This easy Mediterranean sea bass recipe comes together in just 15 minutes! A few simple steps give you the flakiest, most tender fish recipe. But the bold seasoning and colorful bell peppers take this simple pan seared sea bass to the next level!
Why You’ll Love This Sea Bass Recipe
- It takes 15 minutes to cook.
- It’s totally flexible—swap the veggies for what you have on hand.
- Reader tested: “OMG, this dish is superb. My family and I love it. I’ve made it a few times, I think this has become a family favorite!!!”
This easy pan-seared sea bass recipe is a little taste of the Mediterranean in one pan! And it comes together in just 15 minutes.
First, you’ll give a few sea bass filets a quick rub with a bold seasoning of cumin, coriander, Aleppo-style pepper, and garlic. Then you’ll briefly sear the fish in some extra virgin olive oil to create the perfect thin crust that gives way to tender, perfectly flaky sea bass underneath without too much work!
To serve, hit your fish with a good splash of lemon juice and top it with my sautéed medley of bell peppers, garlic, shallots, and chopped kalamata olives. It’s not just a pretty embellishment, trust me!
This delicious veggie topping is the tastiest complement to this easy sea bass recipe. Simply add your favorite grain or a big salad, and dinner is done!
Key Ingredients
This simple sea bass recipe has three components: the fish, seasoning, and the delicious topping of bell peppers and vegetables.
- Skinless sea bass or Chilean sea bass filet. You need about 1 1/2 pounds cut into 4 filets. You can typically find wild-caught sea bass in the freezer section at your grocery store; you’ll just need to thaw it out properly overnight. Other mild white fish options like halibut or even cod will work here (more ideas below).
- Sea bass seasonings. To amp up the flavor on this simple pan-seared fish recipe, I used a mixure of ground coriander, garlic powder, Aleppo pepper (or sweet Spanish paprika), ground cumin, and black pepper.
- Bell pepper topping. Chopped bell peppers (any colors you have), with shallots, garlic, and pitted kalamata olives, all sauteed in a bit of olive oil and added on top of your fish. Feel free to play with how to top this sea bass recipe, try it with Mediterranean vegetable medley, cucumber salsa, or sweet corn salsa. I swap out the topping based on what I have on hand and what’s in season all the time.
How to Make Pan Seared Sea Bass
Here are the simple steps to make this fish recipe.
- Season the sea bass. Pat the fish dry, and sprinkle kosher salt on both sides of 4 (6-ounce) sea bass fillets, each about 1 ½ inches thick. Set aside.
- Make the spice mixture. In a small bowl, combine 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or Sweet Spanish paprika, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Set the spice mix aside.
- Cook the vegetables. Set a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet, once it begins to shimmer, add 1 chopped red bell pepper, 1 chopped green bell pepper, 3 chopped shallots, and 4 cloves of minced garlic. Season with kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of the spice mixture. Cook, stirring regularly, for about 5 minutes or until the peppers have softened. Turn the heat to low, and stir in 1/2 cup pitted and chopped kalamata olives. Leave the veggies on low heat to continue cooking while you cook the fish.
- Pan-sear the sea bass. Season the fish with the remaining spice mixture on both sides. Set a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the fish to the skillet. Push down on the thickest part of each fillet for about 30 seconds. Then let the sea bass cook undisturbed for 4 to 6 minutes, until nicely seared. Carefully turn the fish over with a spatula and cook the other side for 3 to 4 minutes until it also sears nicely.
- Serve. Remove the fish from the heat and immediately squeeze the juice of half a lemon all over it. Spoon the vegetable medley on top and serve hot.
How to Cook Sea Bass
Sea bass is a broad family of saltwater fish, and includes more than 400 species! This recipe uses a white sea bass, which is actually a type of fish called a drum. Not scientifically a “bass”, but delicious nevertheless.
Generally, sea bass is a mild-tasting white fish, and you can cook it in a variety of mouthwatering ways. Most people will cook sea bass in the oven. It’s great baked with a lemon-garlic dressing like I do with cod in this recipe, or smothered in basil pesto, or even wrapped in parchment with sliced veggies of your choice.
But another easy way to prepare sea bass filets is to pan-sear them in a bit of good extra virgin olive oil. This will take about 4 minutes or so on either side, depending on the thickness of your fish filets. Granted, this method might require a splatter guard, but that thin crust on the fish is so worth it!
Tips for Getting the Perfect Sear on Fish
So for this pan-seared sea bass recipe, I have an important tip for perfectly flaky, never rubbery, fish.
- Before flipping the fish, look for browned edges.
- If the fish sticks to the skillet, carefully and gently lift it with a fish spatula. That should be enough to loosen the fish.
- If the fish is entirely stuck, however, this is a sign that it is not ready to flip. Leave it for another 30 seconds and try again. The fish should release when ready, and it should show color on both sides.
How to Tell When Fish Is Done
While sea bass is easy to cook, like other fish, it is also easy to overcook. Generally, fish is finished cooking when the flesh turns from gray and translucent to opaque, and you can flake it easily with a fork.
- The internal temperature of cooked fish should be 145°F when tested with an instant-read thermometer.
- Be aware of carryover cooking. Once the fish reaches between 135-140°F, you can remove it from the heat. Carryover cooking will bring it up to the USDA-recommended temperature of 145°F for perfectly cooked fish every time.
Sea Bass Swaps
If Chilean sea bass is difficult to find where you are, you can swap it with any firm fish with a delicate flavor. Here are a few of my favorite sea bass substitutions:
- grouper
- red snapper
- mahi mahi
- branzino
- cod
- hallibut
What to Serve with Sea Bass
I like serving this sea bass and pepper recipe with a few lemon wedges and a side of pearl couscous, bulgur wheat, or, for a gluten-free option, this Mediterranean quinoa salad.
I’m always a fan of adding more vegetables to any meal. You could keep things simple with this lemon Parmesan salad, or go bold with my big Italian salad, or if you want something cooked, try roasted broccoli in cooler months or sauteed asparagus in the spring.
More Sea Bass Recipes to Love
- Lemony Dukkah Crusted Sea Bass
- Chilean Sea Bass with Pesto and Cherry Tomatoes
Mediterranean Pan Seared Sea Bass Recipe with Garlic Bell Pepper Medley
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Ingredients
- 4 sea bass fillets, no skin (each piece about 6-0z in weight and 1 1/2 inches in thickness)
- salt
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 green bell pepper, cored and chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped
- 3 shallots. chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved or chopped
- 1/2 lemon, juice off
Spice Mixture
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or Sweet Spanish paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
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Salt the fish. Take the fish out of the fridge about 20 minutes before cooking. Pat dry and sprinkle with salt on both sides and set aside.
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Combine the spices. In a small bowl, combine the coriander, garlic powder, aleppo pepper, ground cumin, and black pepper. Set aside for now.
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Cook the veggies. Set a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the bell peppers, shallots, and garlic. Season with salt and 1 teaspoon of the spice mixture you prepared earlier. Cook, stirring regularly, for 5 minutes or until the peppers have softened. Turn the heat to the lowest temp, and stir in the chopped olives. Leave on low heat as you prepare the fish.
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Season the fish. Season fish fillets with the remaining spice mixture on both sides.
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Cook the sea bass. In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, add 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the fish pieces. Reduce the heat to medium. Push down on the middle (thickest part) for 30 seconds or so. Cook fish on one side, undisturbed, until nicely browned, about 4 to 6 minutes. Using a spatula, carefully turn fish over and cook on the other side for 3-4 minutes until nicely seared as well. (Important Note: Look for browned edges before you turn it over. If parts of the fish are stuck, you should be able to carefully scrape it with the spatula and turn. But if the fish is entirely stuck, it’s not ready to be turned over. Leave it for a little bit. It should release when ready.)
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Finish and serve: Remove fish from heat, immediately drizzle lemon juice. Serve warm with the bell pepper medley spooned on top. Add a side of cooked pearl couscous or rice, if you like. Or add a gluten-free side of your choice. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Visit our shop to browse quality ingredients including olive oils and spices used in this recipe.
- Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. I like eating leftover fish at room temperature, so it doesn’t become rubbery when reheated. But you can reheat it over medium-low heat until just warmed through.
Nutrition
*This post first appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2018 and has been recently updated with new media and information for readers’ benefit.
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The post Easy Pan Seared Sea Bass Recipe (15 minutes) appeared first on The Mediterranean Dish.