Pan-Seared Sea Bass with Lemon and Capers

By AislePrompt Editorial · ·

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are drafted and published.

Delicate sea bass fillets pan-seared to a golden crust and finished with a tangy lemon-caper butter sauce. This Mediterranean-inspired seafood recipe, ready in about 20 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 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.

Prep: 10 min Cook: 10 min Serves 4 Mediterranean cuisine 320 cal/serving
Build a week of meals around this recipe → Shop this recipe on Instacart → Shop equipment ↓

Ingredients

Affiliate disclosure: AislePrompt may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through Amazon links, at no additional cost to you. See our policy →

Equipment for this recipe

Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.

More Cookware & pots → Shop all kitchen tools →

Instructions

  1. Step 1: Pat dry 4 sea bass fillets and season both sides with 1 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper.
  2. Step 2: Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
  3. Step 3: Place the fillets skin-side down in the skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes without moving, until the skin is crispy and golden.
  4. Step 4: Flip the fillets and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the fish is opaque and flakes easily.
  5. Step 5: Remove the fillets to a warm plate and reduce heat to medium.
  6. Step 6: Add 3 tbsp unsalted butter, 2 minced garlic cloves, and 2 tbsp capers to the skillet; cook while stirring for 1 minute until fragrant.
  7. Step 7: Stir in 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice and cook for 30 seconds to create a sauce.
  8. Step 8: Spoon the lemon-caper butter sauce over the fillets and garnish with 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley before serving.