Deliciously flaky pan-seared branzino cooked in a few simple spices, butter and lemon juice. It’s a 20-minute meal to serve with some grilled veggies, a fresh salad, and roasted potatoes.

Pan-seared Branzino
I picked up some frozen branzino fillets from Trader Joes a couple of weeks back and was craving a simple, lemony pan-seared fish. I seasoned the fish with some salt, pepper, garlic powder and cajun spice, and pan-seared them in a little butter.
They turned out so flakey and flavorful, and paired perfectly with a fresh kale salad.

Pan-seared fish is one of my favorite methods of preparing white fish. Most white fish are pretty mild in flavor, but after a little seasoning and searing, you’re left with delicious, melt-in-your mouth fish.

How to make simple pan-seared branzino
This dish comes together in just a few simple steps, and in just under 20 minutes!
- Season the fish– start by seasoning the branzino fillets with cajun spice, garlic powder, salt & pepper
- Heat your pan– heat a skillet on medium heat with some butter. You can use vegan butter to make this dairy-free
- Pan-sear the fish– after heating your pan, pan-sear the fish fillets for about 3 minutes per side, starting with the skin side down
- Garnish with lemon juice and parsley– Once the fish is ready, add some fresh lemon juice on top, chopped parsley, and a pinch of salt
I love serving this with a kale salad and my favorite smashed potatoes. It’s a simple weeknight meal that the whole family with love!

You guys are going to love this easy recipe. I can’t wait for you to try it!

This is my first time eating and cooking Branzino and your recipe made our dinner so delicious! I did a couple of different things 1) substituted cajun seasoning for jerk seasoning. I didn’t have enough cajun 2) I squeezed 1/2 a lemon after seasoning the fillet 3) used cilantro to top as I was out of parsley. I think what’s most successful about your recipe the simplicity and the right amount of cook on the fish! So juicy and crispy skin is perfect Thank you
My go-to Branzino recipe! Simple yet restaurant quality taste! What I love the most is all the recipe ingredients are usually stocked at home no need to go buy fancy ingredients! Gal thank you and keep the great recipes coming!
So simple and delicious. The whole family enjoyed.
So happy to hear that!