Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass is a light, flaky, delectable seafood entree made for special occasions. Serve this simple, 15-minute entree over arugula salad topped with Chimichurri sauce for restaurant quality flavor and presentation.
Pan seared sea bass is one of the easiest and quickest dinner recipes you’ll ever make. The trick to cooking this type of fish is to keep it simple. This pan fried sea bass recipe is perfect for even beginner cooks and get ready to WOW guests for any special occasion.
What Is Chilean Sea Bass?
Chilean sea bass is a delicate, white fish that’s light and flaky like halibut or cod, and absolutely scrumptious. Once you try sea bass, prepare to be, well, hooked! Depending on your location, sea bass might be hard to find at times but we get ours from Costco. It's on the pricey side, but totally worth every penny for special occasions.
Chilean sea bass is also a good choice if you're following current dietary guidelines when it comes to servings of low-mercury fish per week.
Chilean sea bass recipe ingredients
The most important thing to keep in mind when cooking this fish is that it requires minimal prep before cooking. This recipe keeps it simple: sea bass (skin on or off), olive oil, salt, and pepper. You can top it with a Chimichurri sauce (recipe below) or a simple lemon twist!
Can I leave the skin on sea bass?
Yes! Pan searing sea bass with the skin on adds flavor, texture, and nutrients galore. Rendering the natural fat in fish skin to make it crispy ... is downright delectable. We love this article by Hank at Honest Food about how to do it with any fish, and what fish skin you can or can't eat. Spoiler, sea bass is on the can eat list! If you're a fan of fish, game, hunting, and foraging, you need to get obsessed with Hank's work!
How to cook Chilean sea bass (pan fried)
Prep: Cut filet to size and allow to rest at room temperature 20 minutes.
Sear: Heat skillet with olive oil. Sear sea bass skin side down first until it releases (about 4 min). Flip and sear the other side until fish is opaque. I’m using a cast-iron skillet for this recipe, but any skillet works.
Serve: Serve warm any way you like! I love it over arugula salad topped with Chimichurri sauce (see recipe below).
This fool-proof sea bass recipe is so delicate and buttery. Fish should always be this easy and convenient! Believe me when I say this entree will take minimal effort on your part and require no special cooking skills! This recipe is simply foolproof, so don’t be intimidated!
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! According to Seafood Health Facts, you should always check for an internal temperature of 145°F. This ensures that any parasites or pathogens have been destroyed.
Why Chilean sea bass can be pricey
Contrary to its name, sea bass aren’t harvested in Chile. Chilean sea bass are actually caught in Antarctica. It's named “Chilean” because the Chileans were first to market this Patagonian toothfish. The worldwide stock has declined due to over-fishing, driving the price for this delicate, oily fish up to extreme heights. Due to its high price, this fish is best served in the company of people who will appreciate it.
What does sea bass taste like?
Chilean sea bass is far from “fishy,” and has a rather neutral flavor. The texture is melt-in-your-mouth buttery and rich. The richness reminds me of scallops. Chilean sea bass has a mild flavor, so you can prepare it with any regional cuisine in mind.
How to serve Chilean sea bass
Like most seafood, 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. Generally, white fish goes well with salads, pasta sides, roasted veggies, and of course, white wine or a chilled pilsner.
More fish and seafood recipes
- King Crab Legs with Garlic Butter
- Garlic Butter Grilled Salmon
- Easy Broiled Salmon
- Instant Pot Shrimp with Lemon Cream Sauce
- Smoked Salmon Dip
Grab these delicious dinner entree ideas
- Greek Lemon Roasted Chicken Thighs
- Herb Roasted Turkey Breast
- Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
- Easy Baked Chicken Leg Drumsticks
Recommended Tools
- chef knife (if cutting fish)
- 8" iron skillet (or any skillet)
- tongs or fish spatula
Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Sea Bass, skin on or off
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- pinch Kosher Salt
- pinch Black Pepper
- optional 1/2 cup Chimichurri, see recipe footnotes
Equipment
- 8" iron skillet (or any skillet)
- tongs or fish spatula
Instructions
- Cut SEA BASS filet down the center to create 2 pieces (1/2 lb. each). Allow to rest 20 minutes at room temp to remove chill.
- Heat OLIVE OIL in skillet over medium-high until it reaches the smoke point.
- Place sea bass (skin side down) in the hot skillet. Sprinkle SALT and PEPPER over the filet.
- If you want crispy skin, press the filet down firmly with a spatula until it becomes visibly crispy. Turn the filet over and allow the non-skin side to sear until the filet is opaque throughout, reducing heat a notch or two as needed.
- Transfer the filet to a plate and allow to rest a few minutes.
- Serve sea bass warm with your favorite salad and side dish. Suggested: serve over salad greens topped with Chimichurri Sauce (see recipe in footnotes).
Traci's Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition data provided as courtesy estimates using unbranded ingredients from a nutrition database. Please consult preferred resource for precise data.
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!!!