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Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass is a light, flaky, delectable fish made for special occasions. Serve this quick-cooking fish over arugula salad topped with Chimichurri sauce for restaurant quality flavor and presentation.
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Pan seared Chilean sea bass is a restaurant quality fish entree you can make at home and WOW your people. When it comes to brunch, date night, or any special occasion, this rich and delicate filet is the perfect choice – even for beginners! It takes minutes to cook and minimal effort on your part, just like garlic butter grilled salmon and broiled salmon.
What is Chilean sea bass?
Chilean sea bass is a delicate, white fish that’s light and flaky like halibut or cod, with a buttery flavor and texture. Contrary to its name, sea bass are not harvested in Chile, but rather in Antarctica. It's named “Chilean” because the Chileans were first to market this Patagonian toothfish.
If you happen to follow dietary guidelines for servings of low-mercury fish, Chilean sea bass is an excellent choice.
What does it taste like?
Sea bass has a neutral flavor that's buttery and rich. It's so flaky and tender, it practically melts in your mouth. This sea bass recipe is purposely prepared with minimal ingredients and topped with a Chimichurri sauce (recipe below). You can use any sauce or enjoy it with a simple lemon squeeze.
Recipe ingredients
Get the printable recipe below.
- sea bass - skin on or off
- olive oil - extra virgin compliments sea bass nicely
- salt and pepper
- Chimichurri sauce - optional topping (recipe below)
How to cook Chilean sea bass (pan fried)
This sea bass recipe is so enjoyable, even for beginner cooks, because it involves setting fish in a hot, oiled skillet and cooking it briefly on both sides. Here's how...
Cut bass filet to preferred size and rest at room temperature 20 minutes.
Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and heat until shimmering. Place fish, skin side down, and sear until it releases from the pan (about 4 min). Flip the filet over and sear the other side until the flesh is opaque. I’m using my favorite cast-iron skillet for this recipe, but any skillet works.
Serve warm any way you like! I love it over arugula salad topped with Chimichurri sauce (see recipe below).
How to know when sea bass is cooked
When the innermost part of the fish becomes white or opaque (not transparent) and is flaky, you’re right on the money! A quick-read thermometer should confirm an internal temperature of 145°F to ensure the sea bass is fully cooked.
Serving ideas
Sea bass has versatile serving options. My favorite way to serve this delicious fish is over a balsamic arugula salad topped with Chimichurri sauce for a Mediterranean twist. This tomato confit recipe would make a delicious topping as well! You'll never go wrong with air fryer asparagus, air fryer mushrooms, kale salad, and, of course, your favorite beverage.
Can I leave the skin on sea bass?
Yes! Pan-searing sea bass with the skin on adds flavor, texture, and nutrients. Rendering the natural fat in fish skin to make it crispy is a next-level kitchen hack. Check out what Hank from Honest food blog says about eating fish skin and which ones you can't eat. Sea bass is on the can-eat list!
Why is Chilean sea bass so expensive?
The worldwide stock has declined due to over-fishing, driving the price for this delicate fish to extreme heights. Due to its high price, sea bass is the perfect date night entree.
More date night dinner recipes
📖 Recipe
Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass
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Note about scaling
When scaling (2x or 3x), the light gray ingredient amount doesn’t scale. Please adjust those accordingly.
Ingredients
- 2 (½-pound) pieces Sea Bass, skin on or off
- pinch Sea Salt
- pinch Black Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Avocado Oil, or other high smoke point oil
Optional topping
- Chimichurri, see footnotes for recipe
Instructions
- Pat SEA BASS dry with paper towels and season with SALT and PEPPER. Rest the filet for 20 minutes at room temperature to remove the chill.
- Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add OIL and heat until shimmering.
- Place sea bass with the flesh side facing down in the hot skillet and cook for up to 5 minutes or until it's golden brown to your liking.
- Flip the filet over so it's skin-side down. Sear this side until the fish is opaque throughout.
- Transfer the filet to a plate and rest for a few minutes.
- Serve sea bass warm with optional chimichurri topping (recipe in footnotes).
Recipe Notes
Equipment
- chef's knife optional to cut fish
- 8-inch iron skillet or any skillet
- fish spatula or tongs
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are estimates and may vary based on brands, ingredients, and portions.
Douglas says
A simple, fail-safe recipe for a very expensive piece of fish. I added a little lemon juice and caper to the pan. Served with rice with sauteed asparagus and mushrooms. Yum!
Traci says
Yay! I'm so glad you went for it and enjoyed! I love your add-ins and sides. Now I want that for dinner tonight lol. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Carol says
A winner!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay!! Glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂 Thanks for the review!
Sue says
I just bought a piece of sea bass and was looking for a simple recipe. I just got an induction burner, and it looks like that is what you used with a cast iron skillet. Seeing your set up gives me the courage to make this my first
Recipe with my new burner..
Thanks
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay Sue! Pan searing is my favorite way to cook sea bass. My burner isn't induction. It's a cast iron single burner. However, I understand cast iron works really well with induction. Let me know if you have any questions 🙂 Enjoy!!
Sharon says
Loved it!!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! Glad to hear it ... thanks so much!
Heather says
Perfect! Every single time. This recipe is a winner
The Kitchen Girl says
Well this makes my day, girl! I love this one too and am so glad to be a part of your dinner inspo <3 Yay!
Heather says
We tried this with both sea bass and halibut and it was amazing! TKG never fails us. So easy and naturally buttery. This is now a staple in our kitchen
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayyy, Heather! I'm so glad you pan seared sea bass AND halibut. It has become our favorite way to prepare fish too! Thank youuu
Kathryn says
I love seabass and this looks like an amazing recipe to make for dinner any night of the week! I love the simple ingredients used too!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome! Glad you like 🙂 Thanks!
Tara says
What an easy, yet stunning meal for date night at home! I love all of the flavors.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy! Glad you love it...thanks!
Dionne says
The sea bass to fight for! lol This is my favorite way of cooking it and just the way I normally make it at home!
The Kitchen Girl says
Lol yessss! We're totally twinning 🙂 Thanks!
Megan Lehr says
I once had a boyfriend make me a "sea bass" for valentine's day, but it was just tilapia. Sea bass is one million times better than tilapia and this recipe made up for that lackluster experience. Absolutely delicious.
The Kitchen Girl says
Lol what a buzzkill Glad you got to make up for it 😉
Biana says
What a perfect way to add more fish to the diet. Simple to eat and amazing.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yessss! Couldn't agree more...thanks! 🙂
Mahy says
Fantastic sea bass recipe, that's for sure. And I love how you serve it - definitely the dish I would order in a restaurant!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awww thank youuu 🙂 Glad you like it!
Jeff says
I never knew how delicious pan seared sea bass could be but this recipe is effortless and WOW! Super easy for a guy like me who doesn't cook all that much. That Chimichurri is spot on too!
The Kitchen Girl says
I'm 100% with you on this one! So glad you love it as much as I do 🙂 Thank youuu
Beth says
This is making my mouth water and so tasty! I can't wait to give this a try! My daughter and I are going to love this recipe!
The Kitchen Girl says
Thanks! So glad you can enjoy this one! 🙂
Jen says
Sea bass is my favorite dish to eat out, and now I have a favorite make at home recipe. The chimichurri sauce was easy the perfect pairing.
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed. We're crazy about the chimichurri too 🙂 Thanks!
Alison says
This dish looks so healthy and flavorful! I'm always nervous about cooking fish because I don't want to over cook it and have it be too dry! Great tips, and I love the chimichurri sauce!
The Kitchen Girl says
Thanks! Yep, it's so easy to pan sear sea bass...and it's never dry 🙂
Biana says
Yum! Looks amazing, I love that the recipe is so simple to make, and looks so great!
The Kitchen Girl says
Thanks! Glad you can enjoy this one 🙂
Ashley Elizabeth says
Oh yum! This Chilean sea bass was so so good!! Super easy to make, and will definitely be making again and again!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome!!! So glad you enjoyed it. I do love how easy it is to pan sear sea bass. Thanks!!!