Honey Soy Sea Bass

The simple savory soy marinade tastes great with the flakey fish.

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Pan-Seared Honey Soy Sea Bass

I love a simple yet flavorful fish recipe to add to my dinner repertoire. Pair this honey soy sea bass recipe with a side of rice or roasted vegetables. Chilean sea bass is a firm white fish with a high fat content resulting in a buttery and rich flavor available year round. While I typically prepare this dish by pan-searing the fish, it also works great in an air fryer and I have included instructions for that preparation as well below. I like to cook this fish in a pan so the marinade caramelizes in the heat on the fish.

Pan-Seared Honey Soy Sea Bass

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

Chilean Sea Bass – Chilean sea bass flakes well when cooked making it perfect for pan frying until just cooked through so the marinade caramelizes around it. Look for shiny bright white filets. Because it is such a rich fish I often serve smaller portions than I do with a lot of other fish dishes. Make sure to check for any bones in the middle of the filets. They can be removed with tweezers.
Garlic – I recommend mincing the garlic rather than chopping it so it blends more seamlessly into the sauce. I use fresh cloves of garlic rather than jarred pre-minced versions for the best flavor.
Soy Sauce – The majority of the flavor in this sauce comes from the complex, umami flavors of the soy sauce. I recommend using low-sodium soy sauce so the salt can be adjusted as needed.
Honey – Honey sweetens the marinade while the sugar in the honey caramelizes on the fish as it cooks in the pan.
Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds acidity to the marinade and balances the sweetness of the honey.
Sesame oil – Toasted sesame oil adds a nutty flavor to the sauce.
Cornstarch – Cornstarch is combined with a bit of cold water then whisked into the sauce to thicken it. While boiling the marinade to kill the bacteria will thicken the sauce slightly, I like to make sure it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon for serving so it doesn’t run all over the plate.

How to Make Honey Soy Sea Bass

Step 1: Combine the marinade.

Combine the soy sauce, lemon juice, honey, sesame oil and garlic in a small bowl, whisking to combine.

Step 2: Marinate the sea bass.

Place the sea bass filets in a glass dish or a plastic container, and cover them with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and/or up to 4 hours.

Step 3: Cook the sea bass.

When ready to cook, heat the vegetable oil in a medium non-stick sauté pan over medium heat. Remove the sea bass filets from the marinade and add to the pan skin-side up. Cook the sea bass, turning on all sides until cooked through, about 6 minutes total.

Step 4: Reduce the sauce.

While the fish cooks, add the extra marinade to a small saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat, and reduce to about half, about 5 minutes. In a small bowl whisk together the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the sauce and continue to simmer until it coats the back of a spoon, about an additional 2 minutes.

Step 5: Assemble and serve.

To serve, plate the sea bass and serve with rice and roasted vegetables, drizzle with a spoon of the reduced sauce.

Tips and Tricks for This Recipe

A note about boiling marinades to make sauces

Since the honey soy marinade has been used with raw fish you must boil it to make it safe to use as a sauce in order to kill any harmful bacteria. When you add the remaining marinade to a saucepan and let it boil it must be at a rolling boil for at least 5 minutes. Food-borne bacteria dies at 165ºF (75ºC) – if possible I recommend using a thermometer or infrared thermometer to check the temperature. Let cool slightly then taste the marinade after boiling to make sure the flavor doesn’t need adjusting.

Swaps and substitutions

Other fish such as salmon, steelhead trout or other white fish like tilapia or cod can work well with this simple marinade. If using a thinner fish you may need to adjust the cooking time so it does not overcook.

How to Make This Recipe in an Air Fryer

Heat air fryer to 400ºF (200ºC). Marinate the fish in the honey soy marinade as directed below. Remove excess marinade then add to the air fryer basket, leaving space between the filets. Cook until just flakey and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this honey soy sea bass recipe, give these a try and follow me on Instagram:

Pan-Seared Honey Soy Sea Bass

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Serves

US Customary – Metric

Ingredients:

¾ cup soy sauce
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
4 (4-ounce) Chilean sea bass filets
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions:

Combine the soy sauce, lemon juice, honey, sesame oil and garlic in a small bowl, whisking to combine.
Place the sea bass filets in a glass dish or a plastic container, and cover them with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and/or up to 4 hours.
When ready to cook, heat the vegetable oil in a medium non-stick sauté pan over medium heat. Remove the sea bass filets from the marinade and add to the pan skin-side up. Cook the sea bass, turning on all sides until cooked through, about 6 minutes total.
While the fish cooks, add the extra marinade to a small saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat, and reduce to about half, about 5 minutes. In a small bowl whisk together the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the sauce and continue to simmer until it coats the back of a spoon, about an additional 2 minutes.
To serve, plate the sea bass and serve with rice and roasted vegetables, drizzle with a spoon of the reduced sauce.

Pan-Seared Honey Soy Sea Bass