Easy & Delicious Ways to Grill Sea Bass

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: September 15, 2021 Tested

Sea bass is a generic name that can refer to different species of sport fish that typically have meaty white flesh with a mild flavor. It’s a great fish for grilling, especially for people who don’t particularly like super fishy-tasting seafood. Whether you have an industrial-style indoor gas grill or an outdoor charcoal barbeque, the process for grilling sea bass is the same. Feel free to keep it simple or get as creative as you like with your seasonings and serving presentations to suit your tastes or impress your guests.

Ingredients

Sea bass fillet
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Butter (optional)
Spices (optional)
Herbs (optional)
Grilled or roasted potatoes (optional)
Dill sprigs (optional)
Lemon wedges (optional)

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Seasoning Sea Bass for Grilling

1
Purchase sea bass fillets or fillet a sea bass that you caught yourself. Buy prepared sea bass fillets from a supermarket or fishmonger if you want something really quick to prepare. Gut a fresh sea bass and cut off the fins and head to fillet it if you’ve just gone fishing and come home with a fresh catch.^{[1]
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- Sea bass fillets typically have the skin on, which will get nice and blackened and crispy when you grill it. However, you can look for skinless fillets or ask an employee to cut the skin off for you if you don’t like fish skin. The grilling process is the same either way.
- You can also buy a whole sea bass or leave your fresh-caught sea bass alone after gutting it and grill it using the same grilling methods as a fillet, if you prefer to cook a whole fish.
2
Score the skin side of a sea bass fillet lightly using a sharp knife. Place a sea bass fillet skin-side-up on a cutting board or plate. Use a sharp chef’s knife or other sharp kitchen knife to make 3-4 shallow diagonal cuts across the skin.^{[2]
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- Scoring the fish will help your seasoning seep into the flesh of the fish on both sides as well as make the flesh cook more evenly.
- If you’re grilling a whole fish, score both sides, since they both have skin. If you choose to do a skinless fillet, no scoring is necessary.^{[3]
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3
Brush or rub olive oil onto both sides of the sea bass. Drizzle the fish with olive oil and rub it in using clean hands or brush it all over using an oil brush. Make sure to cover both sides completely in a light layer of oil and work it into the scores that you cut into the skin side.^{[4]
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- You don’t really need to measure the olive oil. Just use however much you need to coat the whole sea bass fillet. If you want to measure it, you can use about 1–2 US tbsp (15–30 mL) per fillet.
- If you’re cooking a whole sea bass, rub or brush oil on the inside of the fish as well.
- As an alternative to olive oil you can use melted butter. Just melt about 3 US tbsp (44 mL) of butter in a saucepan on the stove, then dip a sea bass fillet in the melted butter to coat it.^{[5]
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4
Season the fillet on both sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle each side with about 1/2 tsp (2-3 g) of good salt, such as kosher salt or sea salt. Do the same with about 1/4 tsp (0.5 g) of fresh ground black pepper per side.^{[6]
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- The measurements are just recommendations, so feel free to season with more or less salt and pepper to suit your tastes.
- You can use flavored salt and pepper if you want a more complex seasoning. For example, try lemon pepper or garlic salt.
- If you’re grilling a whole sea bass, sprinkle half of the salt and pepper on the inside of the fish.
5
Add additional dry herbs and spices to season the fish if you want. Try sprinkling both sides of the fish with about 1/4 tsp (0.5 g) of different dry spices like garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, or any other spices you like. Feel free to do the same with about 1/4 tsp (0.5 g) of dried herbs like thyme or rosemary if you want to add some herby flavors.^{[7]
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- This additional seasoning is completely optional. Sea bass tastes great if you just keep it simple and leave it alone after you oil it and season it with salt and pepper.
- If you choose to grill a whole sea bass, you can add dry seasonings to the inside cavity as well. You could also take advantage of the space to put a whole sprig of something like fresh rosemary or thyme.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Cooking Sea Bass on a Grill

1
Preheat your grill to high heat. Turn your gas barbeque grill or kitchen grill on to high heat or start a charcoal fire in your charcoal grill. Let the grill heat up for at least 10-15 minutes, so it gets nice and hot for grilling your sea bass.^{[8]
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- It’s crucial to grill sea bass, and other fish for that matter, over really high heat. Otherwise, it can stick to your grill and fall apart.
2
Scrape and oil your grill grate. Use a wire brush or grill scraper to scrape all the gunk off the grill, so it’s clean of old burned food bits and other debris. Use a grill brush to lightly brush the grill with vegetable oil or canola oil.^{[9]
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- Vegetable oil and canola oil both have high smoke points, so your grill won’t start smoking like crazy right away. Avoid brushing your grill with olive oil, which has a low smoke point.
3
Grill the fish skin-side-down for about 7 minutes. Place your seasoned fillet skin-side-down directly on the grill. Set a timer on your phone or look at the clock to keep track of time and know when 7 minutes have passed.^{[10]
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- As an alternative to grilling the sea bass directly on the grill, you can put it in a fish basket before you put it on the grill. The basket will ensure it stays together without sticking to the grill and make it easier to flip over.
- It might take about 1 minute longer per side to cook the fish if you’re grilling a whole sea bass instead of a fillet.
4
Turn the sea bass fillet over to the flesh side and grill it for another 6-7 minutes. Use a pair of grilling tongs or a grilling spatula to carefully flip the fish over after it has cooked for 7 minutes on the skin side. Time it for another 6-7 minutes while it grills on the flesh side.^{[11]
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- Never flip sea bass or any other type of fish more than once on the grill. This increases the chances of it falling apart and falling through the grill to a fiery demise.
- Every grill and piece of fish is different, so you might find that it takes 1-2 minutes more or less time to cook the sea bass all the way or to how you like it. The goal is to cook it until it has some nice black grill marks and flakes apart easily with a fork.
5
Remove the sea bass from your grill and place it on a plate or platter. Carefully lift the sea bass up off the grill using your grilling tongs or grilling spatula as soon as it’s finished cooking. Transfer it to a nearby plate or serving platter.^{[12]
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- You can either serve the grilled sea bass right away or bend a piece of foil like a tent and put it over the plated fish to keep it warm until you’re ready to serve it.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Serving Grilled Sea Bass

1
Add grilled or roasted potatoes to your serving plate for a hearty side. Place the cooked potatoes on the serving plate or platter next to the grilled sea bass. Alternatively, arrange a single layer of potatoes on a different serving plate and place the sea bass on top of the potatoes for a different presentation style.^{[13]
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- This is just a serving suggestion. Feel free to serve any other type of roasted or grilled vegetables you like alongside the grilled fish, such as asparagus or zucchini.
- It’s also perfectly acceptable and delicious to enjoy grilled sea bass all on its own with no sides!
2
Garnish the plate with dill and lemon wedges for a classic serving presentation. Place 1-2 sprigs of fresh dill and 1-2 lemon wedges next to the grilled sea bass on your serving plate or platter. These classic garnishes ass color and visual appeal and can also be sprinkled and squeezed over the fish for added flavor.^{[14]
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- Again, this is just a suggestion. You could use sprigs of different fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme and a different citrus, such as lime, if you prefer.
3
Drizzle the sea bass with olive oil or melted butter for extra flavor. Carefully pour 1 US tbsp (15 mL) or so of good olive oil, like extra virgin olive oil, or melted butter over the cooked fish. This will add a savory, saucy final touch to your finished dish. ^{[15]
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- You could also try flavored olive oil or butter, such as garlic-infused extra virgin olive oil or melted garlic and herb butter.

Warnings

Always grill sea bass over high heat or it might stick to the grill, fall apart, and go to waste. Use a fish basket if you’re worried about it sticking to your grill.^{[17]
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