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Ruth’s Chris Chilean Sea Bass Recipe

I’ve been perfecting the Ruth’s Chris Chilean Sea Bass at home, and it’s a luxurious dish that’s sure to wow any dinner guest.

The key is to start with a high-quality piece of fish; the freshness makes all the difference in flavor and texture.

I savor the step of creating the buttery lemon sauce, which adds a rich, citrusy elegance to the delicate sea bass.

Remember to sear the fish skin-side down to achieve that wonderfully crispy skin.

What I love most about this recipe is its ability to deliver a restaurant-quality meal that’s deceptively simple to prepare, yet absolutely exquisite on the palate.

ruth chris chilean sea bass recipe

Today we are going to show you how to make Ruth Chris Chilean Sea Bass at home, which is pan-seared, served with delicious seasonings and a buttery lemon sauce.

How to make Ruth Chris Chilean Sea Bass

The best thing about this dish is that it’s so easy to prepare using some simple ingredients, and we can have the fish cooked to perfection in around10 minutes.

This is an incredible dish that has so much space for additional food pairings and experimentation. Give it a try!

Ingredients:

(2 servings)

  • 1 lb of Chilean Sea Bass
  • 2 tablespoons of butter
  • 2 tablespoons of capers
  • 1 fresh lemon
  • Cooking oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Instructions:

Depending on your preference, you may wish to soak the Sea Bass in saltwater beforehand.

This can help reduce the overly fish-like taste.

This isn’t mandatory but can be a good trick if you find the flavor to be too much despite the additional lemon and seasonings.

The buttered sauce is also optional here, if you wish you can also just squeeze the fresh lemon juice straight over the fish to give it a lighter taste. This is ideal if you need it to be dairy-free!

Step 1:

Prepare the fish by removing the bones and patting it try with a paper towel.

Step 2:

Put a good amount of oil into a skillet over high heat.

Step 3:

As the oil is heating up we can season the fish by using a generous amount of salt and pepper.

Make sure to coat all sides of the fish.

Step 4:

Once the oil is hot enough turn it down to a medium heat and place the fish in the pan.

Step 5:

Cook for 5-6 minutes on one side and then flip the fish, cooking for another 5-6 minutes on the other side.

Step 6:

While the fish is cooking, using a separate pan melt the butter and add both the capers and some lemon juice.

Mix everything together thoroughly.

Step 7:

Put the sea bass on a plate and spoon the butter sauce over the top. Enjoy!

Ingredient substitutions

garlic crusted cod

Chilean Sea Bass is served by many places outside of Ruth Chris and they all have their own version of how it should be seasoned or what sauce it should be paired with.

This is great for us home-cooks as we have a tremendous amount of flavor options to choose from.

1. Coconut Butter

Instead of regular butter, Rush Chris likes to substitute it for what they call ‘citrus coconut butter’.

Simply replace the regular butter with coconut butter and add the fresh lemon juice in the same way.

This will give a new dimension to the flavor of the sea bass and will really impress your friends and family with its restaurant-level quality.

2. Fish alternatives

Despite the name of the recipe using Sea Bass in the name, if for any reason you find yourself unable to obtain a nice slice for your cooking needs, there are a few alternatives you can use.

Cod and haddock make great alternatives and can be both cooked and seasoned in the exact same way.

Pollock also works well and is much cheaper, but it won’t have that same white look and chunky texture to it.

3. White wine

Wine makes an excellent cooking ingredient and makes for a great alternative flavor to the citrus you’d get from lemon or lime.

Simply add a little bit to the butter as it melts.

4. Other citrus fruits

Lemon is quite a common addition to fish, but if you’re looking for a good alternative try lime or even orange. They’ll still retain that tangy kick while offering something new for your taste buds!

What to serve with Ruth Chris Chilean Sea Bass

The Bass itself is only really half of the picture, what you choose to serve it with is where you make a full package.

Luckily, there are many fantastic foods you can serve it with regardless of what you’re in the mood for.

Sweet potato

This is actually something Ruth Chris originally serves Chilean Sea Bass with.

The sweetness of the potato and the texture of that roasted outer crust complement the softer texture and citrus taste of the Sea Bass perfectly.

Pineapple Hash

Pineapple hash makes a great addition, the caramelized onion combined with that extra citrus and fruity flavor create an almost overwhelming palette that is going to make your Sea Bass one to remember!

Grilled Veggies

Nicely cooked and seasoned veggies that contain things like asparagus and broccoli will freshen up and complement that heavier, fried, and buttery aesthetic of the sea bass excellently.

It’s a great way to round off the dish and make it into a more complete package.

Rice

If you need a good carbohydrate source to go with your rich flavored fish, look no further than some good old-fashioned rice, this can be brown or white.

You can also add a little butter or lemon to tie it together with the sea bass recipe.

How to reheat Ruth Chris Chilean Sea Bass

Like many fish-style dishes, our main goal when reheating is to ensure it doesn’t dry out.

So we approach this slowly and carefully, ensuring we take all the steps we can to preserve the moisture, texture, and flavor.

How to reheat Ruth Chris Chilean Sea Bass in a pot

Add a tiny amount of oil or butter to a pot on a low to medium heat.

Cover the pot and let it come up to temperature.

After a few minutes once there is some heat generated, quickly place the sea bass into the pot and let it warm up for 5-10 minutes depending on how much you have put in, and how thick the piece is.

We are not trying to re-sear the fish, simply allow it to warm.

How to reheat Ruth Chris Chilean Sea Bass in a microwave

Not the most ideal way to reheat fish as it’s both difficult to heat evenly and very prone to drying out, and it will make the texture taste rubbery and unsatisfying.

But, if you really have no choice we recommend wrapping the fish loosely in a microwave-safe cling film and microwaving for 30 seconds.

Flip the fish and cook for another 30 seconds.

You can do this a few times until you feel it’s adequately warmed through.

How to reheat Ruth Chris Chilean Sea Bass in the oven

Low and slow is best here.

Once again wrap the fish in tin foil and place it into a pre-heated oven set to 350°F.

One thing that can assist with the reheating process is to place a spoonful of water in with the fish which will essentially steam it a little.

Allowing the temperature to rise with as little moisture loss as possible.

How to reheat Ruth Chris Chilean Sea Bass in an air fryer

Much in the same way as cooking in the oven.

Preheat the air fryer to 350°F, and wrap the fish loosely in tin foil.

Once again you can add a spoonful of water to prevent it from drying out.

Heat for 5-10 minutes.

How to store Ruth Chris Chilean Sea Bass

Always ensure your fish is completely sealed when storing it.

The last thing you want is your whole fridge smelling of fish the next day!

Store in the fridge

Let it cool to room temperature and then place in a clean, airtight container and refrigerate.

If possible eat it by the next day, or at a push you can leave it for 3-4 days but the texture and taste will be adversely affected.

Store in the freezer

You can use either an airtight container or a freezer bag.

Once frozen you can keep it refrigerated for up to 3 months.

After you have defrosted it, reheat and consume it as soon as possible.

Do not re-freeze it a second time.

ruth chris chilean sea bass recipe

Ruth Chris Chilean Sea Bass Recipe

An incredibly quick and easy pan-seared fish dish accompanied by a delicious lemon and butter sauce. A simple and effective seafood meal that anyone can make at home, and is sure to impress both friends and family.
5 from 10 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 17 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 2 people
Calories 478 kcal
Equipment
  • 1 Skillet
  • 1 pan
Ingredients
  
  • 1 lb Chilean Sea Bass
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp capers
  • 1 fresh lemon
  • TT cooking oil
  • TT salt
  • TT pepper
Instructions
 
  • Prepare the fish by removing the bones and patting it try with a paper towel.
  • Put a good amount of oil into a skillet over high heat.
  • As the oil is heating up we can season the fish by using a generous amount of salt and pepper. Make sure to coat all sides of the fish.
  • Once the oil is hot enough turn it down to a medium heat and place the fish in the pan.
  • Cook for 5-6 minutes on one side and then flip the fish, cooking for another 5-6 minutes on the other side.
  • While the fish is cooking, using a separate pan melt the butter and add both the capers and some lemon juice. Mix everything together thoroughly.
  • Put the sea bass on a plate and spoon the butter sauce over the top. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 478kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 27gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 130mgSodium: 434mgPotassium: 81mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 826IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 1mg

Ruth's Chris Chilean Sea Bass pin

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Passionate chef, in love with everything related to food and cooking it to perfection!
Michael Cook
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