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GET IT NOWThis Is My Favorite Halibut Recipe Ever
Halibut is the fish I make when I’m craving more than “just fish”, and when I want a special seafood dinner at home, it’s this pan seared halibut recipe all the way. Unlike my usual weeknight baked salmon or air fryer cod, this one will make you feel like you’re at a high-end restaurant! Here’s why it’s special:
- Tender, flaky, and mild – Halibut is firm and lean, but my recipe leaves it moist and flaky! And if you have any hesitations about fish, this is a good one to dip your toes in, because it’s not too fishy. (My flounder recipe is another good one to try for this — and halibut is actually a type of flounder!)
- Irresistible lemon butter sauce – The sauce absolutely makes this dish, and I now make it on repeat for all kinds of seafood. I use variations of it for garlic butter shrimp, seared scallops, and even chicken paillard, but there’s a reason I’m always thinking about the next time I can use it for my halibut recipe. This one started it all — and it’s still the best.
- Easy to make – This fish could totally pass for a special meal at a fancy restaurant, but it’s surprisingly fast and easy. It takes just 20 minutes, using only a few ingredients.
- Perfect for a special day, or any day – Since halibut is fairly pricy, it’s a natural choice for your date nights or special occasions. But since the prep is actually very simple, who says you can’t have a special dinner “just because”?
While I have several other halibut recipes (I love to bake halibut and grill halibut as well), this pan seared version with sauce is the one I make most. It’s my very best way to cook halibut. Make it with me, and you’ll see what I mean!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my halibut recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Halibut Fish – It’s similar to other white fish, like cod, haddock, red snapper, or Chilean sea bass, except firmer. My recipe calls for 4 halibut fillets (6 ounces each), or you can cut a large 1.5-pound fillet into 4 smaller ones. I can usually only find skinless halibut in my area, but if you can get it with skin, it will get irresistibly crispy! (P.S. I’m so jealous of those of you using this recipe for your fresh Alaskan halibut — savor every bite.)
- Spices – Garlic powder, paprika, sea salt, and black pepper. I’ve got other variations below.
- Oil – For searing. I usually use this olive oil, but any heat-safe oil (such as avocado oil) will work.
- Lemon Butter Sauce – Just 2 ingredients: Lemon juice and salted butter (or feel free to use unsalted and add a little salt)! I highly recommend juicing a fresh lemon for this halibut recipe over the bottled stuff.
How To Cook Halibut
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
Sear The Fish:
- Dry. Use paper towels to pat the halibut fillets dry. This will ensure even browning and locks moisture inside, so don’t skip this step!
- Season. Sprinkle the fish generously on both sides with garlic powder, paprika, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Sear. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the fillets in a single layer, and sear, without moving, until the fish is golden brown on the bottom and the edges are opaque. Carefully flip over, and sear until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
See my tips below to time it perfectly — and don’t miss the second (a.k.a. the best) part of this halibut recipe… the sauce!
Make The Sauce & Assemble:
Cover the cooked halibut with foil to keep warm, and use the same pan to make the sauce:
- Brown the butter. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter turns brown and frothy. It will smell a little nutty… mmm.
- Add the lemon juice. Squeeze all the juice from both halves of the lemon into the pan. (I use this lemon squeezer, pictured below.) Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the volume is reduced by half.
- Plate your pan seared halibut with lemon butter sauce. Drizzle a little of the sauce over your plate, top with fish, then drizzle more sauce on top. I like to garnish with a little fresh parsley, but that’s optional.
My Recipe Tips
- A non-stick skillet works best here. I love my cast iron, but it’s not my favorite for fish, which can stick and fall apart too easily. This non-stick pan is my fave and has lasted for years.
- If you get halibut with skin, cook skin side down first. This makes it easier to flip and also reduces the chance of overcooking. I always do this when cooking fish with skin — see more details in my pan seared salmon post.
- Don’t crowd the pan. The fish fillets should be in a single layer and have small spaces between them. If they don’t all fit, you can cook them in batches.
- Avoid moving the fish around. Keeping it one spot prevents tearing and helps it get a nice, browned sear. Move it only when it’s time to flip. If it doesn’t release easily, it needs to cook for longer before flipping.
- How to cook halibut to perfect doneness: It’s time to flip when you see the edges are opaque, and it’s browned underneath. On the second side, it’s time to remove from the pan when the whole fillet is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. I’m kind of obsessed with cooking halibut perfectly though, so I always use a meat thermometer. The ideal internal temperature for fish is 135-140 degrees F — this is when it’s moist and flaky, but not dry yet.
- My fish turner makes flipping much easier. The shape fits entire halibut fillets on it so it’s easier to flip them without breaking. Worth having if you cook a lot of fish like I do!
- Be careful not to overheat the sauce. If your pan is too hot, it can burn or split (separate). Keep the heat fairly low for the sauce part (just high enough to barely simmer), and remove from the pan quickly once it’s done.
- Not a fan of browned butter? Just cook the sauce for less time. My plain lemon butter sauce recipe doesn’t brown the butter, so it’s more mild, while this one does and has a deeper flavor. I love both! You could do either for this halibut recipe based on your preference.
Serving Ideas
This easy halibut recipe is pretty versatile, so you can go in many different directions to serve it. Try it with one of my fresh side dishes below! If I’m really feeling fancy, I start the meal with creamy lobster bisque for a complete seafood theme.
- Vegetables – Before you make your pan seared halibut on the stove, get started on roasted asparagus (one of the best pairings for fish), roasted green beans with garlic and parmesan, or even a whole roasted cauliflower head in your oven. My personal fave with this dish is roasted zucchini!
- Starches – Potatoes, pasta, or rice are common options, but you can also opt for one of my lighter veggie alternatives, like roasted rutabaga, zucchini noodles, or cauliflower rice.
- Salads – If you eat with the seasons like me, this will largely depend on the time of year. Make my asparagus salad in the spring, tomato cucumber avocado salad or Caprese salad in the summer, or beet salad in the fall or winter. When I don’t have something very seasonal, I just toss some cherry tomatoes into my arugula salad anytime of year!
Halibut Recipe (With Lemon Butter Sauce)
Learn how to cook halibut that's perfectly flaky & tender! This easy pan seared halibut recipe with lemon butter sauce takes just 20 minutes.
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.
Halibut:
Lemon butter sauce:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Use paper towels to pat the halibut fillets completely dry — this will ensure even browning. Season the fish on both sides with garlic powder, paprika, sea salt, and black pepper.
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Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.
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Add the fish fillets in a single layer (you can do it in batches if all the fish won't fit). Sear, without moving, for 3-4 minutes, until the edges of the fish are opaque. Flip and cook for 2-4 minutes, until cooked through.
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Remove the fish from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm.
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Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the butter to the same pan. Wait for it to melt, then heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the butter is browned and smells nutty.
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Squeeze all the juice from both halves of the lemon into the pan. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until the volume is reduced by half. The lemon butter sauce will still be thin, which is normal.
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Drizzle a little lemon butter sauce over each serving plate. Place the pan seared halibut fillets over the sauce, then drizzle more sauce on top.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 halibut fillet + 2 tablespoons lemon butter sauce
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you cook halibut perfectly every time, with a moist, flaky texture and the perfect sauce.
- Flavor variations: If you want to add a little something to change it up, see my variations here.
- Storage: Fish tends to dry out when it’s reheated, so I recommend making this pan seared halibut recipe fresh. But if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. They make good fish tacos!
- Reheat: Warm gently on the stove over medium heat, or in the oven at 350 degrees F. I usually remove from heat when the fish is barely warm, as that’s better than overcooking.
- Freeze: You can freeze raw fish for up to 3 months, but I don’t recommend freezing cooked halibut recipes like this. It’s just not the same after thawing.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Halibut Recipe
Flavor Variations
Like I often do, I pared my halibut recipe down to the essentials, so there aren’t too many ingredients! If you want to add a little something, here are some ways to elevate this dish:
- Herbs – I think the browned lemon butter and the spices are enough, but you can certainly take it up a notch and add dried or fresh herbs to the fish itself or the sauce if you like. If you do want to add some, my recommendations are dill, parsley, or thyme.
- Garlic – I don’t usually add it because I use garlic powder to season the halibut, but you can also add 2-3 minced garlic cloves to the sauce before simmering.
- Lemon Zest – If you’re squeezing a fresh lemon anyway, might as well use the zest! It will become bitter if you cook it, though, so I add it to the sauce after removing from heat when I want to use it.
- White Wine – For a different flavor, use the juice from only half the lemon and add a splash of white wine to the pan at the same time.
- Different Sauce – If you don’t feel like lemon butter sauce, halibut would also taste amazing with a drizzle of my chimichurri sauce, or pesto sauce thinned out with olive oil.
More Easy Fish Recipes To Try
If you love fish like I do, try one of my other easy fish recipes next:
369 Comments
Fran
0If my halibut has skin, and I cook skin side down first, how do I season that? Or do you take skin off after cooking that side and flip back over to brown that side?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Fran, You would just season right over the skin, which would be on only one side anyway and the other side would be the fish flesh (season both sides). You don’t need to remove the skin. It will actually get crispy when you cook it and it’s really delicious!
Lindzi
0Turned out really well and I served it with steamed haricot vert.
Margaret
010/10 from my husband (very hard to get!). Easy peasy. Served with those peas and Rice A Roni rice pilaf.
Erica Lynn McAlpine
0This was the best Halibut Recipe-restaurant worthy. Really smart to pat the fish dry prior to seasoning. THANK YOU!
Jana Lagis
0This was a great recipe and easy. I used 1/4 cup of butter to cut back some of the fat and added fresh garlic to the lemon butter. Great meal.
tracey jackson
0This recipe could not have been easier and it turned out beautifully.
Ruthie
0Very flavorful and super easy and fast to make. Hubby (super picky eater) went for seconds! Thanks for sharing!!
Janet
0Don’t know; can’t see the ingredients to try. Frustrating.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Janet, You can find the list of ingredients on the recipe card right above where you left this comment.
T.White
0First time trying halibut – this recipe is delicious! Crunchy sear on the outside and flaky goodness on the inside. Adding this to the recipe box.
Charlie
0It’s delicious. Great super easy, gourmet flavor. I just bump it up a little. More lemon juice and olive oil. And I add some finally chopped garlic to the oil before I throw the fish on. LOVE IT. I’m gonna try some trout in it cause it’s basically how I cooked my rainbow trout .
Janice Driver
0Very yummy, flaky with crisp crust. And very easy!
Mark
0So happy that I found your recipe. The fish came out perfectly and was so tasty.
jodie
0Usually make my Halibut with cooked cherry tomatoe sauce as the fish is pretty bland. I usually grill it too. The skillet gave the fish a nice singe that is a game changer IMO. This was a nice change and delish dish that gave a new twist as I stated before I had my recipe for Halibut. Now this is my new recipe. We did exact instructions per recipe and the skin was crunchy and perfectectly cooked. We served it on mashed garlic cauliflower with baked carrots. I felt like this meal was a fine dining experience and will do it again. We cooked outside on the burner grill as not to have smoke fish smell in the houes. Thanks for sharing.
Emily Lacey
0This dish was so yummy AND so easy! My son’s a little bit of a foodie and wanted fish and lemon rice for his birthday dinner. I loved that the instructions included how to plate and garnish it properly because that’s an important element to him. It turned out perfectly, except the sauce had a lot black bits from the fish and seasoning that had stuck on the pan. It tasted good, just looked less appealing than I hoped.
Marsha
0I bought a small piece of halibut and just reduced the recipe for me! Absolutely delicious and light! Thank you!
Lew
0It would be nice to see other people’s questions and your response.
My question, which I’m sure has been asked, Can you substitute Lemon Juice, and How much? Thanks.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lew, I publish questions I get and answer them in the comments section, right below where you left your comment. This recipe already has lemon juice, so I’m not sure what you’re wanting to substitute?
Holland
0This was the best halibut I have ever made. Doing it again next week! Yum!!
Pete
0A great, quick and tasty recipe. Positive results every time. Thank you.
Susan
0This was a wonderful recipe. My husband and I enjoyed it very much. I would have liked it to be a bit more moist. Thanks for a yummy recipe.
Carol Murray
0Soooooo easy and good will add capers to sauce next time ? thank you
Sherrie Allen
0I made the recipe and didn’t have lemon. I used lime instead and it was yummy.??? Thank you for the recipe.?
Carolyn
0I enjoyed this recipe so much. Easy and not easy to screw up! I didn’t brown the butter a lot. I did minimal brown and added lemon. Oh my, fabulous! Thinking next time I’ll add capers.
Lilah F
0Very good! Sauce was delicious and added a good touch! Skin did stick to pan, but other than that, extremely tasty.
Amy Sytsma
0The fish was great tasting with the spices recommended. We where not thrilled with the Garlic butter, not real full of flavor. I would definitely do the seasoned fish. Oh, I used my cast Iron pan for this, worked great!
Elayne
0Excellent. I have nothing but good things to say.
Fran Licata
0It was absolutely delicious. I used a cast iron pan and the. fish stuck to the bottom of the pan. Any idea, why?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Fran, Fish sticks more easily to cast iron than nonstick pans, especially if it doesn’t have skin. Some tips to reduce this effect are to use more oil, make sure the oil is hot before adding the fish, and don’t flip too soon. I’m glad you liked it otherwise!
Paula
0This halibut recipe is excellent! Seasoned just right…and the lemon butter sauce was perfect! Easy to prepare, too! Will definitely make it again soon!
Jax
0HAVE to post review. SOO delicious! Still in midst of enjoying but didn’t want to forget to thank you for this simple, yet oh so delectable meal. Oh, I roasted small broccoli florets with evoo, truffle salt and cracked pepper and jasmine rice. Drizzled lemon butter sauce over rice and broccoli. Don’t think I’ve ever had better at a restaurant. Know I haven’t. Used Pacific halibut. 1/2 recipe as it was just for me. Delish! ??
Debbie T
0Never cooked halibut before. This recipe was great! Flavor of fish wonderful! Will use again!!
George Sell
0I didn’t watch the video until after I made the recipe and realized I had made some mistakes. I dried the fillets too much. The frying temp and temp for the sauce was too high. Other than that, I love this recipe.
John Wadas
0Best Halibut recipe I have found. My wife and I catch Alaskan Halibut and have it portioned in 1 lb packages and sent home. We made some tonight 3/2/23 and it was delicious. Definitely use fresh lemon!
Tammy Clark
0What are your thoughts about using an air fryer for this?
I’m a single empty nester, so would be making two filets at the most.
Time/temp?
Thanks, Tammy
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Tammy, Air fryer halibut is on my list, but in the meantime, you could follow my recipe for air fryer tilapia using halibut. You can also make the halibut recipe I have here on the stovetop, and just cut the recipe in half.
Lori Carr
0I actually thought I was a great cook, but I could not get the sauce. I tried 2 separate times and all it did was separate. I followed the recipe to a T and watched the heat to make sure it wasn’t too low or two high…
Help!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lori, Sorry this recipe didn’t turn out as expected. It sounds like your heat was still too high. You can help the sauce come back together by removing the fish, adding a splash of water to the sauce, and whisking over low heat.
Pam S.
0We look forward to repeating this recipe whenever halibut goes on sale at our local seafood market. It’s become a family favorite! Quick, easy, and tasty!
Fanny
0Very tasty. The sauce keeps the fish moist. Will cook again.
Barbara
0I like the simplicity of this recipe!
Kathryn Waldyke
0Just made it. Yes, this is simply wonderful! Thank you!
Kim
0Way too salty. I am not sure if there are different types of sea salt. Maybe I used the wrong kind. Large crystals. We actually had to rinse off the fillets in order to eat them. The sauce was excellent. I will make this again but will omit the sea salt. May use a small amount of regular salt. Please advise.
Katie
0I have been scrolling for a while… can’t find the recipe…
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Katie, There is a ‘jump to recipe’ button at the top of the page that you can use to get right to the recipe.
Bob M
0Just use a pinch between your fingers. Otherwise it will be too salty.
William Pendleton
0Best fish I’ve had in a while…my wife went crazy over it!
Melissa
0First time in a long time making Halibut and it came out just perfect! Thank you so much for the recipe and technique!
Susan
0Simple and delicious! We will definitely be making this again. It was so easy to make. We used it on halibut we caught ourselves in Alaska?
Kara
0Tasty on their own, but the lemon butter sauce takes them to the next level. Seriously delicious!
Kristyn
0This is the most tender dish!! That lemon butter sauce tastes amazing with the halibut! I can’t believe how easy it is to make!
Julia
0We LOVE fish in our house!! This is such a simple recipe to make! Thanks for posting!
Mary Reuland
0Is was excellent! I added chopped garlic and capers to the butter sauce…. Will definitely make again!
Lynda Peitzsch
0Was very tasty and enjoyed by the family.
Stephen
0I had caught 2 halibut and used this on our last few packages. Was the best and very simple recipe yet. Just got back with 15 lbs coho and will use your pan seared recipe for the salmon. Love it baked but the butter pan seared is to die for.
Maritza
0This is by far the best and easiest recipe E-V-E-R!!! I love cooking and I regularly prepare a number of complex recipes, but this recipe is truly awesome; easy to follow and uses easy and few ingredients for optimal results! THANK YOU!!!!!
Colleen
0This was easy and so delicious. I couldn’t find my paprika but proceeded without it. I cooked the fish a bit less than recommended but it was perfect. Thanks.
Chris L
0This worked terrifically for me. Easy (important for an unskilled cook), loved the strong lemon flavor, and the seasonings all worked for me. Thank you.
Gretta C.
0Wonderful recipe that I have made 4 times now and each time successfully with a delicious outcome.