Pan seared sea bass recipe was on repeat in my mom's kitchen when I was a kid, and I didn't think twice about it until I was old enough to actually taste what was happening in that pan. A quarter cup of tequila goes straight into the marinade, cooks down until it's barely there, and somehow it works. It's been a favorite since I was small, and it still gets people every single time I make it.
Cooking the tequila down like this turns it into something closer to a warm, smoky citrus note than anything boozy - the alcohol burns off fast in the pan and again in the oven. It's stupidly simple for how impressive it looks on a plate: a clean weeknight dinner most nights, dressed-up enough for company on the nights it needs to be. If you're building out a seafood night, my Parmesan Crusted Fish with Lemony Orzo comes together just as fast, and you'll find more of my fish dinners in my Easy Seafood Recipes roundup.
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Ingredients
Here's what you'll need - full quantities are in the recipe card below.
- Grape or cherry tomatoes
- Green onions
- Olive oil
- Tequila
- Salt
- All-purpose flour
- Black pepper
- Chilean sea bass fillets
- Avocado oil, for searing
See recipe card for quantities.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's fast. Ready in under 30 minutes of active work, but tastes like way more effort than that.
- The tequila is the surprise. It does something genuinely unexpected to the pan sauce - no one guesses what's in it.
- One skillet. Start to finish, one pan.
- Endlessly adaptable. Swap the sea bass for another flaky white fish, or change what you serve it over.
Instructions
This comes together in two parts - the marinade and the fish - and neither one takes much hands-on time.
Marinate the Tomatoes
Combine the cherry tomatoes, green onions, olive oil, tequila, and salt in a large zip-top bag. Marinate for at least 1 hour, and up to a couple of hours, in the refrigerator.
Dredge the Sea Bass
In a shallow dish, combine the flour, salt, and pepper. Pat each piece of Chilean sea bass completely dry, then dredge in the flour mixture, coating all sides.
Sear, Top, and Finish in the Oven
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add avocado oil. Place the sea bass non-skin-side down and cook for 90 seconds. Flip so the skin side is down, then remove the skillet from the heat. Top the fish with the tequila marinated tomato mixture - it will sizzle immediately. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 6 to 8 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.
Timing note: a thinner fillet, under about 1 inch thick, will usually be done closer to 6 minutes. A thicker center-cut piece, 1½ inches or more, can take closer to 10-12 minutes. Sea bass is done when it flakes easily with a fork.
Serve
Serve as is, or over rice or potatoes.
Substitutions
A few easy swaps if you don't have everything on hand.
- Chilean sea bass → any other light, flaky white fish (halibut, snapper, or black cod all work).
- Grape tomatoes → cherry tomatoes, or halved small heirlooms.
- Tequila → dry white wine, if you'd rather skip it but still want that deglazed pan flavor.
Variations
A few ways I like to switch this up.
- Serve over a hearty tomato rice instead of plain rice.
- Spoon it over a risotto finished with a little crispy prosciutto and extra scallions for something more special-occasion.
- Swap in another light, flaky white fish - this marinade works on more than just sea bass.
Equipment
This is about as low-equipment as dinner gets - one skillet that can go from stovetop to oven, and a couple of basics you probably already own.
- Oven-Safe Skillet [AFFILIATE LINK PENDING] - You need a skillet that can go straight from the stovetop into the oven for this one. Cast iron holds heat evenly enough that the sear on the sea bass doesn't turn rubbery. Premium: Staub 12" cast iron skillet. Budget: Lodge 12" cast iron skillet.
- Fish Spatula [AFFILIATE LINK PENDING] - Sea bass is delicate once it's seared, and a thin, flexible fish spatula is the only way I get it out of the pan without it falling apart. Premium: All-Clad fish turner. Budget: OXO Good Grips fish spatula.
- Shallow Dredging Dish [AFFILIATE LINK PENDING] - I keep a wide, shallow dish just for dredging - it makes coating the fish in the flour mixture actually manageable instead of a mess. Premium: Le Creuset stoneware pie dish. Budget: Pyrex glass pie dish.
- Reusable Silicone Bag [AFFILIATE LINK PENDING] - The tomatoes marinate right in the bag, so there's less to wash and no oily plastic to toss. Premium: Stasher reusable silicone bag. Budget: Pyrex glass storage container with lid.
- Instant-Read Thermometer [AFFILIATE LINK PENDING] - Fish overcooks fast, and this takes the guesswork out of knowing when it's actually done. Premium: Thermapen ONE. Budget: ThermoPro TP19.
Storage
Sea bass is best eaten the day you make it - the sear doesn't hold up to reheating well. If you do have leftovers, store the fish and tomatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a low oven, around 275°F, just until warmed through - the microwave will make the fish rubbery. I don't recommend freezing this one; the texture of seared fish changes a lot once it's frozen and thawed.
Top Tip
Pat the sea bass completely dry before you dredge it. Any surface moisture keeps the flour from crisping up, and that's the whole point of the sear.
FAQ
Quick answers to what people ask most about this recipe.
Yes - any light, flaky white fish works here. Halibut, snapper, or black cod are all good swaps. Just adjust the sear and oven time based on the thickness of the fillet.
Most of it. The tequila reduces significantly during the marinade and again in the hot pan, so what's left behind is mostly flavor, not alcohol. If you want to be cautious around kids, swap the tequila for a splash of dry white wine or lime juice instead.
Rice or roasted potatoes are the simplest route. For something more special-occasion, try it over a warm tomato rice or a risotto finished with crispy prosciutto and extra scallions.
Yes - they'll hold in the fridge in the marinade for up to a day, which makes this an easy one to prep ahead of a weeknight.
More from Whisk & Wine
A few more recipes worth bookmarking while you're here.
More Easy Seafood Nights
If tonight's a fish night, here's where to go next.
Pan Seared Sea Bass Recipe with Tequila Marinated Tomatoes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes (includes 1 hour marinating)
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Description
A quick pan-seared Chilean sea bass topped with tequila marinated cherry tomatoes and green onion - ready in under 30 minutes, and a recipe Jess grew up on.
Ingredients
- 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup tequila
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 (6-ounce) Chilean sea bass fillets
- Avocado oil, for searing
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Add the tomatoes, green onions, 2 tablespoons olive oil, tequila, and ½ teaspoon salt to a large zip-top bag.
- Seal the bag and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, up to a few hours.
- In a shallow dish, whisk together the flour, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper.
- Pat the sea bass fillets completely dry with a paper towel.
- Dredge each fillet in the flour mixture, coating all sides. Shake off excess.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon avocado oil.
- Place the sea bass in the skillet non-skin-side down. Cook for 90 seconds.
- Flip the fillets so the skin side is down. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Spoon the tequila marinated tomato mixture over the fish.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes for fillets under 1 inch thick, or up to 10-12 minutes for thicker cuts, until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
- Serve immediately, as is or over rice or potatoes.
Notes
The tomatoes can be marinated up to a day ahead. For a non-alcoholic version, swap the tequila for a splash of dry white wine or lime juice.
Note: oven temperature was not specified in the original recipe - 400°F used as a placeholder, please confirm.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Seafood
- Method: Pan-Seared
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 fillet with tomatoes
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