Pan-Seared Falmouth Sea Bass with Lemon-Thyme Butter
A delicate pan-seared sea bass infused with fresh thyme and bright lemon butter, inspired by the coastal charm of Falmouth. This Mediterranean-inspired seafood recipe, ready in about 22 minutes, pairs sea bass fillets, unsalted butter, fresh thyme sprigs 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 fillets (6 oz each) sea bass fillets
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Pat dry 4 sea bass fillets (6 oz each) and season both sides with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
- Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then add the fillets skin-side down, cooking for 4-5 minutes until skin is crisp and golden.
- Step 3: Flip the fillets gently and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the fish is opaque and flakes easily.
- Step 4: Remove the fillets from the pan and set aside on a warm plate.
- Step 5: Reduce heat to medium, melt 4 tbsp unsalted butter with 2 minced garlic cloves and 4 fresh thyme sprigs in the skillet, swirling until the butter foams and garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Step 6: Stir in 2 tbsp lemon juice, then spoon the lemon-thyme butter over the sea bass fillets before serving.







