Grilled Chilean Sea Bass
Our Grilled Chilean Sea Bass is marinated in garlic, fresh thyme, and olive oil, then grilled to perfection! This clean eating recipe is so simple, yet adds a wonderful flavor without overpowering the beautiful, silky texture and taste of this delicate fish. The results is tender and moist fish that can be served on its own, or with your favorite sauce.
This recipe works well with any meaty white fish, and can be grilled, baked, or pan seared, to make a quick and easy main dish for any occasion. Served with either our Fresh Roasted Red Pepper Sauce or Easy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, this wonderful fish recipe will not disappoint! Want to read more about this in our Blog Comments & Tips?
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RECIPE
(Check out our Step by Step Instructions below the recipe card.)
Recipe updated as of 3/24/22
GRILLED CHILEAN SEA BASS
Ingredients
Instructions
- Remove any large bones from the Chilean sea bass, and slice into 4 fillets (about 6 ounces each - see Note #2). In a large Ziploc freezer bag (or medium glass bowl), add olive oil, sliced garlic, and chopped thyme leaves, and mix to combine (see Note #1). Place the fish in the Ziploc freezer bag (or mixing bowl), and seal the bag well. Smoosh the marinade around to coat each piece (or use tongs to turn the fish over in the marinade, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap). Refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Remove the fish from the fridge about 10 minutes before you are ready to grill, and transfer the fish to a plate (discard the marinade). Brush off excess bits of garlic (see Note #3), then season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for a total of 5-10 minutes before grilling.
- Clean and prepare the grill on medium heat (to medium-high based on your grill), then place each fillet over indirect heat, and grill with the lid closed for about 3-4 minutes on each side (depending on thickness - See Note #4). Remove fish to a clean plate, and loosely cover with foil (about 5 - 10 minutes) while you plate your other side dishes. Serve on its own with a sprig of fresh thyme, and with our Fresh Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (or your sauce of your choice).
Notes
- In place of the olive oil and garlic, you can replace it with ¼ cup Garlic Infused Olive Oil (recipe coming soon).
- Ask your fishmonger to remove any bones, and cut the same sized fillets, so they cook evenly.
- Brushing off garlic before grilling will prevent those bits from burning on the grill, which would make it bitter. To add a lemony touch & a bit of acid, just squeeze some fresh lemon juice directly over the fish just before you season it with salt & pepper.
- Check the fish after 2 minutes to make sure it isn’t burning, or overcooked. Make sure there are golden brown grill marks on both sides, then use a large spatula to carefully flip the fish. Keep in mind that the fish will continue to cook a bit, even after you remove the fillets from the grill. The internal temperature should reach between 135-145°F, and should NOT be translucent when the fish is flaked. If you are afraid of flipping and breaking the fish, try this grill basket for easy turning!
- This fish can be grilled, baked, or pan seared. You could also use Cod as a great substitute for Chilean Sea Bass.
- For more recipe variations, see the Pimp Our Recipe section in our Blog Comments & Tips at the bottom of this blog page!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
234.67Fat (grams)
10.28Sat. Fat (grams)
1.94Carbs (grams)
1.14Fiber (grams)
0.28Net carbs
0.86Sugar (grams)
0.02Protein (grams)
31.23Sodium (milligrams)
430.81Cholesterol (grams)
49.00Nutritional information provided is strictly an estimate and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods. Nutritional calculations only half the amount of olive oil, because the remainder gets discarded with the marinade.
Step by Step Instructions
PREPARATION
Organize all your tools and ingredients before you begin. Getting all your ingredients in one place at the beginning will shorten your prep time.
STEP 1
Remove any large bones from 1 ½ pounds Chilean sea bass fillets, and slice into 4 fillets (about 6 ounces each - see Note “a” below). In a large Ziploc freezer bag (or medium glass bowl), add ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon thinly sliced garlic (about 3 large cloves), and 1 tablespoon very roughly chopped fresh thyme leaves, and mix to combine (see Note “b” below). Place the fish in the Ziploc freezer bag (or mixing bowl), and seal the bag well. Smoosh the marinade around to coat each piece (or use tongs to turn the fish over in the marinade, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap). Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Notes: a) Ask your fishmonger to remove any bones, and cut the same sized fillets, so they cook evenly. b) In place of the olive oil and garlic, you can replace with ¼ cup Garlic Infused Olive Oil (recipe coming soon).
STEP 2
About 10 minutes before you are ready to grill, remove the fish from the refrigerator, and transfer just the fish to a plate (discard the marinade). Brush off any excess bits of garlic (see Notes below), then season both sides of the fish with ½ teaspoon Kosher salt (or to taste), and ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper (or black pepper). Loosely cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for a total of 5-10 minutes before grilling.
Note A: Brushing off garlic before grilling will prevent those bits from burning on the grill, which would make it bitter.
Note B: To add a lemony touch & a bit of acid, just squeeze some fresh lemon juice directly over the fish just before you season it with salt & pepper. See the Pimp Our Recipe section in our Blog Comments & Tips below for more recipe variations!
Note C: To reduce clean up, we wrap a plate with foil (or plastic wrap), then toss the foil once the fish is on the grill. When done, it gets transferred onto a clean plate!
STEP 3
Clean and prepare the grill on medium heat (to medium-high based on your grill), then place each fillet over indirect heat, and grill with the lid closed for about 3-4 minutes on each side (depending on thickness - see Note below). Use a large spatula to carefully flip the fish (or try this grill basket for easy flipping), and make sure there are golden brown grill marks on both sides. Remove fish to a clean plate, and loosely cover with foil (about 5 - 10 minutes) while you plate your side dishes. Serve on its own with a sprig of fresh thyme, or with a sauce of your choice.
Note: Check the fish after 2 minutes to make sure it isn’t burning, or overcooked. Make sure there are golden brown grill marks on both sides, then use a large spatula to carefully flip the fish. Keep in mind that the fish will continue to cook a bit, even after you remove the fillets from the grill. The internal temperature should reach between 135-145°F, and should NOT be translucent when the fish is flaked.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Serve on its own with a sprig of fresh thyme, or with a sauce of your choice. It’s amazing with either our Fresh Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, or our Easy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce! Some wonderful side dishes that can be served with this recipe are, Steamed Asparagus with Garlic & Parmesan (recipe coming soon), our Instant Pot Garlic Potatoes, and our Colorful Roasted Cauliflower!
Note: See the Pimp Our Recipe section in our Blog Comments & Tips below for more recipe variations!
Notes:
This fish can be grilled, baked, or pan seared. You could also use Cod as a great substitute for Chilean Sea Bass.
VIDEO
How to Make Grilled Chilean Sea Bass!
Blog Comments & Tips
Perfectly moist and lovely!
This fish recipe is so versatile, and can be grilled, baked, or pan seared. It’s beautiful with any kind of sauce, but my favorites are our Fresh Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, our Easy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. I’ve also served it with a delicious and simple butter, garlic, and herb sauce. Each time I’ve served this to my husband or guests, I always receive rave reviews.
Chilean sea bass is my absolute favorite fish! It’s so moist and tender, and its flesh has a wonderfully silky texture and rich flavor. Because of its mild taste, it doesn’t compete with the flavor of sauces, so it pairs very well with most any sauce.
Keep in mind that this fish recipe can be made with any meaty white fish. I would stay away from grilling thin white fish like Branzino, Dover sole or tilapia, as they will fall apart on the grill. Although, you could definitely use the same marinade, as the flavors would be beautiful, then just bake or pan sear the fish.
We chose to feature Chilean sea bass, which is especially moist and delicious! I tend to make Chilean Sea Bass for special occasions, as unfortunately, this fish can be somewhat expensive. However, if you want an amazing piece of fish, it’s worth cracking open your piggy bank! The good news is I’ve been lucky enough to find it at Costco on occasion, which makes it much more affordable.
Some wonderful side dishes that can be served with this recipe are, Steamed Asparagus with Parmesan (recipe coming soon), our Instant Pot Garlic Potatoes, and our Colorful Roasted Cauliflower!
How do you ensure the best results from our recipe?
Our 5 tips to grilling Chilean Sea Bass:
Fresh fish.
Fresh organic herbs.
Wait to season this fish with salt & pepper until 10-15 minutes before you grill it. Seasoning with salt too early can draw the moisture out of the fish. In general, it’s best to marinade a delicate fish without salt, then season with salt & pepper during the last 10-30 minutes before cooking. If you decide to use fresh squeezed lemon juice on the fish, it’s important to add it just before you season it. Then make sure to grill/cook the fish within 10-15 minutes. Otherwise, if you marinate fish in acid (lemon juice) for too long, it will partially “cook” the fish and change the texture.
Before grilling, brush off extra bits of garlic and herbs so they don’t get charred on the grill. The fish gets the benefit of the flavors from the thyme and garlic during the marinade process.
Stay by your grill, as you don’t want the fish to overcook and fall apart on the grill. If you struggle with flipping fish and are afraid it might fall apart, try this grill basket for easy flipping.
Have any dietary preferences that won’t quite work with our recipe? It’s time to customize and Pimp Our Recipe.
Pimp Our Recipe:
Make it Spicy: Add crushed red pepper flakes to the marinade. Or, mix a pinch of cayenne pepper in with the salt and pepper, when seasoning the fish.
Make it Lemony: Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice directly over the fish just before you season it with salt & pepper. If you are serving it without a sauce, then serve with a sprinkling of fresh lemon zest over the fish, and a lemon wedge. This makes a simple, clean eating recipe with subtle flavors that go with just about any side dish!
Make it Garlicky: This Grilled Chilean Sea Bass is truly perfect with our Fresh Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. However, if you are partial to a butter and garlic sauce, try our Garlic & Herb Sauce (ingredients and instructions are listed in our Roasted Salmon with Garlic & Herb Sauce recipe.
Make it Less Expensive: Use any white fish for this recipe. Although it won’t have the same mouthfeel as Chilean sea bass, Alaskan sablefish (AKA: black cod) is the best substitute. Haddock can also be used, but has a fishier taste. Branzino, or other thinner white fish can be used, but would be better baked or pan seared.
Enjoy and let us know what you think by commenting below, rating our recipes, subscribing, following, and liking us on Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube! Don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on new recipes and tips & tricks.
Happy Cooking!
Mich
Footnote: No one likes overcooked and dry fish, so remember to watch that grill!
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