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Crispy-skin branzino fillets seared in olive oil and finished with a lemon, olive oil, shallot and butter sauce. A quick Mediterranean sea bass dinner from the stovetop, ready in minutes.
Branzino is what we call Mediterranean sea bass โ ะปะฐะฒัะฐะบ / lavraki in Bulgaria and Greece โ and it’s one of the most popular fish along that coast.
Most of the time it’s cooked whole, baked or grilled, the way you’d get it at a seaside taverna.
This time the store had fillets, and since my kids prefer fillets (no whole fish to navigate), that’s what we brought home โ eight fillets, enough for the four of us.
Cooked on the stovetop, a branzino fillet takes about five minutes total and comes out with crisp, golden skin and mild, sweet, delicate flesh.
I finish it the way the tavernas do โ a simple lemon, shallot, and butter sauce spooned over the top. It tastes like a restaurant plate, but it’s a weeknight-easy dinner you make at home.
How to make pan-seared branzino fillet
- Pat the fillets completely dry on both sides with paper towels. This is what gives you crisp skin instead of steamed, soft skin โ don’t skip it.
- Salt the fillets on both sides. (Hold the pepper for now โ see step 5.)
- Sear skin-side down. Heat olive oil (or avocado oil, which takes higher heat) in a non-stick pan (I use my HexClad) over medium-high. Lay the fillets in skin-side down and let them cook, undisturbed, for 2โ3 minutes until the skin is golden and crisp.
- Flip and finish. Turn the fillets and cook the flesh side for another 2โ3 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily.
- Add pepper now, after cooking โ if you add it to the raw fish, it scorches in the hot pan and turns bitter.
- Make the sauce in a separate pan. Melt the butter, soften the shallot for a minute, then stir in the lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and the parsley. Spoon it over the fish.
Tips
Don’t move the fish while the skin crisps.
Let it sit the full 2โ3 minutes; if you nudge it early, the skin sticks and tears.
Check for pin bones.
European fillets are sometimes cut with a few tiny bones still in โ run your fingers along the flesh and pull any out before cooking.
Garlic is optional โ I leave it out.
The sauce is meant to be gentle, and garlic overpowers the shallot, which I prefer here. Add a small clove if you like it.
Serving ideas
I serve branzino the taverna way: withย Bulgarian sautรฉed potatoes, a simple salad, and lemon slices on the side, with that lemon-shallot butter sauce spooned over everything.
Branzino FAQ
What does branzino taste like? Mild, sweet, and delicate โ not fishy at all.
That’s why it’s such a good fish for kids and for anyone who says they don’t like seafood. The flavor is light enough that a simple lemon-butter sauce is all it needs.
How do I know the fillet is cooked? The flesh turns from translucent to opaque and flakes easily when you press it with a fork.
For a standard fillet that’s about 2โ3 minutes per side โ it cooks fast, so don’t walk away.
Can I cook a whole branzino instead? Yes. Whole branzino is traditional and delicious baked or grilled โ it’s just a different method and cook time than these quick stovetop fillets.
This recipe is written for the fillets.
Does fresh or frozen matter? Both work. If your fillets were frozen, thaw them fully and pat them very dry โ any surface water will steam the skin instead of crisping it.
More Fish Recipes
Pan-Seared Branzino Fillet with Lemon Butter Sauce
Ingredients
For the fish:
- 8 branzino fillets, Mediterranean sea bass fillets, skin on (from about 4 whole fish)
- Salt
- Olive oil, for the pan
- Black pepper, added after cooking
For the lemon butter sauce:
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 garlic clove, optional โ omit for a milder sauce, I rarely add it
Instructions
- Pat the fillets completely dry; season with salt.
- Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high. Sear skin-side down, undisturbed, 2โ3 minutes until crisp.
- Flip and cook 2โ3 minutes more, until opaque and flaking. Add pepper now, after cooking.
- In a separate pan, melt the butter, soften the shallot 1 minute, then stir in lemon juice, salt, and parsley. Spoon over the fish.
Notes
- Sear in batches so the pan isn’t crowded โ crowding steams the skin instead of crisping it.
- The lemon-shallot butter sauce is also great spooned over the potatoes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
