This Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass makes for the most perfect in house date night meal. It is super quick, easy and flavorful. The buttery flavor of this sea bass combined with the caper ghee shallot sauce is so delicious and it only takes 15 minutes to make. This recipe is by far one of my favorite fish recipes.
This recipe is decadent and full of flavor. Sea bass is a luxurious cut of fish and will melt in your mouth if cooked properly. These sea bass fillets are quick cooking, flaky, and paired with this sauce it makes for the perfect combination.
Seafood is a routine part of my meal planning especially with the benefit of low cook times. Some of my favorite seafood recipes are: dairy free tuna noodle casserole, easy frozen salmon in the air fryer, easy frozen cod in the air fryer, pan seared sea bass with tropical pico de gallo, Gluten Free Salmon Cakes, Gluten Free Fish and Chips, and dairy free lobster bisque. This recipe also really pairs well with my simple Blanched Broccoli recipe on my blog.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- It is so simple! This recipe has only 6 ingredients but brings this flaky fish so much flavor!
- In less than 15 minutes, you can have a delicious meal that is sure to impress whomever gets to enjoy it.
- This recipe is naturally gluten free, dairy free, paleo, soy free, nut free, and refined sugar free.
- This pan seared chilean sea bass would pair perfect with my lemon garlic asparagus.
- Kids can enjoy this recipe as well since sea bass does not have an overly fishy taste.
- Even though this dish is simple, the sea bass still makes this luxurious enough for a date night treat.
Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass Ingredients
- Sea bass-Roughly 6 ounces each. Keep in mind that sea bass contains a lot of bones, especially if you are buying it in the filet form. With that said, I have found that I can usually get 1-1.5 servings from a filet that has the bones in it. If you need help removing the bones, I found this video to be extremely helpful.
- Capers-You can totally skip this if you are not a caper fan, but in my opinion this is the best part!
- Lemon juice-Sea bass and lemon is one of my favorite combos.
- Ghee-Ghee is a great alternative for butter. I love ghee! It is naturally dairy free too because all of the milk proteins are removed. You can buy it in the store or make your own with this recipe HERE.
- Shallots-Shallots are a member of the onion family. They can really spice a dish up.
- Fresh chives-To garnish.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- This recipe pairs well with any fresh herbs. If you don’t have fresh chives, fresh parsley would make a great substitution.
- If you would like additional flavor, a small amount of fresh minced garlic would be a great addition to this sauce.
- This dish would work well with garnishes of fresh herbs, lemon zest, lemon slices, and more.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turns out in the comments below!
Step by Step Instructions
Photo 1: First, start by patting dry your sea bass with a paper towel. Add your ghee to a non stick skillet over medium heat to medium high heat, depending on pan type, then add the shallots and sauté for 2 minutes.
Photo 2: Once the 2 minutes is completed, add the sea bass to your pan and cook on the first side for 5 minutes. Once those 5 minutes are up, flip the sea bass and add the capers and lemon juice to your skillet. You will then cook for an additional 5 minutes. Once cooked, remove the sea bass from the skillet and pour your sauce from the bottom of the pan over top and garnish with fresh chives and lemon slices.
Expert Tips
- Tip # 1: I like to make sure to purchase sea bass at my grocery store that has the skin and bones removed and pre portioned. This will make cooking and preparation easier.
- Tip # 2: Make sure not to frequently flip or move your sea bass once you place it in your pan. This will ensure that you get a nice sear and crust on each side of the sea bass.
- Tip # 3: Capers are kept in fluid in their jars. I prefer to drain the liquid before measuring so the salty liquid does not get added to the sauce mixture. You can season with a small amount of black pepper on each side before placing into your large skillet.
Recipe FAQs
You can. Preheat the oven to 300 and bake for 5-10 minutes until warm throughout.
I like serving this chilean sea bass recipe with sautéed spinach in ghee and garlic. You can also serve it with: whole30 mashed potatoes, mini garlic potatoes, Roasted Leeks, or lemon garlic asparagus.
I recommend storing any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
The capers will give the sauce a saltiness. Since you will already be getting salt from the sauce, I do not recommend seasoning the sea bass with any sea salt or kosher salt prior to cooking.
You can use any pan you prefer. I like to use my Always Pan or a cast iron skillet so the sea bass can get a nice sear.
No, cooking time can vary depending on the thickness of the sea bass filet. The thicker fillet will take more time to reach the proper internal cooking temperature. The most important note is that sea bass should be cooked to an internal temperature of 140 degrees F.
Other Seafood Recipes You Will Love
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Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass In Lemon Caper Sauce
Equipment
- Non stick, non toxic pan.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Pat dry the sea bass with a paper towel. Add the ghee to the pan on medium heat, then add the shallots and sauté for 2 minutes. Once the two minutes is up, add the sea bass to the pan for 5 minutes. Once the 5 minutes is up, add the capers and lemon and flip the sea bass to cook for an additional 5 more minutes. Once the total of 10 minutes is up, remove the sea bass from the pan and pour the ghee sauce in the bottom of the pan over top. Top off with fresh chives.
Lori says
This is so delicious and really flavorful!! This is a staple in our home
Allianna Moximchalk says
Thanks for your review!
Whitney Davis says
Made this last night! It was delicious. Served it with roasted tri-color radishes in duck fat and wilted garlic spinach. Yummy!
Allianna Moximchalk says
That sounds amazing! Thanks for making!