Pan-Seared Sea Bass with Olive Tapenade and Lemon-Caper Sauce

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-25 · Updated 2026-04-25

Tender sea bass fillets pan-seared until golden, topped with a briny olive tapenade and drizzled with a bright lemon-caper sauce. This Greek recipe (mediterranean), ready in about 27 minutes, pairs sea bass fillets, olive oil, black olives for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 350 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, about 6 oz each sea bass fillets
• 3 tbsp, divided olive oil
• 1/2 cup pitted, chopped black olives
• 1/2 cup pitted, chopped green olives
• 2 tbsp, rinsed and chopped capers
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

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Instructions

1. Step 1: To prepare the olive tapenade, combine 1/2 cup chopped black olives, 1/2 cup chopped green olives, 2 tbsp chopped capers, 1 minced garlic clove, and 1 tbsp olive oil in a small bowl. Stir until well mixed and set aside.
2. Step 2: Pat dry 4 sea bass fillets and season both sides with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
3. Step 3: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fillets skin-side down and cook for 4-5 minutes until the skin is crisp and golden.
4. Step 4: Carefully flip the fillets and cook for an additional 3 minutes until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Remove the fillets to a warm plate.
5. Step 5: In the same skillet, add 1/4 cup dry white wine and 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice. Stir and scrape up any browned bits, simmering for 2 minutes until slightly reduced.
6. Step 6: Remove from heat and whisk in 1 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley to create the lemon-caper sauce.
7. Step 7: Spoon the olive tapenade generously over each sea bass fillet and drizzle with the lemon-caper sauce before serving immediately.