This tender, flaky and flavorful Chilean sea bass recipe with Asian flavors will help you to create a fancy seafood dinner at home in just 10 minutes of cooking time! It is a healthy meal that is easy, quick and perfect for a special occasion like an anniversary or birthday.
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If you've ever had a restaurant quality chilean sea bass from Ruth's Chris or another gourmet restaurant, you may have wondered if you could recreate the dish by cooking it at home! The price may come as a sticker shock, but it is well worth it for a special occasion and you don't have to be Bobby Flay or Gordon Ramsey to make it!
There are several preparations that are delicious for this type and cut of fish. Grilled, pan seared and even baked in the air fryer are all great options.
My opinion is that the best way to cook this delicious fish is by roasting it under the oven broiler. This method is quick and creates a delicious crispy and crunchy caramelized crust leaving tender and flaky fish on the inside.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- It has delicious flavor and texture. Marinated in soy sauce, brown sugar and rice vinegar - items you may already have on hand in your pantry!
- It's simple, quick and quite easy to make. You don't need to be a fancy chef to make this restaurant quality meal at home. This broiled chilean sea bass is the perfect dinner to have for a special occasion.
- If you love seafood recipes that feel fancy but are easy to make, be sure to check out my air fryer argentine shrimp and pesto crusted salmon recipes.
- Great for many dietary restrictions. It is high in protein and has few carbs. This recipe is gluten free, dairy free and is able to be made Whole30 compliant, paleo and keto with a few simple substitutions.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Reference the recipe card at the bottom for exact measurements and the notes below for substitution ideas.
- Chilean sea bass - for this recipe, look for fish without skin on. I found wild-caught in the freezer section of my local grocery store. You could opt for fresh from the seafood counter. This recipe also works well using another flaky fish like cod or haddock.
- Soy Sauce - may substitute half of the soy sauce for miso glaze or paste or even fish sauce if you have it. Coconut aminos has a less strong flavor than soy sauce so you may need to increase it if using and it makes it Whole30 or paleo friendly.
- Brown Sugar - you can also use coconut sugar (Whole30 or paleo compliant), honey or maple syrup as a substitute. For keto use a brown sugar substitute like Lakanto Brown Sugar.
- Rice Vinegar - easier to find than mirin and sake, although both may be swapped out in place of rice vinegar.
- Green Onions - chopped green onions provide a nice garnish as well as a fresh flavor to compliment the dish.
- Seasonings - soy sauce provides enough sodium to cover the salt factor, however seasoning with pepper or Asian seasoning help to bring out additional flavor.
How to Cook This Recipe
This is a step by step walkthrough of how to cook this recipe. Exact cook time and temperatures are available in the recipe card at the bottom.
- Defrost fish and pat dry with a paper towel. Place fish in a baking dish or a plastic Ziploc bag to marinate.
- Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar and rice vinegar and pour over fish. Work marinade into fish and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours up to overnight.
- Ensure oven rack is 6 inches from broiler. Preheat oven's broiler and place marinated fish onto a broiler rack. Allow the door to be open slightly ajar to monitor roasting.
- Broil fish for about 10 minutes under the broiler or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Top with green onions and serve.
Make Ahead, Storage, Freezer, Serving & Reheating
- Make Ahead: Marinating is key to getting the full Asian flavor into the fish. You can marinate overnight or as little as 3 hours. The longer you marinate, the more flavors there will be.
- Storage: Although leftovers of this delicious dish are rare, store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Freezing: Once cooked, it should not be refrozen. However, if you purchase fresh fillets, you can pre-marinate your fish and store it in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. This is a great option if you are choosing to sous-vide the fish as well.
- Serving: Serve it with rice or mashed potatoes along with a vegetable like asparagus or broccoli.
- Reheating: Reheat leftovers in the oven by broiling fish until just heated. It is also fabulous eaten cold in a sushi bowl, similar to our salmon buddha bowl.
Expert Tips
- Try checking out Costco or Sam's Club to see if you can get it for a lower price. You can also get it at your local grocery store or Whole Foods along with fish markets.
- Ensure that your fish is 6 inches from the broiler and keep the door open just slightly while broiling. Once you start to notice the brown sugar caramelizing you will want to keep an eye on it to not overcook it.
FAQs
It is a very popular fish that tends to be overfished leading to issues of supply and demand. It is a light fish that is tender and quite flavorful making it very popular.
It is a particular type of cold water fish found in the Atlantic, Pacific an Indian oceans. It is actually not a sea bass, rather its proper name is the Patagonian toothfish. Chilean sea bass is its commercial name developed to make it attractive to the market according to Wikipedia.
There are a ton of ways to cook it including pan fried, air fryer, in a cast iron skillet and oven roasting. I like to broil it in the oven because it gives a delicious crust on the outside and keeps the inside tender and flaky.
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Chilean Sea Bass
Ingredients
- 16 oz chilean sea bass 4, 4-ounce fillets
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- ⅓ cup rice vinegar
- pepper to taste
- 1 small green onion chopped
Instructions
- Defrost fish and pat dry with a paper towel. Place in a baking dish or a plastic Ziploc bag to marinate.
- Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar and rice vinegar and pour over fish. Work marinade into fish and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours up to overnight.
- Ensure oven rack is 6 inches from broiler. Preheat oven's broiler and place marinated fish onto a broiler rack. Allow the door to be open slightly ajar to monitor roasting.
- Broil fish for about 10 minutes under the broiler or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Top with green onions and serve.
Notes
- Ensure that your fish is 6 inches from the broiler and keep the door open just slightly while broiling. Once you start to notice the brown sugar caramelizing you will want to keep an eye on it to not overcook it.
- Make Ahead: Marinating is key to getting the full Asian flavor into the fish. You can marinate overnight or as little as 3 hours. The longer you marinate, the more flavors there will be.
- Storage: Although leftovers of this delicious dish are rare, store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Freezing: Once cooked, it should not be refrozen. However, if you purchase fresh fillets, you can pre-marinate your fish and store it in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. This is a great option if you are choosing to sous-vide the fish as well.
- Serving: Serve with rice, crispy Greek or mashed potatoes along with a vegetable like asparagus or broccoli.
- Reheating: Reheat leftovers in the oven by broiling fish until just heated. It is also fabulous eaten cold in a sushi bowl, similar to our salmon buddha bowl.
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