Pan-Roasted Sea Bass with Lemon-Caper Sauce and Wilted Spinach

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-06-30 · Updated 2026-06-30

Delicate sea bass pan-roasted to crispy perfection, finished with a bright lemon-caper sauce and served on a bed of tender wilted spinach. This Mediterranean-inspired seafood recipe, ready in about 25 minutes, pairs sea bass fillets, salt, black pepper for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 280 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 4 pieces, about 6 oz each sea bass fillets
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp, drained capers
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 5 cups baby spinach
• 1/4 tsp for spinach salt
• 1/4 tsp for spinach black pepper

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Instructions

1. Step 1: Pat 4 sea bass fillets dry and season both sides with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
2. Step 2: Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fillets skin side down and cook for 4-5 minutes until skin is crisp and golden.
3. Step 3: Flip the fillets carefully and add 2 tbsp unsalted butter and 2 minced garlic cloves to the pan. Spoon melted butter over the fish as it cooks for another 3-4 minutes until opaque and cooked through. Remove fish and keep warm.
4. Step 4: Add 3 tbsp lemon juice and 2 tbsp drained capers to the skillet, stirring and scraping the browned bits to create a tangy pan sauce. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley.
5. Step 5: In a separate pan over medium heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil and sauté 5 cups baby spinach with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper for 2-3 minutes until just wilted.
6. Step 6: Serve sea bass fillets on a bed of wilted spinach, drizzled generously with the lemon-caper pan sauce.