Crispy Chilean Sea Bass with Roasted Fennel and Tomato
Updated Nov 02, 2025, Published on Feb 27, 2024
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I have to admit that I'm pretty proud of this Crispy Chilean Sea Bass with Roasted Fennel and Tomato. My fiancé tried one bite and immediately said it was one of the best fish dishes he's ever had! This dish feels fancy and restaurant worthy, but it's easier than you think to make at home!
A lot of the total time for this recipe is just hands-off roasting time. Plus you can prepare the fish while the vegetables roast to save even more time!
I love a good seafood recipe and this one is pretty special. Let's make it!
Crispy Chilean Sea Bass with Roasted Fennel and Tomato Ingredients
Roasted Vegetables
- 10 oz Cherry Tomatoes or grape tomatoes; I used orange tomatoes
- 1 bulb Fennel sliced length wise; reserve the fronds for serving
- 1 Yellow Onion sliced; 1 small onion or 1/2 of a large onion
- 4 cloves Garlic leave skin on
- 2 sprigs Rosemary
- 2 sprigs Thyme
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 2 tbsp Orange Juice
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
Sea Bass
- 12 oz Chilean Sea Bass or 2 filets, skin-on
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp Avocado Oil
- 1 tbsp Butter optional
Recipe Instructions
Roasted Vegetables
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In an oven safe baking dish, add the cherry tomatoes, sliced fennel bulb, sliced onion, garlic with the peel still on, rosemary, thyme, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine then bake for 20 minutes.
- After baking, remove the rosemary and thyme. Peel the garlic. Add orange juice, lemon juice, and red wine vinegar. Stir to combine. Make sure to smash down the roasted garlic so it gets well combined. Press down on the tomatoes with a wooden spoon to help them burst more if necessary.
Sea Bass
- While the vegetables roast, pat the sea bass very dry and season generously with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Heat the avocado oil over medium-high heat in a nonstick or stainless steel pan. If using stainless steel, heat the pan first before adding the oil. Add the sea bass skin side down. Immediately press down on the sea bass with a spatula for a few seconds so the skin is pushed flat onto the pan.
- Cook for about 5 minutes or until the fish easily releases from the bottom of the pan. Use tongs to flip the fish. Lower the heat to medium and cook for another 4 minutes. Optionally add the 1 tbsp of butter to the pan and gently baste the fish. Set aside to a plate.
- Place a piece of the fish in a shallow bowl to serve. Spoon the roasted vegetables around the fish. Sprinkle with the reserved fennel fronds.
Did you try this Crispy Chilean Sea Bass? Leave a Review!
Save this Crispy Chilean Sea Bass recipe for a night where you want to really impress someone (or impress yourself). There's so much complexity in the roasted fennel and tomato mixture with the addition of orange juice and lemon juice. It pairs perfectly with the rich, crispy, and salty sea bass. You will love this recipe!
If you try this recipe, feel free to rate/leave a review. You can also tag me on Instagram or TikTok!
Crispy Chilean Sea Bass with Roasted Fennel and Tomato
The most luxurious dish featuring crispy-skin sea bass and flavorful roasted vegetables.
Equipment
- 8"x 8" Baking Dish oven-safe
Ingredients
Roasted Vegetables
- 10 oz Cherry Tomatoes, or grape tomatoes; I used orange tomatoes
- 1 bulb Fennel, sliced length wise; reserve the fronds for serving
- 1 Yellow Onion, sliced; 1 small onion or 1/2 of a large onion
- 4 cloves Garlic, leave skin on
- 2 sprigs Fresh Rosemary
- 2 sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 tablespoon Orange Juice, the juice of about half an orange
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice, the juice of about half a lemon
- 1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
Sea Bass
- 12 oz Chilean Sea Bass, or 2 filets, skin-on
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Avocado Oil
- 1 tablespoon Butter, optional
Instructions
Roasted Vegetables
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In an oven safe baking dish, add the cherry tomatoes, sliced fennel bulb, sliced onion, garlic with the peel still on, rosemary, thyme, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine then bake for 20 minutes.
- After baking, remove the rosemary and thyme. Peel the garlic. Add orange juice, lemon juice, and red wine vinegar. Stir to combine. Make sure to smash down the roasted garlic so it gets well combined. Press down on the tomatoes with a wooden spoon to help them burst more if necessary.
Sea Bass
- While the vegetables roast, pat the sea bass very dry and season generously with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Heat the avocado oil over medium-high heat in a nonstick or stainless steel pan. If using stainless steel, heat the pan first before adding the oil. Add the sea bass skin side down. Immediately press down on the sea bass with a spatula for a few seconds so the skin is pushed flat onto the pan.
- Cook for about 5 minutes or until the fish easily releases from the bottom of the pan. Use tongs to flip the fish. Lower the heat to medium and cook for another 4 minutes. Optionally add the 1 tbsp of butter to the pan and gently baste the fish. Set aside to a plate.
- Place a piece of the fish in a shallow bowl to serve. Spoon the roasted vegetables around the fish. Sprinkle with the reserved fennel fronds.
Nutrition
Calories: 550kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 41g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 90mg, Sodium: 1372mg, Potassium: 958mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 1455IU, Vitamin C: 65mg, Calcium: 109mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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