Make restaurant-quality pan-seared Chilean sea bass in under 20 minutes. It's crisp outside, tender, juicy, and flaky in the middle, and served with rich lemon butter sauce!
Pat the sea bass fillets dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper.
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). Very thick fillets over an inch can take 5 minutes per side.If it sticks when you try to flip it, it's not ready. Leave it for a further 10-15 seconds and try again.To ensure the fillets are properly cooked, use a thermometer to check that the internal temperature is 140-145ºF/60-63ºC.
Meanwhile, while the fish cooks (or beforehand), prepare the simple lemon sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until lightly browned. Then mix in the lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
When everything is ready, spoon the lemon butter sauce over the seared sea bass, and enjoy!
Storage Instructions
Make ahead: You can prepare the sauce several days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge, ready to reheat as needed. Store: Allow the fish to cool and store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.Freeze: Freeze the cooked fish without the sauce. Allow it to cool, transfer it to a freezer bag, squeeze out any excess air, and store for up to 2 months. Then leave to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.Reheat: To avoid dry fish, I recommend reheating the leftovers on the stovetop over medium-low heat with a splash of water and the lid on.
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Notes
Bring the fish to room temperature: Remove it from the fridge 20-30 minutes before cooking so it cooks more evenly throughout.
Always pat it dry: Otherwise, the fish will steam rather than sear.
Make sure the pan is HOT: That way, it will create a beautiful golden crust.
Use skin-on fillets: Even if you don't want to eat the skin, it helps hold the fish together and stops drying.
Cooking time may vary: If you're using over an inch thick fillets, increase the time to about 5 minutes per side. They’re ready when the fish easily flakes.
Don't flip too early: If the fish struggles to unstick from the pan, it's not ready to flip. Leave it a little longer and try again, gently lifting just one corner to begin.
To add more flavor: Add garlic (and/or onion) powder to season the fillets, add capers to the lemon butter sauce, or even garnish them with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for heat.
Can I bake the Chilean sea bass? To bake the fish, preheat the oven to 425ºF/220ºC. Then pat the fish dry and season it. Place the fillets skin-side-down in a high-sided baking dish and pour over half the lemon butter sauce. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until fish is flaky (has reached an internal temperature of 140-145ºF/60-63ºC). Serve with the remaining sauce.Check the blog post for serving recommendations and answers to top FAQs!