Love Barramundi? This Barramundi Recipe features seared fish with mustard sauce. This flavorful dish is ready in under 20 minutes, and is perfect for Date Night!
Every now and then, I get my hands on a type of fish that isn't commonly sold where I live. When that happens (so fun!) I like to keep the cooking somewhat on the simple side so that the flavor and texture of the fish really get a chance to shine.
For me, that usually means pan-searing (more on that below) and an easy sauce. For this barramundi recipe, I'll walk you through how to make a sauce with yogurt, mustard and capers!
What Is Barramundi?
Barramundi is a type of Asian Sea Bass (also called Giant Perch) that's begun showing up in U.S. grocery stores recently. It's native to Southeast Asia and Australia.
If you've never tasted it, know that it's a firm white fish, and its mild flavor takes well to marinades or sauces. If you like grouper, striped sea bass, or red snapper, give this fish a try.
If you're not sure whether or not you like those fish, but like trying new seafood options, go ahead and grab some at the store, and try this Seared Barramundi with Mustard Sauce!
where Can I Buy Barramundi?
I've generally seen barramundi in the frozen fish section at specialty stores.
If you haven't seen barramundi show up at your regular grocery store, try checking at your local health food stores or at Whole Foods.
How to Cook This Barramundi Recipe
To make seared barramundi with mustard sauce, start with thawed barramundi fillets.
Your fillets will be pale and translucent white. It is completely normal for barramundi to have a pale grey hue over part of the fish. That doesn't mean it's gone bad.
On the other hand, if your barramundi smells incredibly 'fishy' it probably is bad, because raw barramundi doesn't have a strong scent. Toss it out.
For this recipe, we'll be pan-searing the barramundi. For pan-searing basics, check out this tutorial on How to Pan-Sear Fish.
Some of our other favorite pan-seared fish recipes include pan-seared halibut with bourbon sauce, salmon with cherry almond topping, and cod with Kentucky bourbon.
Start with fillets that have been patted dry, and dust them with flour, salt, and pepper.
Cook the fillets for a few minutes in a pre-heated and oiled pan. Once they've cooked about three-quarters of the way through, flip them and add a pat of butter on top.
Cook the fish for about another minute; then take it off the heat before you make a quick sauce.
Mix yogurt, mustard, and capers in a small bowl, and drizzle it over the fillets to serve. Top your fish with fresh herbs if you want, and eat it right away! The barramundi would go well with side dishes like
The barramundi would go well with side dishes like a green bean salad with almonds, braised kale with apple cider vinegar, or a garlic cauliflower mash.
Barramundi Recipe: Seared Fish with Mustard Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 ounces barramundi (2 fillets)
- 1 tablespoon flour Use gluten-free all purpose flour if needed, or omit
- 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon butter, divided
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Mustard Sauce:
- ¼ cup whole milk plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard (prepared)
- 1 tablespoon capers
Garnish (Optional):
- fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley or green onions
Instructions
- Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Meanwhile, pat barramundi dry and dust with flour. (Wet fish won't sear well). Sprinkle both sides of the fish with salt and pepper.
- Set fillets on hot pan, and don't touch them. Allow fillets to cook 3-4 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish. As the fish cooks, the translucent flesh will become opaque from the bottom up. The fish is ready to flip when it has cooked about ⅔ of the way through. (If the fish sticks to the pan, give it about 30 seconds more. It will release when it's ready.)
- Next, use a thin metal spatula to flip the fish over. Top each fillet with a knob of butter.Cook them approximately one minute, and then remove them from the pan.
- Mix all the yogurt, mustard, and capers together. Taste, and add a little caper brine if desired.Serve fish immediately with sauce and optional garnish.
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
I've never heard of this type of fish before, but it sounds pretty great! Like you, big fan of seafood! Love that mustard sauce with the capers in there 🙂 Looks pretty healthy too and perfect for a weeknight dinner 🙂
Nicoletta @sugarlovespices says
We were hooked on "My Kitchen Rules", the Australian cooking competition, and barramundi was very often on their menu. That's where we started knowing about this fish 😉 I have yet to see it here in Canada, but I love that it is farmed sustainably. Loving the way you prepared it!!
champagne-tastes says
Awesome!!! I bet it'll show up there soon!!!
Sean@Diversivore says
I love barramundi too (and I really like Australis as well!). It's a wonderful fish, and with more and more sustainable options showing up for it, it's a fantastic choice. It's also nice to see (and show) that a fish can be farmed and still be sustainable. LOVE the mustard sauce idea - I don't cook with mustard enough, but I'm always so pleased with the results when I do. I think I'm going to have to remember this next time I'm looking for something different to do with fish!
champagne-tastes says
Yes!! It's only been showing up here recently, but I'm really pleased with it! And thanks!!
michele says
Funny you should mention barramundi as I just saw it at my local Whole Foods this past weekend but the line was so long I decide to wait until another trip to ask the fish monger what it was. Now Im regretting that decision as it sounds exactly like what I like! Your sauce is making my mouth water just reading about it, the capers are a perfect addition to balance the mustard in the creamy sauce. Actually, that sauce sounds like it might become a staple in my kitchen..... it would work well with so many things! Looks like Im heading back to Whole Foods for tonights dinner!
champagne-tastes says
Oh let me know how you like it! I use it as a kind of 'better healthier tartar sauce' with a lot of my white fish at home, and it worked really well with barramundi!
Maggie Sullivan says
This dish was incredibly flavorful and easy to make! The fish was flaky and tender, and the sauce had just the right amount of tang from the yogurt and mustard seeds! I even paired it with some wild rice and green beans to compliment the added freshness of the italian parsley. Really great recipe!
champagne-tastes says
Yay! I'm so glad you loved it Maggie. Thanks for cooking with me 😀
Donna Slezak says
It was our first time eating Barramundi. The recipe was easy and the fish tasted fantastic. We will be eating this again. Thanks.
Sarah Trenalone says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know 🙂