Easy Chile Lime White Bass Filets with Pickled Onions

When most folks think white bass, they think of one method of preparation, fried! Now, I’m certainly a fan of fried white bass! However, these delicate little filets don’t have to be cased a crust of cornmeal or breadcrumbs to be delicious. This simple recipe lets the natural flavor of the fish shine, with a little pop of chile and lime.

How to Catch White Bass

White bass, also known as sand bass, are eating machines. If you’ve never targeted these fish, you’ve been missing out on some fast action, with a lot of bites. Of course, you have to put your bait in the right area, but once you find a feeding school, you’ll wear out your forearms with constant reeling. Wether they are on the surface, or off a deep point, they’ll bite just about anything that mimics a baitfish including spoons, jigs, swim baits, and live minnows. White bass are easy to catch, plentiful, and with a Texas daily bag limit of 25, you can quickly fill your cooler with some delicious white meat filets. For a more details on catching white bass, read our how to guide here.

Ingredients For Chile Lime White Bass Filets

White Bass Filets –

White bass have delicate, flaky meat, with a mild taste. When properly cleaned, and promptly stored on ice, you’ll find zero trace of fishiness. These fish aren’t terribly big, seldom growing above 3 LBS. In order to have a full meal, you’ll likely want 4 white bass filets per adult.

Chile and Lime –

Citrus and heat is a flavor profile I find extremely addicting. It’s a classic combination, and hits all the right notes for my texan heart. When enjoying a fish with such a mild taste, you don’t want to overdue the seasonings and completely mask the flavor. That’s why I think a simple blend of chili powder, a little cayenne, and fresh lime juice does just enough to enhance without overpowering.

Onions

You can use any onions you want here, but I like the flavor of red. Plus they have a vibrant pink color that adds a nice visual appeal.

Method

To cook the white bass filets, you can grill, bake, broil, or pan sear. The logistics of pan searing feel the most approachable, so that’s what I recommend. I also like pan searing, because you get these really delicious crispy edges. These suckers will cook fast, so keep a close eye on them, and only start em when you have everything else ready for your meal. A couple minutes on each side in a hot pan is all they need. You know they are done when the meat flakes with a fork. Just make sure not to overcook, or they will dry out and fall apart.

The pickled onions takes a bit more forethought. A soak in the vinegar mixture for about an hour, and then a quick chill in the fridge for another few. With that being said, it’s not a make or break component to make an enjoyable meal, but I do think it adds a nice complexity to the dish, and is worth the effort if you have the time. You’ll want to uniformly slice the onions and nice and thin, and mince the jalapeño and garlic. From there you simply dissolve the sugar in the vinegar in a sauce pan over medium low heat, add the veg, then turn off the burner and let the mixture sit for an hour. Cool in the fridge, and you have a delicious condiment that will add a nice acidic pop to a variety of dishes.

Substitutions and Serving Suggestions

While this white bass recipe specifically calls for white bass, any fish will work. It’s a simple preparation, that can be extremely versatile. I like to serve it with a side of rice and beans, but it would also be nice with roasted summer squash or steamed veggies.

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If you like this recipe, try our White Bass Fish Cakes with Cilantro Lime Crema, and Pair it with a Dill Pickle Michelada.