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Make my restaurant-quality pan-seared Chilean sea bass recipe in 15 minutes. It’s crisp outside, tender, juicy, and flaky in the middle, and served with rich lemon butter sauce!
If you’re looking for a dish that’s sophisticated enough for a dinner party, impressive enough for date night, and super quick and simple to prepare, this quick pan seared Chilean sea bass recipe is a must-try. It’s so tender, juicy, and flavorful that it practically melts in the mouth. Plus, you can have it from the kitchen to the table in just 15 minutes, and there’s minimal prep or clean-up, making this the best seared Chilean sea bass ever.
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What is Chilean sea bass?
Chilean sea bass is a deep sub-Antarctic cold water species of fish found in the Pacific, southern Atlantic, and Indian oceans. It’s also known as Patagonian toothfish, mero, or icefish.
It’s high in protein and low in carbs, and it’s famously known for its rich yet delicate, almost buttery flavor (not overly fishy!) and tender, flaky texture. Often likened to black cod but even softer and slightly sweeter, it’s considered a premium-quality fish, fairly hard to overcook, and very versatile, perfect for enjoying with all sorts of seasonings, sauces, and sides.
Ingredients
- Chilean sea bass filets: You can use fresh or frozen (thawed first) fillets. When purchasing fresh, look for skin-on, bones-removed fillets of a similar size and, especially, thickness (for even cooking).
- Olive oil and butter: Combining both helps create a rich and buttery dish. If preferred, ghee could replace butter, and avocado oil could replace olive oil.
- Sea salt & black pepper
- Fresh parsley: (Optional) Fresh herbs are a great garnish for the fish.
- Lemon butter sauce: I paired the fish with a simple, bright, homemade lemon butter sauce combining butter, fresh lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Optionally, you can also add garlic.
How to cook Chilean sea bass
First, pat the sea bass fillets dry with paper towels to remove moisture. Then, generously sprinkle salt and black pepper on both sides of the fillets.
Next, heat the butter and oil in a large skillet/frying pan (or well-seasoned cast iron skillet) over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the fillets skin-side-down and pan-sear for 3-4 minutes per side (depending on the thickness). For very thick fillets over an inch, it can take 5 minutes per side. Note that if it sticks when you try to flip the fillet, it’s not ready. Leave it for a further 10-15 seconds and try again.
To ensure the Chilean sea bass fillets are properly cooked, use a thermometer to check that the internal temperature is 140-145ºF/60-63ºC. Alternatively, use a fork to see if it flakes easily.
Meanwhile, while the fish cooks (or beforehand), prepare the simple lemon sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until lightly browned. Then mix in the lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
When everything is ready, spoon the lemon butter sauce over the pan seared sea bass, and enjoy!
How to serve
To make this dish complete, pair it with some great sides. You can pick a fresh, flavorful salad or a simple, classic side dish. Either way, it’ll taste amazing! Here are some of the best dishes to serve with pan seared Chilean sea bass:
- Potatoes: Creamy mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes are comforting and satisfying.
- Salads: This simple arugula salad or tabbouleh will add a refreshing, crisp contrast to the rich sea bass.
- Grains: Quinoa and cilantro lime rice add a light, nutty flavor that goes perfectly with the fish.
- Cooked Vegetables: Sautéed spinach, asparagus, green beans, and roasted Brussels sprouts bring vibrant, fresh flavors and textures.
Top tips for the perfect Chilean sea bass
- Choose the right Chilean sea bass: Opt for fresh and skin-on fillets of similar size to ensure even cooking. When pan seared, the skin turns wonderfully crispy and delicious. If you prefer not to eat the skin, that’s fine—just remove it after cooking. The skin helps keep the fish moist, juicy, and firm during cooking.
- Dry and season the fish: Pat the sea bass dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture, then generously season with salt and pepper. Add other spices or herbs to suit your taste.
- Preheat the pan: Make sure the pan is hot before adding the fish. A hot pan locks in flavors and creates a crispy exterior.
- Don’t move the fish too soon: Let it sear without moving it for a few minutes to form a crispy crust. It’s ready to flip when it releases easily from the pan.
- Pan-sear skin side down first: Start with the skin side down. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. The fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of about 140-145ºF (60-63ºC).
- Finish with lemon butter sauce: Spoon lemon butter sauce over the seared sea bass for extra flavor.
More seafood recipes
If you try this easy pan-seared Chilean sea bass recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations—tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
Restaurant-Style Chilean Sea Bass
Equipment
- Food Thermometer optional
Ingredients
- 20-24 oz Chilean sea bass 4 fillets (5-6 oz each), skin-on works best
- 1.5 Tbsp butter or ghee
- 1.5 Tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper or to taste
Lemon Sauce
- 2 oz butter 1/4 cup, unsalted
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice from 1/2 large lemon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Pat the sea bass fillets dry with paper towels. Generously season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Use a large skillet and heat 1.5 Tbsp of butter and 1.5 Tbsp of oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the fillets skin-side-down and pan-sear for 3-4 minutes per side. The cooking time depends on the thickness of the fillets.When ready to flip, if the fillets stick, let them cook for 10-15 seconds more, and then try again.The fish is ready when it flakes easily with a fork and has reached an internal temperature of 140-145ºF/60-63ºC.
- To make the lemon sauce, melt 1/4 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until lightly browned. Add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper and mix well.
- When everything is ready, spoon the lemon butter sauce over the pan seared Chilean sea bass, serve, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Quick and easy weeknight meal, served with a brown rice/quinoa blend and broccoli. All from Aldi!
That sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing, Susie!
The Chilean Sea Bass recipe is a keeper. Making some tonight. Can hardly waitt.
So happy to hear this, James. Thanks for commenting! 🙂
This is my go to recipe for Chilean Sea Bass!
That’s wonderful to hear! Thank you so much, Marie! <3
Delicious. Easy. Let the sweet flavor of the sea bass to shine.
Thank you so much, Doug. Glad you liked it!
I have made this recipe twice – it’s a dead simple perfect recipe for sea bass which to my mind is a perfectly lovely fish and I don’t want to jazz it up…it stands on its own. However, tonight, making the lemon butter sauce, I realized I had a lovely ripe mango on hand, so I cut and cubed the mango and tossed it into the hot sauce, and sauce the fish….fabulous! I am not sure I’m ever making sea bass any other way – other items instead of mango might be good too, garlic, or fried sage leaves, or …..but the method is magnificent, thank you.
That sounds fantastic, MaryKate — the mango addition must have brought such a beautiful brightness to the sauce. I love your idea of experimenting with different add-ins while keeping the method simple. So glad this recipe has become a favorite! <3
As long as you keep tabs with a thermometer on the fish so it does not go above 135-140 degrees or so, it will be perfect. The lemon juice /butter mix is spot on. I added 1 clove of minced garlic to that as well.
I also did something different, ala Jaque Pepin.
I seasoned the fish with salt and white pepper, let it rest, then put it through a milk wash and then flour. I cooked the fish in butter and olive oil to about 135 degrees or so browned nicely. I set it aside in the oven at 185 degrees to keep warm to finish with some sides…… green beans and new potatoes with parsley butter….. it was perfect. Killer good. Just don’t overcook the fish!
Thank you for sharing your method, Patrick!
Simply delish and oh so easy!
I added capers in the lemon sauce but other than that, prepared it exactly as mentioned thank you for having the temperature for the fish to be cooked included in the recipe.
Thank you for your comment, Kimberly. Glad you liked it! 🙂
Fantastic as written!
Thank you, Eva!