Pan-Seared Sea Bass with Lemon-Caper Sauce and Fresh Thyme

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 pan-seared to golden perfection, topped with a bright lemon-caper sauce and fragrant fresh thyme for a light, authentic seafood dish. This Mediterranean-inspired seafood 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.

Prep: 10 min Cook: 12 min Serves 4 Mediterranean cuisine 320 cal/serving
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Ingredients

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Instructions

  1. Step 1: Pat dry 4 sea bass fillets and season both sides with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
  2. Step 2: Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the fillets skin-side down and cook for 4-5 minutes until the edges are crispy and the fillets release easily from the pan.
  3. Step 3: Flip the fillets carefully and add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 minced garlic cloves, and 4 fresh thyme sprigs to the pan. Spoon the melted butter and herbs over the fish as it cooks for another 3-4 minutes until cooked through and opaque.
  4. Step 4: Remove the fillets from the pan and set aside on a warm plate. To the same pan, add 3 tablespoons lemon juice and 2 tablespoons drained capers, stirring to deglaze and simmer gently for 1-2 minutes until the sauce slightly thickens.
  5. Step 5: Pour the lemon-caper sauce over the sea bass fillets and garnish with 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley before serving immediately with steamed vegetables or a light salad.

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