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 halibut recipe cooks up quickly, making it the perfect weeknight meal!
I love pan-searing halibut 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 halibut recipe. It cooks quickly in the pan and is packed with garlic butter flavours.
Ingredients to Make Halibut Recipe
- Olive oil — I like to use olive oil but you can use another oil such as avocado oil if you prefer.
- Halibut fish — 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. For extra heat, add red pepper.
- Butter — Make sure to use unsalted butter as we are already seasoning with salt.
- Garlic cloves — Minced the garlic finely.
- Fresh rosemary — Chop some fresh rosemary for garnish. If you don’t have fresh rosemary, you can use other fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro or dill.
- Lemon juice – it’s optional but I love to squeeze a little bit of fresh lemon juice on top of my fish. It adds more flavour. If you prefer, you can also add lime juice instead.
How to Cook Halibut Fish
Prepare the Halibut Recipe
- 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.
Tip: If your fish was in the fridge, let your fish comes to room temperature for about 15 minutes before cooking.
Sear the Halibut
- Place the halibut fillets in a large cast-iron skillet and turn the heat to medium heat.
- Sear the halibut for 3-4 minutes.
- Flip your halibut 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 or fresh parsley. You can also garnish it with lemon zest.
Tips For Making This Halibut Recipe
- Always make sure the halibut 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 halibut fish will steam more than it’ll sear.
- For the best results, try to pick halibut fish 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 fish is cooked through, check the internal temperature. Cooked halibut should be 118F.
- If you don’t have halibut fish or don’t like it, you can replace it for cod fish.
How To Store Leftovers
- 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
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Absolutely! Before cooking, be sure to wash halibut under cold water and then, pat dry with a paper towel.
My favorite way to know if my halibut fish is done is by using a fork. I poke the fish with a fork at the thickest part of the halibut fillet and gently twist. When your fish is done, it will flake very easy and it will change the translucent appearance to a white appearance.You can also use a thermometer to check the internal temperature of the fish, which should be about 145F degrees.
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, fork tender, 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.
What Do You Eat with Halibut
Here are some ideas of what to serve with your pan-seared halibut recipe:
- Garlic Parmesan Cauliflower Rice
- Mushroom Cauliflower “Rice” Skillet
- Roasted Vegetables
- Crispy Roasted Green Beans
- Parmesan Lemon Asparagus Skillet
Ways To Use This Cooked Halibut Recipe
If you have leftover halibut recipe 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
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Garlic Butter Halibut 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.
Tips
- I recommend rinsing the halibut and patting dry before using.
- Do not leave the fish in the pan when it is done. The residual heat from the cast iron will continue to cook the fish.
- Try to buy fillets that are similar in size so they cook evenly.
- To store: Leftover fish keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
- To reheat: I like to reheat the fish in the skillet gently so it does not overcook and become dry.
Video
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
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Bill Reeves says
Wasn’t anything special, just OK, don’t know if I would make it again
Gunter Heisen says
Cope. Sounds like you need to improve your skills before cooking something to advanced for you. Start with pop tarts then work your way up. 🙂
Amanda Davis says
Very tasty
Olivia says
Happy you liked it!
Kim says
Perfect! I will make this more often
Olivia says
Awesome!
Cheri says
My husband and I loved it! The Halibut was cooked perfectly! The amount of time the fish was in the skillet was perfect. Tender, flaky, and flavorful with the garlic butter basting.
Olivia says
So happy to hear that!