Pan-Seared Sea Bass with Lemon-Caper Brown Butter Sauce

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 developed and reviewed.

Delicate sea bass pan-seared to golden perfection and topped with a bright, tangy lemon-caper brown butter sauce. This Mediterranean-inspired seafood recipe, ready in about 25 minutes, pairs sea bass fillets, sea salt, black pepper for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 360 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: 15 min Serves 4 Mediterranean cuisine 360 cal/serving
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Ingredients

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Instructions

  1. Step 1: Pat dry 4 sea bass fillets (6 oz each) and season both sides with 1 tsp sea salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper.
  2. Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place the fillets skin-side down and sear for 4-5 minutes until the skin is crisp and golden.
  3. Step 3: Flip the fillets and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Remove fillets to a warm plate.
  4. Step 4: Reduce heat to medium and add 6 tbsp unsalted butter to the skillet. Cook, swirling occasionally, until the butter turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 3-4 minutes.
  5. Step 5: Stir in 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice and 2 tbsp drained capers, cooking for 1 minute until the sauce slightly thickens.
  6. Step 6: Spoon the lemon-caper brown butter sauce over the sea bass fillets and garnish with 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley before serving immediately.

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