Easy Pan Seared Sea Bass Recipe, flavored Mediterranean-style. Don’t skip the garlic and bell pepper medley on top! This is a quick and healthy weeknight meal (low-carb, low-calorie, and gluten free!)
The other day, I went to check out the fish selection at my local grocery store, initially looking for salmon to make my baked salmon with garlic-cilantro sauce. I was excited to find sea bass, which I hadn’t seen in a while!
It didn’t take long for me to switch sides, deciding in favor of this easy pan seared sea bass recipe as a quick weeknight meal.
Sea bass is apparently such a broad family, and white sea bass is actually a type of fish called a Drum, which not technically/scientifically a bass.
But, to this eater, what matters is that it’s one of my favorite fish. It’s white-fleshed. Meaty. Moderately low in fat. And mild-tasting, which makes it the perfect flavor carrier.
Why this Pan Seared Sea Bass Recipe Works
Other than the fact that it’s a quick cooking method, the object of pan-searing here is to produce a flavorful crisp exterior, which acts as a little barrier allowing the fish to remain tender on the inside as it cooks.
I always prefer a large cast iron skillet (or a pan made of a heavy-gauge metal) which does well in transmitting heat evenly.
No surprise to you, before searing in olive oil, I first gave the sea bass a quick coating of Mediterranean spices–ground coriander, cumin, and sweet Aleppo pepper. The spice mixture imparted flavor and acted as a thin crust to my skinless sea bass fillets.
What to serve with this sea bass recipe
My part-Italian, part-Greek addition here is a bright garlic and bell pepper medley. Not just a pretty embellishment, trust me. The sweet peppers, combined with the salty Kalamata olives are the tastiest compliment in this sea bass recipe.
I served this sea bass and pepper medley with plain pearl couscous. But it’s also wonderful with this Lebanese rice. I’m not shy about adding yet more color in the form of fattoush salad to start.
One last note, if sea bass is not available to you, you can use halibut or cod fillet instead.
Mediterranean Pan Seared Sea Bass Recipe with Garlic Bell Pepper Medley
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
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Easy Pan Seared Sea Bass Recipe, flavored Mediterranean-style! Don’t skip the garlic and bell pepper medley on top. This makes a quick and healthy weeknight meal (low-carb, low-calorie, and gluten free!)
Ingredients
- 4 pieces Sea Bass fillet, 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
- 2–3 cups cooked rice or pearl couscous or orzo pasta, prepared according to package (optional)
Spice Mixture
- 1/2 tbsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper (or Sweet Spanish paprika)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Take the fish out of the fridge about 20 minutes before cooking. Sprinkle with salt on both sides and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the spices to make the spice mixture. Set aside for now.
- In a medium-sized skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering but not smoking.
- Add the bell peppers, shallots, and garlic. Season with salt and 1 tsp of the spice mixture you prepared earlier. Cook, stirring regularly, for 5 minutes or until the peppers have softened. Turn the heat to lowest, and stir in the chopped olives. Leave on low heat as you prepare the fish.
- Pat fish dry and season with the remaining spice mixture on both sides as well.
- In a large skillet, preferably cast iron like this one, heat 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil over medium-high until shimmering but not smoking. Add the fish pieces (you can reduce heat to medium, if needed). 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 other side for 3-4 minutes until nicely browned 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.)
- Remove fish from heat, immediately drizzle lemon juice. Serve hot with the bell pepper medley spooned on top. Add a side of cooked pearl couscous or this Lebanese rice, if you like. Or add a gluten-free side of your choice. Enjoy!
Notes
- Recommended for this recipe: Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil (from organically grown and processed Koroneiki olives). And from our organic and all-natrual spice collections: ground coriander, cumin, Aleppo pepper (or paprika.)
- SAVE! Try our olive oil bundle; Ultimate Mediterranean Spice Bundle; or Create Your Own 6-Pack from our spice collection!
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: Sea bass recipe, pan seared sea bass
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Greek-Style Baked Cod with Lemon and Garlic
Excellent recipe, I would not change a thing!!! The only complaint my boyfriend made is that I didn’t make enough!!!!!
★★★★★
hahah! That’s what I love to hear, Judith. Thanks so much!
Hi
Can I use smoked paprika if that’s all I have in?
Smoked paprika has a different flavor profile, of course. I would start with a little and add more later.
This is absolutely heavenly! Made with sea bass. Very easy dish to make with out of this world outcome. Thanks!
★★★★★
Can the Mediterranean Sea bass be baked or broiled? The sea bass I bought is thin. How can I adjust the time for the thinness and for baking or broiling?
Hi Kathy, if it’s fairly thin, then yes, you can broil it. I would just watch for the fish to gain some color and firm up. It should not take too long, but the time depends mostly on your oven.
Suzy as always thanks for another delicious recipe, I just have a question. Do you think halibut will work? my family is not very fond of sea bass and I am a little “afraid” of wasting halibut if does not work.
Thanks again.
My pleasure, Eleonora! You can use a different white fish fillet here…cod or halibut will work.
This recipe is amazing! The pepper medley with olives was perfect with the sea bass. I thought it might be too spicy, but it wasn’t at all. It was perfect. My husband and I felt like we ate at a fancy restaurant. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
★★★★★
Sylvia, thanks so much for sharing! The bell pepper medley is my favorite part too!
Had some frozen Chilean sea bass that was portioned for 1 each but thick. This recipe was absolutely fantastic. My husband never had sea bass before and he was raving about it. Had extra pepper medley that I served mixed in couscous and it was restaurant worthy. Now I need more bass recipes :-). Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
I made the pan seared sea bass recipe last night for me and my daughter and it was fantastic. The recipe was quick and easy to make.
Yay! Thank you for giving it a try, Elizabeth!
Simply outstanding!!! Yowza…this is tasty. I’m freshly retired and have assumed the role of house cook to ease the life of my still working, very special wife. She came home to a glass of
red wine and a home filled with Mediterranean aromas. We both were floored with the rich mix of flavors and textures.
We both highly, highly recommend this wonderful dish. It has been added to our meal plan to be served to our our good friends during the Winter Dance Party held at the Surface Ballroom.
★★★★★
Thank you so much for giving this fish recipe a try! My family absolutely loves it, and I am so so glad to hear you and your beautiful wife do too! Happy retirement! And I hope you’ll find more recipes here to try.
This sea bass is so up my alley, I absolutely love this recipe, of course being a Spaniard I wil be using Spanish extra virgin olive oil 🙂 but seriously, thanks for the amazing recipe, making this tonight!!
Thanks, Albert. Hope you enjoy it!
OMG yum. I love the sear on the fish giving it a nice crust. Its making me really hungry.
This sea bass looks fantastic. I love all the spices. And the medley with peppers and garlic sounds awesome. I will be making this recipe soon 🙂
★★★★★
Awesome, Edyta! I can’t wait to hear how it turns out for you guys!
This looks so good! You seared it to perfection!
Thanks, Amy! It’s one of the simplest meals.
Every time I see a new recipe of yours I’m in love! They all sound like something I would love to eat and cook, and this one is no exception! So fresh, colourful and bursting with flavors. Yum!
★★★★★
Aww, Marie! Thank you so so much for your kind note. It means a lot to me.
This looks absolutely delicious I can’t wait to make it!
★★★★★
Yay! Can’t wait to hear your feedback!