Bring a taste of the Land Down Under to your dinner table with this elegant and sophisticated Macadamia Nut Crusted Barramundi! Barramundi — also known as Asian Sea Bass — has the most beautifully buttery, mild, and slightly sweet flavor that even fish skeptics will love! This dish is simple enough for a busy weeknight yet elegant enough for a special dinner!
Barramundi, also known as Asian sea bass, is so good I would posit that even people who aren't fans of fish would like it.
When this perfect fish is baked with a decadent macadamia nut crust, now you have an elegant and sophisticated dish!
Barramundi with a macadamia nut crust is also a beautiful taste of the Land Down Under...Australia!
What Is Barramundi?
Barramundi is a white fish found in the Indo-West Pacific, including the areas of the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, Oceania, and Southeast Asia (per Wikipedia).
This fish, which boasts a juicy flesh, was named by Australian aborigines. Barramundi roughly means "large-scaled silver fish" in the Australian aboriginal language.
Barramundi is a sustainable fish, and also has some great health benefits as it is high in omega-3 fatty acids (per WebMD).
The taste of this fish is delightful! It has a buttery-smooth, mild, and sweet flavor. You won't experience a strong odor when you cook barramundi, and it complements many different ingredients and spices.
Barramundi is a hugely popular fish in Australia, and thankfully it's becoming more popular in the United States, where I am located!
Why You Will LOVE This Asian Sea Bass Recipe!
You're going to LOVE this Asian sea bass recipe because:
- This great recipe is simple and elegant. Barramundi topped with a macadamia nut crust is so easy to make and also a chef and restaurant worthy dish.
- You can have this dish ready in less than 30 minutes for your family to enjoy.
- You'll crave the delicious flavors in this dish, made with fresh ingredients.
- The macadamia nut crust adds a beautiful golden and crunchy texture to the fish
- You can feel great about consuming sustainably-farmed barramundi and can read more about that here
- It's great to include as part of a low calorie diet and/or low-carb diet
So now allow me to tell you what you'll need to make this dish!
🥘 Ingredients
You only need a few simple but incredible ingredients to make this barramundi recipe. So you'll want to gather the following:
- Barramundi fish fillets - I used Netuno brand (these are skinless fillets) which I found in my local grocery store in the frozen section and you can find a store locator for this brand here; The Better Fish is another brand to consider and you can find a store locator for this brand here; I haven't found fresh barramundi at my seafood counter yet, but I hope for the day!
- Olive oil
- Macadamia nuts (raw and chopped - use of a food processor makes this easy) - these nuts are native to Eastern Australia!
- Panko
- Parmesan cheese
- Salt or Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Lemon slices (garnish)
- Parsley (garnish)
- Tartar sauce (suggested accompaniment)
Aim for a mix of textures when you chop the macadamia nuts. As you can see in the picture, some of the pieces are still quite chunky, and some are much finer.
I'm so excited to show you how easy it is to make this elegant dish, so let's move on to the instructions!
🔪 Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400F.
Thoroughly defrost your barramundi fillets if they are frozen. Pat dry with a paper towel. Rub the fish with olive oil, and then season both sides with ¼ ts salt and ¼ ts pepper. If you feel this is not enough seasoning, you can add more.
Chop the macadamia nuts. Using a food processor is perfect for this (see picture above in the Ingredients section).
Combine the macadamia nut crust ingredients in a small bowl: chopped macadamia nuts, panko, Parmesan cheese, and ¼ ts salt and ¼ ts pepper. Mix well.
Top the seasoned fillets with the crust, and then bake the fish for around 20-25 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Check on it from time to time and if the crust seems to be browning too much/burning, you can place some loose foil over it for the last few minutes.
Garnish your beautiful dish with chopped parsley, and serve with slices of lemon and some tartar sauce!
Suggestions For Serving
It's time to enjoy your beautiful and sophisticated dish!
Be sure to squeeze the lemon slices or wedges to adorn the fish with some delicious and tangy lemon juice. Tartar sauce also pairs perfectly with barramundi, as would a lemon butter sauce.
This delicious fish is perfect served with a lovely green salad and a rice pilaf for a healthy meal. You could also serve it with some mashed sweet potatoes and roasted broccoli with Parmesan.
I hope this oven baked nut crusted barramundi will become your favorite way of enjoying this delicious white fish!
FAQ
Barramundi is a white fish found in the Indo-West Pacific, including the areas of the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, Oceania, and Southeast Asia (per Wikipedia). This fish, which boasts a juicy flesh, was named by Australian aborigines. Barramundi roughly means "large-scaled silver fish" in the Australian aboriginal language. Barramundi is a sustainable fish, and also has some great health benefits as it is high in omega-3 fatty acids (per WebMD).
The taste of this fish is delightful! It has a buttery-smooth, mild, and sweet flavor. You won't experience a strong odor when you cook barramundi, and it complements many different ingredients and spices.
Some Other Great Fish Recipes You May Enjoy!
Here are some other great fish recipes that you may enjoy:
1,000 Foods To Eat Project
In conclusion, both Barramundi and Macadamia Nuts are listed in the book 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die, by Mimi Sheraton. I am working my way through the foods listed in this book. This is called my 1,000 Foods to Eat Project. Barramundi and Macadamia Nuts are foods #79 and #80 in my project! Please visit the 1,000 Foods To Eat Project page to see some other MUST TRY foods of the world that you may love to try!
Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!
Finally, I invite you to come along on this food journey with me! Please sign up to get the latest recipes and inspiration for you to expand your food horizons! It's an incredible journey, please join me by signing up here.
Cheers!
Grace
Easy Macadamia Nut Crusted Barramundi Fish Recipe
Equipment
- baking dish suitable for a 400F oven
- Small bowl for combining the crust ingredients
- Food Processor optional, but aids greatly in chopping up the macadamia nuts
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb barramundi fillets I used Netuno brand (these are frozen so thoroughly defrost for use)
- ⅓ cup macadamia nuts raw and chopped; aim for a mix of textures some of which will be chunky (use of a food processor helps greatly in prepping the nuts)
- ⅓ cup panko
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 ts olive oil add extra if needed
- ½ ts salt split (¼ ts for seasoning the fish and ¼ ts to add to the crust ingredients) - feel free to add more salt if you like; can use Kosher salt if you prefer
- ½ ts black pepper split (¼ ts for seasoning the fish and ¼ ts to add to the crust ingredients) - feel free to add more pepper if you like
Garnishes and Accompaniments
- lemon few slices of lemon
- parsley finely chopped
- tartar sauce enjoy your favorite brand!
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F.
- Thoroughly defrost your barramundi fillets if they are frozen. Pat dry with a paper towel. Rub the fish with olive oil, and then season both sides with ¼ ts salt and ¼ ts pepper. If you feel this is not enough seasoning, you can add more.
- Chop the macadamia nuts. Using a food processor is perfect for this.
- Combine the macadamia nut crust ingredients in a small bowl: chopped macadamia nuts, panko, Parmesan cheese, and ¼ ts salt and ¼ ts pepper. Mix well.
- Top the seasoned fillets with the crust, and then bake the fish for around 20-25 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Check on it from time to time and if the crust seems to be browning too much/burning, you can place some loose foil over it for the last few minutes.
- Garnish your beautiful dish with chopped parsley, and serve with slices of lemon and some tartar sauce!
Grace
Easy and delicious! Barramundi never tasted so good!