Pan-Seared Sea Bass with Lemon Butter and Capers
Delicately pan-seared sea bass finished with a tangy lemon butter sauce studded with briny capers for a bright, savory finish. This Mediterranean-inspired game-day recipe, ready in about 22 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.
Ingredients
- 4 fillets (6 oz each), skin on sea bass fillets
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 cloves, minced garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp, drained capers
- 1 tbsp, chopped fresh parsley
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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 salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
- Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place fillets skin-side down and cook for 4-5 minutes until skin is crisp and golden.
- Step 3: Flip fillets and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Remove fillets from pan and keep warm.
- Step 4: Reduce heat to medium, add 3 tbsp unsalted butter and 2 minced garlic cloves to the skillet; cook for 1 minute until fragrant and butter is melted.
- Step 5: Stir in 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice and 2 tbsp drained capers; cook for 1 more minute until sauce slightly thickens.
- Step 6: Spoon lemon butter sauce over sea bass fillets and garnish with 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley before serving.







