It takes just 20 minutes to make this perfectly tender and flavorful baked Chilean sea bass recipe with charred lemon, juicy cherry tomatoes, fragrant basil pesto! This beautiful weeknight dinner is equally fit for company.
Eating fish weekly is part of the Mediterranean way, a healthy habit I was raised with in Egypt. Truthfully, though, one of the main reasons I cook fish so frequently is because it’s so quick and easy. This oven baked Chilean sea bass is no exception!
A squeeze of freshly charred lemon brings out the mild flavor of the sea bass, while a pinch of chili pepper adds a subtle heat. I add a few grape tomatoes for a pop of color. And, with flavorful basil pesto on top, there’s no need for a long list of ingredients or fancy techniques. It’s simply delicious!
Table of Contents
What is Chilean Sea Bass?
Chilean sea bass is not a true sea bass. It’s actually a Patagonian toothfish from the cold waters around South America and the Antarctic. But what does Chilean sea bass taste like? Thanks to its high fat content, Chilean sea bass is rich, tender, and has a buttery texture that flakes beautifully.
“Sea bass” refers to a large family of white fish with more than 400 species, including branzino, black sea bass, striped sea bass, and grouper. Generally, sea bass is a mild fish with a delicate flavor, so if you don’t love a strong “fishy” taste, this fish is a great option (and feel free to substitute any meaty white fish in this recipe, like cod or halibut).
Ingredients and Substitutions for this Chilean Sea Bass Recipe
Chilean sea bass is rather mild on its own, which makes it the perfect blank canvas. You just need a few simple flavor-makers to bring it to life!
- Chilean sea bass: Frozen is a great option here, just make sure to thaw it in your refrigerator overnight before baking. Any sturdy white fish also works well in its place, like striped sea bass, halibut, haddock, or cod.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Use a high quality extra virgin variety for the best flavor.
- Kosher salt and black pepper enhance the flavor.
- Chili pepper: I love a subtle heat for a more complex flavor. My favorite is Aleppo pepper, which adds a mild heat with slightly fruity and bright notes (you can read all about it in our guide, and find it at our spice shop.) If you don’t have any on hand, standard crushed chili flakes work well too.
- Lemons: Fresh citrus on fish is a must–it draws out its naturally sweet flavor and gives it an irresistible zing. Limes are the best substitute, but I’ll even take a zippy orange if that’s what you have.
- Pesto: I like to make a big batch of fresh homemade pesto to keep on hand, which allows me to use fresh ingredients and quality olive oil. Or swap in a quality store bought pesto to save time.
- Tomatoes: I can’t resist an easy pop of color, texture, and fresh flavor! I simply toss grape or cherry tomatoes with a little salt and olive oil and throw them on as a garnish. Feel free to use chopped heirloom or on the vine tomatoes in the summertime, or simply skip the tomatoes all together if you prefer.
How to Cook Chilean Sea Bass
Baking Chilean sea bass in foil traps the steam for a gentle heat that keeps it meltingly tender. As a bonus, it couldn’t be easier!
- Get ready. Position a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat o 425°F. Lightly oil a large baking pan.
- Season the fish. Put the fish in the prepared baking pan and drizzle with olive oil. Season all over with salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of chili flakes (or 2 teaspoons of Aleppo pepper). Cover the baking pan tightly with foil, tenting the foil so it does not touch the fish.
- Bake the fish. Bake in the heated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the thickest part of the fish flakes easily.
- Meanwhile, char the lemons. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Slice 1-2 lemons in half, and add to the hot pan with the cut side down. Sear briefly until the lemons soften and char a bit (about 2 minutes or so). Remove from heat and set aside.
- Finish and serve. When the fish is ready, remove it from the oven, uncover, and immediately squeeze one of the grilled lemon halves all over the fish. Spread the basil pesto on top. If using, toss 1 cup of halved grape tomatoes with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Arrange over the fish as a garnish. Serve immediately, with the remaining lemon on the side for squeezing.
What to Serve with Sea Bass
I like to serve this baked sea bass recipe with a big salad and a grain, like lemon rice or farro. The fish is buttery and tender, so I typically go for a crunchy salad on the side for variety. Maroulosalata (Greek Lettuce Salad) or Smashed Cucumber Salad come to mind.
More White Fish Recipes
Browse all Mediterranean recipes.
Visit Our Shop.
Baked Chilean Sea Bass
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Chilean sea bass (or another white fish fillet of your choice, thawed if perviously frozen)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or 2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper
- 1-2 lemons, halved
- 1/4 cup basil pesto (homemade or store bought), plus more to your liking
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved (optional)
Instructions
- Get ready. Position a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat o 425°F. Lightly oil a large baking pan.
- Season the fish. Put the fish in the prepared baking pan and drizzle with olive oil. Season all over with salt, pepper, and chili flakes or Aleppo pepper. Cover the baking pan tightly with foil, tenting the foil so it does not touch the fish.
- Bake the fish. Bake in the heated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the thickest part of the fish flakes easily.
- Meanwhile, char the lemon. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Add the lemons with the cut side down. Sear briefly until the lemons soften and char a bit (about 2 minutes or so). Remove from heat and set aside.
- Finish and serve. When the fish is ready, remove it from the oven, uncover, and immediately squeeze one of the grilled lemon halves all over the fish. Spread the basil pesto on top. If using, toss the grape tomatoes with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil and arrange over the fish as a garnish. Serve immediately, with the remaining lemon on the side for squeezing.
Video
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil and Aleppo pepper used in this recipe.
- Other white fish options: Striped sea bass, halibut, haddock, or cod.
- How do you know if the fish is fully cooked? The fish is ready when you pull back with a fork in the center and it flakes easily. Its internal temperature should register at around 145 degrees F. Remember that the fish will continue to cook for a little while after you take it out of the oven.
- Leftovers & storage: Store leftover cooked fish in a tightly closed container for up to 2 days. It’s best not to reheat the fish and simply serve it cold or at room temperature over a salad of your choice (you can use the example of this salmon salad recipe).
Nutrition
Bundle and Save!
Four of our best-selling signature olive oils, perfect for everyday use.
*This post has recently been updated with new information for the readers’ benefit.
This looks fantastic, but where I live the summers are soooo hot. I hate to turn on the oven. Can this be adapted to do ouside on the grill?
Hi, Fia! That’s not something we have tried before with this recipe, but it could work! If you decide to give it a go, please stop back and let us know how it turned out!
This recipe looks great! Do you think the fish would still taste good if I need to serve it a few hours after it comes out of the oven?
That’s hard to say, Chanie. Fish tends to dry out when you try to reheat it, so I really like to serve fish dishes immediately after the come out of the oven.
This was so good!
This was a delicious recipe but I “doctored it up” and make a panko Parmesan dredge. Sautéed the sea bass face down in garlic olive oil, a dash of lemon juice and crushed garlic. Then I put it in a small dish with olive oil base and topped with with pesto and then my panko/parm “dredge”. Add a cut up lemon and some baby tomatoes. Baked for 10 minutes at 425 then airfried to get crisp topping for 8 minutes more. Served with roasted cauliflower- looks and tastes like something served at a restaurant!
Yummy! Thanks for sharing, Desiree!