Pan-Seared Sea Bass with Citrus Beurre Blanc
Delicate sea bass fillets pan-seared to golden perfection, served with a tangy citrus beurre blanc sauce capturing three-quarters of bright fresh citrus flavors. This French-inspired summer cookout recipe, ready in about 25 minutes, pairs sea bass fillets, unsalted butter, shallots for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 350 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 (6 oz each), skin on sea bass fillets
- 6 tbsp, chilled and cubed unsalted butter
- 2 small, finely minced shallots
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp chopped for garnish fresh parsley
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Instructions
- Step 1: Pat dry 4 sea bass fillets with paper towels and season both sides with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place fillets skin-side down and cook for 4-5 minutes until skin is crisp and golden, then flip and cook an additional 2-3 minutes until opaque and cooked through. Remove and keep warm.
- Step 2: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 2 finely minced shallots and 1/2 cup dry white wine. Simmer until reduced to about 2 tbsp.
- Step 3: Add 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice and 1 tbsp fresh orange juice to the reduced wine mixture and bring to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat and whisk in 6 tbsp chilled unsalted butter, one cube at a time, until the sauce is smooth, creamy, and coats the back of a spoon.
- Step 4: Spoon the beurre blanc sauce over the sea bass fillets and garnish with 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley before serving.








