Garlic Butter Halibut Fish Recipe
Light, flakey, and moist, you are going to love this Garlic Butter Halibut Fish Recipe. It’s so easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. Low-carb, gluten-free, and keto-friendly, this easy fish recipe cooks up quickly, making it the perfect weeknight meal!
I love pan-searing fish for weeknight dinners. It comes together so quickly and easily that it makes busy nights feel stress-free. If you’ve tried my Pan Seared Salmon Recipe or Simple Garlic Butter Salmon Recipe, then you’re going to love this garlic butter halibut fish recipe. It cooks quickly in the pan and is packed with garlic butter flavours.
How Does Halibut Taste?
Halibut is a white fish that has a sweet, mild taste to it. It doesn’t taste fishy and takes on flavours really well. As we are cooking it with garlic butter, this halibut will be light, flakey, and moist, and taste like the sauce! You can eat it on its own, or break it apart and serve it like my Easy Grilled Fish Tacos Recipe.
How to Make Garlic Butter Halibut Fish
Ingredients
- Olive oil — I like to use olive oil but you can use another oil such as avocado oil if you prefer.
- Halibut fish fillets — Try to find a high-quality halibut. If buying fresh, check for white, glossy flesh. Fresh halibut should also not smell fishy. For frozen fillets, check to make sure that there aren’t any dried-out edges.
- Seasoning: I use garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper to season my halibut.
- Butter — Make sure to use unsalted butter as we are already seasoning with salt.
- Garlic clove — Minced the garlic finely.
- Fresh rosemary — Chop some fresh rosemary for garnish.
Instructions
Prepare the Halibut
- In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Pat halibut fish dry with a paper towel and season both sides of the fish with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and salt and pepper.
Sear the Halibut
- Place the halibut fillets in a large cast-iron skillet and turn the heat to medium.
- Sear the fish for 3-4 minutes.
- Flip your fish fillets over to cook the other side.
- Set aside once the fish is cooked.
Make the Garlic Butter Sauce
- Reduce the heat to low and add butter to the skillet.
- When it melts, add garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds or 1 minute. Keep a close eye on the garlic as you don’t want it to burn.
- Add the halibut back to the pan and spoon the sauce over the fillets. You might have to tilt the pan a bit. Garnish with fresh rosemary.
Should I Remove the Skin from the Halibut Before Cooking?
There’s no need to remove the skin before you cook it! The skin gets so crispy and is so tasty! However, if you’re not a fan of the skin, you can buy halibut without skin or remove it yourself by running a knife under the skin.
Tips For Making This Garlic Butter Halibut Fish Recipe
- Always make sure the fillets are dry before seasoning and cooking. This helps the seasoning stick better and it also helps the fish sear better. If there is moisture, the fish will steam more than it’ll sear.
- For the best results, try to pick fillets that are similar in size. This way, you don’t have to worry about your small fillet overcooking as you check on your larger ones.
- Halibut can dry out very quickly so make sure to not overcook!
- Make sure to take the halibut out of the pan immediately once it’s finished cooking. You don’t want the residual heat from the pan to continue to cook the fish as you grab the ingredients to make the garlic butter sauce. Overcooked halibut will taste rubbery.
- If you’re not sure that your halibut is cooked through, check the internal temperature. Cooked halibut should be 118F.
How to Meal Prep Halibut
- Storage – Transfer leftover garlic butter halibut fish to an airtight glass container and keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Or, portion them out into meal prep containers to have for lunches throughout the week.
- Reheating – For best results, heat in a pan on the stove so the halibut doesn’t dry out. You can also heat in the microwave along with some sides for a full meal at once.
What Do You Eat with Halibut?
Here are some ideas of what to serve with your pan-seared halibut:
- Garlic Parmesan Cauliflower Rice
- Mushroom Cauliflower “Rice” Skillet
- Roasted Vegetables
- Crispy Roasted Green Beans
- Parmesan Lemon Asparagus Skillet
Ways To Use This Cooked Halibut
If you have leftover halibut and want to change things up, here are some ways to enjoy the halibut:
- halibut pasta: roughly chop up the halibut and add it to a pasta.
- halibut salad: break up the halibut and toss it in a leafy salad or greek salad or salmon/trout salad.
- halibut fried rice: break up the trout and toss it in some fried cauliflower rice.
More Garlic Butter Sauce Recipes:
- Garlic Butter Scallops Recipe
- Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs
- Garlic Butter Cod Fish Recipe
- Garlic Butter Baked Chicken Breast
- Garlic Butter Baked Pork Chops
Garlic Butter Halibut Fish Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 halibut fish fillets - I get my organic halibut fish at Organic Ocean.
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp garlic clove - minced
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary for garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat. Pat halibut fish dry with paper towel and season all over with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and salt and pepper.
- Place the halibut filets in a large (10-inch) cast iron skillet and turn the heat to medium. Sear fish for 3-4 minutes. Flip your fish fillets over to cook the other side. Set aside once the fish is cooked.
- Reduce the heat to low and add butter in the skillet. When it melts, add garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds or 1 minute. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
- Gently bring back the fish to the pan. Using a spoon, pour some of the butter sauce left in the skillet onto the halibut fillets before serving. Garnish with fresh rosemary.
If you make this recipe, follow @primaverakitchen on Instagram, snap a photo and hashtag it #primaverakitchen. I'd love to see what you're making!
