Pan-Seared Sea Bass with Citrus and Herb Butter Sauce
Delicate sea bass fillets pan-seared to a golden crust and finished with a bright citrus and herb butter sauce. This Mediterranean-inspired seafood recipe, ready in about 25 minutes, pairs sea bass fillets, unsalted butter, lemon juice for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 320 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
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
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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 and season both sides with 1 tsp sea salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
- Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fillets skin-side down and sear for 4-5 minutes until crisp and golden.
- Step 3: Flip the fillets carefully and cook for another 3 minutes until opaque and cooked through.
- Step 4: Remove fillets to a warm plate. Lower heat to medium and add 4 tbsp unsalted butter to the skillet. Once melted, stir in 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp orange zest, and 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley.
- Step 5: Spoon the citrus herb butter sauce over the sea bass fillets before serving.
