If you've never had pistachio-crusted fish before, this Baked Sea Bass topped with a delicious breadcrumb and pistachio topping will change your life! You'll never want to have fish any other way, and baked sea bass is perfect for people who are new to seafood!
Try our other popular seafood recipes like Fried Flounder Oreganata or Mussels Fra Diavolo!
A Quick Look at The Recipe
- ✅Recipe Name: Pistachio Crusted Fish (Baked Sea Bass)
- ⏲️Ready in: 25 minutes
- 👪Makes: 4 servings
- 📋Main ingredients: Sea bass, Pistachios, and Fresh Herbs.
- ⭐Why You'll Love This Recipe: This is the perfect recipe to get a seafood beginner started. You can use any white fish, cod, halibut, snapper, but I love to use a Sea Bass, black or Chilean.
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Why This Recipe
I have been really in a pistachio phase lately, and I thought to myself, why not make a pistachio-crusted fish? Nuts and fish go great together. Unless, of course, you have a nut and fish allergy, then of course, not such a great combo. But this pistachio crusted fish, or in my case, pistachio crusted baked sea bass, was so moist and delicious and perfect to serve with Italian Lentils or Italian Lacinato Kale Recipe (Tuscan).
This is the best Pistachio Crusted Baked Sea Bass recipe because of these 3 reasons:
- The bread crumb mixture, combined with extra fats like pistachio and parmesan, keeps all the juice and moisture contained between itself and the parchment paper, so when you cut into the pistachio crusted fish, it is buttery, flaky, and tender.
- You can make this with any white fish. Sea Bass, cod, halibut, tilapia, and more.
- Cooking fish is a fear for a lot of people, and rightfully so. It can be so expensive, and if you screw it up, it is basically inedible. I share how important using an instant-read thermometer is to get the perfectly moist fish.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Fresh Herbs. You can use your favorite combo of fresh herbs! Anything from sage, basil, thyme, parsley, or cilantro. Or you can substitute dry herbs for fresh herbs at a teaspoon to tablespoon ratio. For every tablespoon of fresh, just 1 teaspoon of dry, because they're more potent.
- Parmesan. You could substitute pecorino romano or grana padano. I used Parmesan and Grana Padano during the trial stages, and both were great!
- Pistachios. Cashews or pine nuts could be a good alternative if you have them in the pantry! Just toast them up before you process them for maximum flavor.
- Sea Bass. I used a black sea bass in this recipe, and it was unbelievably tasty. Black sea bass is one of the best-tasting fish in the ocean. It is buttery, tender, and light in flavor. You could substitute another white flaky fish, like halibut, cod, or flounder.
*Please see the recipe card below for information on ingredients.
How to Make Pistachio Crusted Fish
Baked Sea Bass with a pistachio crust is an easy recipe to follow. It's a perfect weeknight dinner, and it takes less than 30 minutes to make. Follow the numbered steps and corresponding images below.
Combining the pistachio and breadcrumb mixture
Step 1: Process the pistachios, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor or roughly chop them up into very fine pieces.
Step 2: Add the breadcrumbs and herbs to the food processor or combine all in a medium bowl.
Step 3: Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while combining. It's done when the texture feels like damp or wet sand (see image 3b). Stir in the parmesan and set aside.
Tip: Add more olive oil if it seems too dry. It should be able to hold its shape if it were rolled in a ball
Preparing the Sea Bass
I learned about fish bones the ignorant way. By biting into a sea bass with bones in it. Since then, I've done more research. Now, I debone the fish before broiling it. My wife is much happier about it. If you don't want to debone your fish, ask the seafood counter to debone it for you.
Step 4: The bones of the sea bass run towards the head, or the fat part, of the fish. I remove them by using tweezers or small kitchen tongs. Hold the fish down with the bone locked between two fingers, like a peace sign. Gently twist and pull the tip of the bone until it loosens, and then remove it.
Step 5: Preheat oven to 425℉. Place the fish on the parchment paper on a baking sheet. Top each fish with ¼ of the mixture and pat it on top so that it sticks to the fish. The pistachio crust helps keep the fish more moist and allows for a little leeway if you overcook by a minute or two, but still use an instant-read thermometer.
Step 6: Cook the sea bass in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the fish reaches 145℉. I always make sure to test the temperature. Everyone has a different oven. Every piece of fish is different. 10 minutes is about the right time, but 1-2 minutes overcooked can be the difference between dry and moist fish.
Top this delicious pistachio crusted fish with the perfect Lemon Cream Sauce for Fish, or just hit it with a squirt of lemon!
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Pro-Tips
- The bones of the sea bass run towards the head, or the fat part, of the fish. You can remove them much more easily when eating, but it makes for a better experience for guests not to have to eat around the bones.
- Lay the fish on parchment paper before baking so that it doesn't stick.
- Always use an instant-read thermometer with fish. 10 minutes was an average time for this fish to reach 145 degrees, but I've had it reach 145 degrees after 8 minutes. After 2 more minutes, the temperature reached 169 degrees, making for a drier fish.
What should I serve with Pistachio Crusted Fish
- Serve baked sea bass with a side of vegetables like Roasted Carrots and Fennel or Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts!
- I also love this with pasta, so you could make some Garlicky Cauliflower Pasta or Lemon Pasta with Spinach.
- A bowl of soup on the side would be a perfect match! Serve it with a bowl of Classic Italian Minestrone or Pasta Fagioli. Or keep it all seafood with some Manhattan Clam Chowder.
- A great side dish that would complete the meal would be Italian cabbage!
FAQs on Pistachio Crusted Baked Sea Bass
Yes. But this recipe wouldn't work so well fried. You need the heat coming from the top of the oven to crust the breadcrumb mixture. Otherwise, it will still be slightly wet. Try egging and breading it with this mixture, minus the olive oil.
It will store in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 days. I'd recommend putting it in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes with an aluminum foil tent over the top of it. Obviously, when we are talking about fish, there is always the possibility of drying it out, so I always recommend eating it fresh.
This is wholly dependent on the fish, the oven, what else is on the fish, and a million other factors. That's why it's incredibly important to use an instant-read thermometer when it comes to cooking seafood.
Chilean sea bass is not actually a bass at all. It's technically a cod. Black sea bass is a true bass; it's a bit firmer and less oily. It has a more delicate flavor and tends to be a lot cheaper.
Best Orzo Sides for Baked Sea Bass
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Pistachio Crusted Sea Bass
Equipment
- 1 baking pan
- parchment paper
- 1 food processor
Ingredients
- 4 filets of white fish, preferably sea bass
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs
- ½ cup raw pistachios, chopped or processed
- 2 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
- 2 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425℉. In a food processor, combine pistachios, garlic, salt, and pepper until well combined. Then add herbs, breadcrumbs, and parmesan. Process and slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Add more olive oil if it seems too dry until it reaches the consistency of wet sand
- If you use sea bass as the recipe calls for, debone the fish by placing two fingers around the bone and grabbing the bone with small kitchen tongs. Use a twist and pull motion to remove the bones.
- Place the fish on a parchment paper-lined tray. Top each fish with ¼ of the mixture and pat it on top so that it sticks to the fish.
- Cook in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the fish reaches 145℉.
Video
Notes
- The bones of the sea bass run towards the head, or the fat part, of the fish. You can remove them much more easily when eating, but it makes for a better experience for guests not to have to eat around the bones.
- Lay the fish on parchment paper before baking so that it doesn't stick.
- Always use an instant-read thermometer with fish. 10 minutes was an average time for this fish to reach 145 degrees, but I've had it reach 145 degrees after 8 minutes. After 2 more minutes, the temperature reached 169 degrees, making for a drier fish.
Glenn says
Had a great result with this recipe, using rankin cod.
Would use this again whenever possible
Love the use of fresh herbs.
Vinny says
My favorite seafood recipe. The pistachio topping is so easy and makes for such a tender fish. Enjoy!