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Chilean Sea Bass with Lemon Butter Sauce
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5 from 16 votes

Easy Baked Chilean Sea Bass with Lemon Butter Sauce

Ready in just 30 minutes this is the easiest baked Chilean sea bass recipe you'll ever make! The subtle flavors of the smooth and buttery sea bass is enhanced with a simple sauce of lemon, butter and thyme and served on a bed of sautéed spinach. You have to try this simple, yet elegant, restaurant-quality meal.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chilean sea bass recipe, sea bass recipe
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 604kcal
Author: Lima

Ingredients

For the Fish

  • 2 Chilean Sea Bass fillets about 6 ounces each, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoon olive oil
  • salt, fresh ground black pepper a pinch

Spinach

  • 5 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt, pepper a pinch

Sauce

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice to taste
  • 3 sweet peppers julienned
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • ½ red serrano chili sliced
  • salt a pinch

Instructions

Step 1: Bake the Fish

  • Preheat the oven to 450°F.
  • Place the fillets on a baking dish or baking sheet. Brush with olive oil, then season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Place the fillets skin side down on the baking dish.
  • Bake the fillets in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes until done. Fillets are done when the fish flakes easily when poked with a fork or the internal temperature reaches about 145°F when an instant read thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the fillet.
  • Cover the fillets with aluminum foil or parchment paper until ready to plate (no more than 10 minutes).

Step 2: Sauté the spinach while the fish bakes

  • Add some olive oil to a pan over medium heat.
  • Once the oil is warm, add the baby spinach leaves and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté the spinach in the hot pan until just wilted.
  • Place half the spinach on each serving plate.

Step 3: Make the sauce while the fish bakes

  • In the same pan as the spinach, add the butter and heat over medium heat.
  • Once the butter has melted add the lemon juice, sliced chili, sweet pepper, thyme and salt. Sauté for about 1 minute, then set aside.

Step 4: Plate the fish

  • Put a fillet on top of the spinach on the serving plates. Drizzle with the lemon butter sauce. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

  • Use similar sized fillets. Select fillets of similar sizes and thickness so they cook evenly together.
  • Make sure the fillets are at room temperature. Allow the fillets to rest for at least 20 minutes at room temperature. The filets will cook unevenly if cooked straight out of the fridge.
  • Do not over season. Do not use spices that overwhelm the subtle flavors of this fish.
  • Consider varying cooking times. Thicker fillets will take longer to cook than thinner ones.
  • Multi-task. Cook the spinach and sauce while the fish bakes. For optimal flavor, the fish should be served immediately or within 10 minutes of baking.

Storage

Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator (after cooling), this deep-water fish will last for about 3-4 days.

To reheat: The best way to reheat fish is through steaming. To heat on a skillet, add a few teaspoons of water and cover until warmed through. Microwaving is not recommended as it tends to overcook the fish.

Nutritional Information

Each serving of this Chilean sea bass recipe has about 604 calories, 39.4g of fat and 16.4g of carbohydrates (12.3g of net carbs).

This fish recipe yields approximately 2 servings. The nutrition information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator and is intended for informational purposes only and should be used as a general guideline. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should independently verify it using your preferred tool.