Barramundi Recipe with Lemon Butter Sauce – Ready in 15 Minutes

Looking for a recipe that is simple to prepare but elegant enough for a dinner party? This easy barramundi recipe features a garlic lemon butter sauce that delivers restaurant-style food at home in just minutes.

Barramundi is an Asian sea bass with a mild, buttery flavor and firm yet flaky texture. The sauce is buttery, tangy, and delicious.

This sweet, sustainable fish is good for your health and also good for the environment. 

The recipe on the table in less than 15 minutes and has the flavor that you’d get from dinner at a trendy café.

Keep reading to learn how to make this lemon butter barramundi fillet recipe.

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Making this easy barramundi recipe

These barramundi fillets are simple to prepare. With just a few minutes of pan-frying on each side of the fish and a few more minutes to make the sauce, it’s ready to be served.

You’ll need these ingredients to make the recipe:

• 3 barramundi fillets, about 4 ounces each
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons of canola oil
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 1- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
• Small bunch of fresh basil

How to cook barramundi fish

Barramundi is a very delicate fish that needs minimal cooking time. The best way to cook barramundi is to sear the fillets lightly for 4-5 minutes on each side in a non-stick skillet.

Since the flavor is so delicate, it pairs well with a bright sauce like the lemon and butter sauce in this recipe.

Rub some of the canola oil on the barramundi fillets. Add the rest of the canola oil to the pan and pan-sear the fillets over medium-high heat for about 4-5 minutes on each side.

To test the barramundi for doneness, use a fork to pierce the fillets on an angle at the thickest point and twist gently. If it is done, the fish will flake easily and lose its translucent appearance.

Making the sauce for barramundi

Since barramundi fillets have a buttery flavor, the lemon butter sauce complements them beautifully. The sauce is easily made from butter, garlic, basil, and lemon juice.

Move the barramundi fillets to a serving plate and keep them warm while you prepare the sauce.

Scrape up any bits left in the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and add the butter. Stir in the minced garlic and gently cook for about 2 minutes.

Add the lemon juice with the fresh basil and cook until the sauce is fragrant, approximately 1 minute. That’s all there is to making this easy barramundi sauce!

Drizzle the lemon butter sauce over the barramundi fillets and garnish them with fresh basil. The recipe takes about 12 minutes to prepare, but who would believe that when you look at this beautiful dish?

Serve this barramundi fillet recipe with a side salad or some tasty oven-roasted root vegetables.

This pan-fried barramundi is full of nutrients and is a very healthy choice. It’s packed with Omega-3 fatty acids and has 21 grams of protein in each 4-ounce serving.

Barramundi calories, like most white fish, are naturally low – 113 calories in a 4-ounce portion. Even with the butter sauce, this recipe only works out to about 200 calories per serving.

The flavor of this barramundi recipe is buttery and fresh with a citrus burst from the lemon.

This delicious recipe is gluten-free and fits into a Whole30 or Paleo diet plan if you substitute the butter with clarified butter. It will convince even the pickiest eater that they enjoy fish!

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Admin note: This barramundi fish recipe first appeared on the blog in September of 2015. I have updated the post with new photos, a step-by-step tutorial, nutritional information, and a video for you to enjoy.

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Yield: 3 pieces of pan seared barramundi

Barramundi with a Lemon Butter Sauce

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What's for dinner tonight? Easy barramundi recipes like this one are always a hit. This sustainable fish is buttery and tasty with a delicious garlic lemon butter sauce.

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 12 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 barramundi fillets about 4 ounces each
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons of canola oil
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 1- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
• Small bunch of fresh basil (you can also used 3/4 teaspoons of dried basil)

Instructions

1. Coat the barramundi fillets with a bit of the canola oil and season them with sea salt and cracked black pepper.
2. Add the rest of the canola oil to a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Place the barramundi fillets in the pan and pan-sear for 4-5 minutes on each side, until the fillets are lightly browned.
4. Move the fillets to a serving dish to keep them warm while you prepare the sauce.
5. In the same pan, loosen any leftover bits left in the pan with your spatula.
6. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic and butter. Gently cook for about 2 minutes.
7. Stir in the lemon juice and fresh basil. Cook gently until the sauce is fragrant - about 1 minute.
8. Drizzle the sauce over the fish.
9. Garnish with fresh, chopped basil, and serve immediately.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

3

Serving Size:

1 fillet
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 150Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 219mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 10g

Nutritional information is approximate due to natural variation in ingredients and the cook-at-home nature of our meals.

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