Buttery Pan-Seared Fish with Yogurt Ranch + Greens

A winner winner fisherman's dinner with 43g protein

Cooking fish at home can be intimidating.

And no, I’m not talking about the go-to salmon you wrap in foil, toss in the oven, and voila, perfectly soggy fish.

I’m talking about seared whitefish. The kind that makes your eyes pop when you see the $38 price tag at the restaurant.

They usually have names you barely recognize, like walleye or orange roughy.

And they taste just as fancy as they sound: buttery, tender, and melt-in-your-mouth good.

Which makes you think they’re hard to re-create at home, and they have to be high in calories to taste good.

I’m here to prove that’s not true.

This Pan-Seared Fish Plate gives you that same buttery flavor and tenderness, without using a week’s worth of butter.

For under 400 calories, you get a smoky, lemony whitefish on a bed of bone broth, seasoned purple rice, surrounded by baby kale, and topped with Greek yogurt ranch.

It’s restaurant quality with 43 grams of protein and none of the restaurant markup.

Make the fish, make the rice, whip up the ranch, and you’ve got a full meal prep done in about 35 minutes.

Ready to give it a go?

Then let’s get cooking.

Upgrade to a paid subscription and get:

• 📓 100+ high-protein recipes in the digital cookbook

• 🤖 A ChatGPT meal plan generator using cookbook recipes

• 🎁 Bonus recipes every month.

• 🧠 Custom recipe requests. I’ll make it high-protein!

• 🔓 Free access to the upcoming 20-Minute Meal cookbook

Here are a few notes regarding the recipe:

• You can use any lean whitefish for this recipe.

  • The one I used in the photo is orange roughy.

  • Stick to small to medium-sized filets for faster cooking.

• These types of fish are usually best fresh, but still reheat well for 2-3 days.

• Make this meal more filling and nutritious by adding vegetables to the greens.

  • Cucumbers, tomatoes, and shredded carrots will pair well.

• Check to see if your lemon pepper seasoning has around 90mg of sodium.

  • If it has significantly less, slightly increase the salt level.

  • I used Lawry’s lemon pepper seasoning.

• Don’t use butter as a replacement for the ghee in this recipe.

  • The ghee adds more concentrated butter flavor and won’t burn.

  • It also goes a much longer way than butter in terms of cooking oil.

---

Buttery Pan-Seared Fish with Yogurt Ranch + Greens

43G Protein Per Serving | 379 Calories | 35 Minutes | 4 Servings

Ingredient List

• 2 lbs fresh orange roughy (or any medium-sized whitefish)

• 1 container baby kale

• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

• 2 cups chicken bone broth

• 1 cup purple or black rice, uncooked

• 2 tbsp ghee

Fish Seasoning Mix

• 2 tsp lemon pepper

• 2 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 tsp salt

Yogurt Ranch

• 1 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt

• 4 tsp olive oil

• 2 tsp dried dill

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp onion powder

• ½ tsp salt (adjust to taste)

• Black pepper, to taste

• 1 tbsp lemon juice (or white vinegar)

• 2–4 tbsp water, to thin

Cooking Instructions

1. In a pot, combine the rice with 2 cups chicken bone broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low, cover, and simmer. Cook for 25–30 minutes

2. In a small bowl, mix the ingredients for the fish seasoning.

3. Pat the fish dry with a paper towel and season both sides with the spices.

4. In another bowl, mix all ingredients for the yogurt ranch.

5. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a large skillet or pan over medium-high. Add 4 filets to the pan and sear for about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.

6. Add the remaining tablespoon of ghee to the pan. Cook the remaining 4 fillets the same way.

7. To assemble each plate, add ⅓ cup cooked rice to the center. Top with 2 fish fillets, surround with baby kale, drizzle ranch over the fish, and finish with thinly sliced red onion. Serve and enjoy!

---

Thanks for reading! Now make a fish and blow out those love handles.

Eat Well,

Marcus Matkins

---

---