Pan-Seared Sea Bass with Garlic Lemon Caper Sauce
Delicate sea bass fillets pan-seared and finished with a bright garlic lemon caper sauce, served with fresh herbs. This Greek recipe, ready in about 22 minutes, pairs sea bass fillets, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 290 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
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
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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 freshly ground black pepper.
- Step 2: Heat 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Step 3: Place the fillets skin-side down in the skillet and cook without moving for 4-5 minutes until the skin is crisp and golden brown.
- Step 4: Flip the fillets carefully and add 2 tbsp unsalted butter and 3 minced garlic cloves to the pan. Spoon the melted butter and garlic over the fish as it cooks for another 3 minutes until opaque and cooked through.
- Step 5: Remove fillets from the pan and set on warm plates. Lower heat to medium-low, add 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice and 2 tbsp rinsed capers to the skillet, stirring to combine and simmer for 1 minute until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Step 6: Pour the sauce over the fish, sprinkle with 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, and serve immediately.









