilean Sea Bass?
Chilean sea bass is actually a nickname for the Patagonian Toothfish. This species of fish become oil rich in the cold waters of the Antarctic Ocean, making it a delicious fish to cook and eat. It has a mild flavor, is full of rich fatty acids, and is very easy to cook.
The fish has a distinctive white, flaky flesh high in oil content, giving it a rich, buttery flavor. Chilean sea bass is considered a delicacy and popular in high-end restaurants worldwide.
One interesting fact is that while it is a white fish similar to bass, it’s not actually sea bass at all! While this fish can be quite pricey, it’s absolutely worth the splurge!
What Makes This Recipe Great
This dish is fancy and beautiful without any of the work! The brininess from the capers and the richness of the butter are the perfect complements to this mild, flaky fish. Pan-seared to create a deliciously crispy skin, every bite is melt-in-your-mouth good!
Smothered in a lemon caper butter sauce and served over a creamy garlic cauliflower mash, this low-carb, gluten-free sea bass recipe is one you won’t forget!
If you love easy, flavorful fish recipes, try my 15-Minute Air Fryer Halibut or this Blackened Mahi Mahi with Mango Habanero Salsa!
More Reasons to Love This Sea Bass Recipe
- Delicious flavor: Chilean sea bass has a rich buttery flavor and a delicate texture. The accompanying lemon butter sauce makes it even more flavorful!
- Easy preparation: This sea bass recipe is straightforward and easy to follow, making it perfect for home chefs, beginner to advanced!
- Quick cooking time: Pan-searing the Chilean sea bass only takes about 10 minutes, making it both a quick and healthy meal.
- Versatility: This recipe can be paired with a variety of side dishes, such as roasted vegetables, rice, salad or my cauliflower mash.
- Nutritional benefits: Chilean sea bass is a great source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and other nutrients.
- Sustainable sourcing: If you purchase Chilean sea bass from a sustainable source, you can enjoy this delicious fish without contributing to the negative impacts of overfishing and other environmental concerns.
Ingredient Notes
- Chilean Sea Bass filets: I’ve bought sea bass filets at Whole Foods fresh and at Wegmans frozen. Either way will work! Just be sure to follow the tips below to choose the freshest fish.
- Ghee: If you’re not dairy-free, feel free to use regular butter. If you have a dairy allergy or don’t prefer ghee, use vegan butter like Miyokos or Earth Balance.
- Avocado Oil: You can also use extra-virgin olive oil, just keep in mind that it may cause some smoke in your kitchen! Avocado oil is a better choice due to the high smoke point.
- Lemon: You’ll need the juice from ½ of a lemon. I think fresh lemon juice works best. I didn’t use any lemon zest, but you can add a teaspoon or two if you want a stronger lemon flavor.
- Capers: You can find a small jar at the grocery store- you’ll just need 2 tbsp for the lemon caper butter recipe!
- Salt & Black Pepper: Use to taste! You can use kosher salt and cracked black pepper if preferred.
- Fresh Herbs: Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Pat your sea bass fillets dry with a paper towel and coat on both sides with 1 tbsp avocado oil. Sprinkle the fillets with salt and pepper.
- Preheat your oven to 425. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp avocado oil in a cast iron (or another oven-safe skillet) over medium-high heat. When the pan is nice and hot, add the fish fillets with the skin side down (if they have skin). Let them cook untouched for 5 mins. Flip and cook for an additional 5 minutes. It helps to use a metal spatula to prevent the bottom of the fish from sticking to the pan!
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for an additional 5 minutes. The fish should flake easily with a fork at this point and be a beautiful golden brown.
- Melt the ghee (or vegan butter) in a small saucepan on the stove over medium heat or in the microwave. Stir in the lemon juice and capers. Transfer the sauce to a small bowl. Serve the fish over some cauliflower mash and spoon some of the lemon butter sauce over top.
- Enjoy your delicious and healthy pan-seared Chilean sea bass!
Serving Tips
- The best way to serve this fish is over my easy Instant Pot Risotto with Peas, rice, veggies, your favorite pasta, or mashed potatoes!
- The lemon butter sauce is amazing on so many things, so if you have any extra sauce save it for another dish!
- Sprinkle will fresh parsley if desired, and serve.
- Some lemon caper sauce recipes call for white wine, but I omitted this, and it still tastes absolutely delicious!
- I also love serving this sea bass recipe with my creamy garlic cauliflower mash. It’s a quick and easy recipe that will win you over in no time!
The Perfect Side Dish: Creamy Garlic Cauliflower Mash
Ingredients
- Frozen Cauliflower: I like to get the family-size pack from Wegman’s.
- Chicken Broth: You can also use chicken stock or bone broth- whatever you have on hand.
- Ghee: If you’re not dairy-free, feel free to use regular butter. If you have a dairy allergy or don’t prefer ghee, use vegan butter like Miyokos or Earth Balance.
- Coconut Cream: You can also use just the thick part from a can of coconut milk. I love the Thai Kitchen brand.
- Garlic Powder: You can also use fresh minced garlic cloves if you prefer.
Steps
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the frozen cauliflower. Cook it for 10-15 minutes until you can easily pierce the florets with a fork.
- Drain the cauliflower really well and return it to the pot. Add in the chicken broth, coconut milk, garlic powder, and salt.
- Use an immersion blender (regular blender or food processor) to blend the cauliflower until very thick and creamy.
Mary’s Tips & Tricks
- Equipment: I used a 10.25-inch Lodge cast iron skillet to make this fish! I love this pan so much and use it for everything. It effortlessly moves from stovetop to oven and cooks evenly! This fish spatula is also super helpful! Makes it super easy to flip the fish!
- Storage: Store leftover fish in an airtight container with the lemon caper sauce in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat and serve with garlic cauliflower mash or one of your favorite sides!
- Dairy-Free: If you need this sea bass recipe to be completely dairy-free, use vegan butter like Miyokos, which is one of my favorites. Otherwise, feel free to use ghee or regular butter if you prefer.
- Fish Substitution: If you want to substitute the Chilean Sea Bass for another type of fish, I recommend using cod or a mild, flaky white fish of your choice. You can pan-sear the fish following the same instructions, and it will pair perfectly with the lemon caper sauce and garlic cauliflower mash!
Storage Tips
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat and serve!
- To freeze, store in an airtight container with the sauce for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat over the stove to get the outer layers crisp
Recipe FAQs
Chilean Sea Bass is a difficult fish to overcook. However, there’s one thing you can watch out for that will signal when the fish is done cooking. Once the fish becomes flaky, remove it from the heat immediately and serve!
There are a couple of tricks to ensure you are picking the very best fish. But when in doubt, frozen sea bass fillets are an excellent option because they are frozen at peak freshness and cook very nicely.
If you’re choosing fresh fish, color, and smell are two things to look out for. The fillets should have no discoloration or spots and should not have a super fishy smell. If either of these is present, the fish is not fresh.
Yes! This sea bass recipe is Dairy-Free, Whole30, Paleo, Keto, and Gluten-Free. With only 262 calories and 0 net carbs per serving, this is an excellent low-calorie, low-carb, and healthy option!
Keep in mind that the nutrition facts are for the fish and sauce only. Depending on the sides you serve, that will increase your calorie and carb counts.
More Healthy Seafood Recipes
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Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass Recipe with Lemon Butter
Ingredients
- 2 6 oz Chilean Sea Bass fillets, thawed if previously frozen
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp ghee, vegan butter, or regular butter
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 2 tbsp capers
Optional Creamy Garlic Cauliflower Mash
- 32 oz frozen cauliflower, or fresh florets
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup Ghee or vegan butter
- ¼ cup full fat coconut cream, just the thick part from a can of coconut milk
- 1 tsp sea salt, more to taste
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Pat your sea bass fillets dry and coat on both sides with 1 tbsp avocado oil. Sprinkle the fillets with salt and pepper.
- Preheat your oven to 425. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp avocado oil in a cast iron (or other oven-safe skillet) over medium high heat. When the pan is nice and hot, add the fillets skin side down (if they have skin). Let them cook, untouched, for 5 mins. Flip and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for an additional 5 minutes. The fish should flake easily with a fork at this point.
- While the fish is cooking, make the cauliflower mash. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the frozen cauliflower. Cook it for 10-15 minutes until you can easily pierce the florets with a fork. Drain the cauliflower really well and return it to the pot. Add in the chicken broth, coconut milk, ghee (or vegan butter), garlic powder, and salt. Use an immersion blender (or regular blender or food processor) to blend up the cauliflower until very thick and creamy.
- Melt the ghee (or vegan butter) for the lemon butter sauce the microwave or in a sauce pan on the stove. Stir in the lemon juice and capers. Serve the fish over some cauliflower mash and spoon some of the lemon butter caper sauce over top. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Mary’s Tips & Tricks
- Equipment: I used a 10.25-inch Lodge cast iron skillet to make this! I love this pan so much and use it for everything. It effortlessly moves from stovetop to oven and cooks evenly!
- Storage: Store leftover Chilean sea bass in an airtight container with the lemon caper sauce in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat and serve with garlic cauliflower mash or one of your favorite sides!
- Dairy-Free: If you need this sea bass recipe to be completely dairy-free, use vegan butter like Miyokos, which is one of my favorites. Otherwise, feel free to use ghee, or regular butter if you prefer.
- Fish Substitution: If you want to substitute the Chilean Sea Bass for another type of fish, I recommend using cod or a mild, flaky white fish of your choice. You can pan-sear the fish following the same instructions, and it will pair perfectly with the lemon caper sauce and garlic cauliflower mash!
Serving Tips
- The best way to serve this fish is over my easy Instant Pot Risotto with Peas, rice, veggies, your favorite pasta, or mashed potatoes!
- The lemon butter sauce is amazing on so many things, so if you have any extra sauce save it for another dish! Sprinkle will fresh parsley if desired, and serve!
- I also love serving this sea bass recipe with my creamy garlic cauliflower mash. It’s a quick and easy recipe that will win you over in no time!
Storage Tips
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat and serve!
- To freeze, store in an airtight container with the sauce for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat over the stove to get the outer layers crisp
Nutrition
This post was originally posted on March 6, 2021 and updated with new copy and photos on June 26, 2022.
112 Comments on “Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass Recipe with Lemon Butter”
Amazing! Fresh sea bass filet from Costco. Nice crunchy crust, melts in your mouth! Glad I bought that cast iron pan! (Disclaimer: I love anything with capers).
Thanks Robert!
This turned out just like the photo…I used fresh garlic. I timed it at 14 min and removed the bass from the oven because it was flaking. Is bass normally a little chewy? It was very flavorful altogether and the first time I’ve eaten this fish and the first time I made cauliflower mashed ‘potatoes’ !
Thank you for this recipe!
Perfect pairing and flavor was right on the mark.
Thank you Robert! Glad you enjoyed it
This was, hands down, undoubtedly the best meal we’ve had all year. The Chilean sea bass was so delicious and while I didn’t have cauliflower on hand, I substituted mashed potatoes but followed the rest of the recipe exactly as written. Our new favorite! I feel like a gourmet chef! Thank you so much!!
Thanks Trish! Glad you enjoyed this meal as much as we did!
This was AMAZING! Restaurant quality!
The fish came out perfectly.
I made the mash from fresh cauliflower that I steamed. I also steamed a small leek and included it in the puree, and liked what it added.
Yum! Thanks for sharing!
Made the sea bass, put on garlic mash taters, wow! This is delicious, this is definitely a keeper! Thank you.
Thanks Michele, so glad you enjoyed it!
Made it, and it was awesome. Definitely a keeper, I used lake bass, instead of sea bass. Still amazing!!
This was a delicious recipe and so easy to prepare! I did not make the cauliflower mash since my husband is not a fan. Simply substituted wild rice and a glass of Chardonnay. I will be making this more in the future.
Thank you Anita, a star rating would be so helpful if you have time!
Delicious!! As good, if not better, than sea bass I’ve had in restaurants.
I made this last night for dinner,
My twist used riced cauliflower with garlic, chicken and Greek seasoning and garden herbs and lemon zest for the foundation.
I did flip the Fish for the last minute 4 on the skin and 1 on top to bring out the nutty brown.
We did add lemon zest with fresh lemon juice butter caper sauce and fresh garden cilantro and thyme
Served 4, Comments like “Deliciously Devine”
I will do this again!
This was delicious! So easy and I loved the crust that the fish formed in the process. Definitely making it again!
So delish!! Thank you!!
Thanks!!
Yum! Delicious.
My cauliflower mash was too runny. I suggest adding half the broth and coconut cream and then more if needed.
Tonight is the third time I’ve made this recipe. Used dill instead of capers this time. There are so many variations to the sauce but will continue to cook the fish the same every time. It turns out buttery and flaky and yummy.
I followed your recipe and found the dish to be the best fish i can remember eating. I’m 74. Delicious and simple to make!
Thank you Robert!
Looking forward to more recipes
I used your recipe for my first time trying Chilean Sea Bass! We bought the fillets at Whole Foods and unfortunately, they didn’t debone them completely. That made my experience not as good, the bones freak me out lol. Just a tip for those buying from Whole Foods, always double check!
I didn’t make the mash, used mashed potatoes. I thought the cooking process and sauce turned out well! Sadly, I can say I don’t think I am a fan of this kind of fish. That’s okay, the flavor was good but something about the fish itself just wasn’t that exciting. Maybe I will try it again. Salmon is my favorite!
Perfect timing on the skillet and then in the oven! Fish was Delicious with just the salt, pepper, lemon and capers 🙂
Delicious! Recipe went just as written. Mary’s recipes never disappoint! This was a great change from the usual salmon or shrimp seafood meal.
Thanks Jeri! Glad you enjoyed it!!
We made this last night. The whole family loved it! Easy to make during the week and made you feel like you were eating at a restaurant. So good!!