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.
Barramundi with a Lemon Butter Sauce
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.
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
- Coat the barramundi fillets with a bit of the canola oil and season them with sea salt and cracked black pepper.
- Add the rest of the canola oil to a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Place the barramundi fillets in the pan and pan-sear for 4-5 minutes on each side, until the fillets are lightly browned.
- Move the fillets to a serving dish to keep them warm while you prepare the sauce.
- In the same pan, loosen any leftover bits left in the pan with your spatula.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic and butter. Gently cook for about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the lemon juice and fresh basil. Cook gently until the sauce is fragrant - about 1 minute.
- Drizzle the sauce over the fish.
- Garnish with fresh, chopped basil, and serve immediately.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
3Serving Size:
1 filletAmount 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.
This sounds delish. Is there another fish that can be substituted? Thank you
Hi Sue, Yes, any white fish will work well (tilapia, perch, cod, bass).
Recipe was great!
I added a teaspoon of capers to the lemon and basil for added flavor.
Purchased the fish frozen at BJ’s wholesale.
Sounds nice. That would make it tangy Brenda, like a piccata.
Excellent recipe! I added some capers to the sauce, since I had them in the pantry and served the fish with brown rice and green beans. Delicious!
Hi Sarah. Glad you enjoyed it. My husband loves capers. I will definitely add some the next time I make this. Carol
Amazing recipe. Tried it today. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it Niladri!
Love the recipe! Served mine with broccoli and mushroom risotto. Simply divine. Thanks a bunch!
Glad you liked the recipe Mary Jo. Carol
It was SO good!! Your pictures are absolutely stunning and I am so jealous!
Thanks Dona. I’m glad you enjoyed it! Carol
Hi Carol, great recipe. Did you sell this recipe to the Australis Aquaculture company? The recipe is almost identical to the one they have on the back of their Barramundi package.
I haven’t seen their, but am not associated with them. Carol
Thank you for posting this . I love it . Easy to make . My family loved it too- 7 and 5 year old approved 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe Alina.
I gave it a try this evening and the comment was I have to make it again. 2 side dishes were fresh asparagus done in maple syrup and baby green peppers done in oil and Himalayan salt.
Fish was fresh flown into Switzerland. I was told 36 hours from catch to my hand.
Simple and tasty, thank you.
Marcus
Can i use salted butter, since i don’t have any unsalted butter? Your recipe looks great and so many people have reviewed it saying that it tastes great! I’m going to try it tomorrow!!!
Yes, it will work fine. I tend to prefer unsalted in most of my recipes since I prefer a dish that doesn’t taste too salty, but either will work fine depending on taste.
This was fast & so good!!! 😋
Fresh everything. While fish was frying hot I threw in a splash of Chardonnay & glob of butter & flipped it real quick. Made the sauce-did add a tad of capers. Decorated with fresh basil ribbons & lemon wedges. Sides were sautéed sliced zucchini squash & carrots & lemon Jasmine rice with fresh flat leaf parsley. Great one!! Thanks!
Bought this fish at my favorite discount grocery store and then found your recipe. We are not big fish eaters but this was very good and so simple. I will be making this again
I bought barramundi from Costco but it has the skin on it. Can I cook the same with the skin on?
Yes you can.
I had never prepared Barramundi and was looking for a flavorful yet easy weeknight recipe. This was not only one of the easiest prep and clean up recipes I have ever tried, it was also one of the tastiest! My husband and I were so impressed! This I saved to Pinterest because it was that good!
Glad you enjoyed the recipe, and thanks for sharing it!
4-5 minutes on each side didn’t give a nice brown surface. 🙁 even longer also the same! It ended up terrible looking. Sigh!
Sorry it didn’t work out for you. I start with a very hot pan might to help the fish brown well.
I enjoyed the simplicity of this recipe.
I live in Australia, so have eaten a LOT of barramundi. It’s my favourite fish.
Having so few ingredients let the great flavour of the fish shine through.
We just served it with a Thai salad kit you can buy in the supermarket here.
It did stick to the pan a little bit. I will try your suggestion of a hotter pan.
Will be cooking this again this week. Thanks!
Carol- I’ve made this recipe a few times this summer- it’s absolutely delicious! But now that it’s cold I don’t have access to my fresh basil plant. Will dry do okay? If so how much should I add. If not is there something else o can substitute for flavor?
I’m glad you enjoy it Sharon. Dry will work fine. The flavor won’t be as subtle. To substitute dried instead of fresh, use 3/4 teaspoon of dried basil. Many stores now sell fresh basil in the produce aisle.
Delicious! And so simple to make. I’d never cooked Barrumundi before but this was so easy. Thank you, I will be making this recipe again and again.
I bought a bag of these at Costco and fixed this tonight for dinner. Delicious! Not to fishy. Moist. Will definitely be making again.
Hi Carol,
Thank you for sharing your recipe. I must say that was so easy to make. The fish was cooked perfectly the sauce was delicious I will definitely be making this again.
Thank you for the recipe! Loved that it’s so easy and delicious. For dinner last night, I made stir fry veg and a pot of curry chicken for the boys and the barramundi for my daughter and I. The fish prep and cooking is simple and didn’t take time away from the other meal I made, goes well with rice and stir fry veg.
Never commented before about anything……..now however I must!! This recipe, prepared as written was phenomenal. Next time I might add a few capers, but WOW! Easy, and spectacular. Thank you!!
I’m very glad you enjoyed the recipe Bobbie.
G’Day Carol,
I live in Far North Queensland, Australia. We have Barra fishing competitions here. The last one I caught was a couple weeks ago and was 96cm (the last time I went barra fishing in the estuaries).
I must say that Barra that is raised in the way you’ve described is rather flavourless.
If you catch Barra upriver in the fresh cool mountain streams they have a sweet, clean taste – yet have grassy notes – perfectly paired with the method of cooking you’ved described. We chuck the whole gutted fish on the coals of a creek-side fire – sometimes, wrapped in banana leaves and coated in the red, volcanic clay from the creek banks.
If you catch Barra in the estuary they have a rather strong earthy, briny, seaweed, mudiness to them. Their flesh is much darker and far richer in nutrients. The mangroves are where they come to breed. Citrus is your friend when serving.
The Barra that you catch on the reef are rare, but about the most delicious fish you will ever taste. They are huge – 1-2 metres. They are a very rare catch. They, by far, are the best.
Thank you Carol.
Amazing! sounds great and tasty.Tried it today. Thank you!
The taste of the barrammundi with lemon butter was very delicious. Didn’t like this recipe at all.
Excellent RECIPE! Tried it today. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
It was very good. One small mistake I made: I put the butter, garlic and basil into the pan pretty much immediately after removing the fish and the pan was still super hot. So the butter / garlic cooked a bit too fast and burned slightly. So I put the sauce in a separate small container (instead of pouring over the fish) when I served so we could dip into it in small doses. Still, quite tasty.
This sounds really delicious, but I am not a fan of basil. Can you suggest some other flavor full herb that I might use?
Hi Nancy,
A favorite herb of mine with any type of fish is tarragon. It has a mild licorice taste that would do well. You could also try dill, fennel or marjoram. None of these are very strong and suit fish well.