The light, bright lemon butter sauce absolutely makes the dish. I also love the large, moist fish flakes. And while I have recipes to bake halibut and grill halibut, they can’t beat this pan seared version with sauce. It’s my very best way to cook halibut. You’ll get it when you try it. 😉
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:
Halibut – This is a mild type of white fish. It’s a little similar to cod, haddock, or Chilean sea bass, but firmer. My recipe calls for 4 halibut fillets (6 ounces each), but you can also get one large 1.5-pound fillet and cut into 4 smaller ones. I can usually only find halibut without skin in my area, but if you can get it with skin, it will get irresistibly crispy! Spices – I keep it simple with just garlic powder, paprika, sea salt, and black pepper. (See below for variations.) Oil – I usually use this olive oil, but any heat-safe oil (such as avocado oil) will also work. You can even use extra virgin olive oil for extra flavor.
Lemon Butter Sauce:
Butter – I used salted butter just for simplicity. Feel free to use unsalted and add salt to taste instead. Lemon Juice – Since the sauce has only 2 ingredients, I highly recommend juicing a fresh lemon for this halibut recipe. But, technically bottled lemon juice will work.
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. Cooking halibut in a pan is straightforward, similar to any other fish. Here is how I do it: Hang on, this halibut recipe is not done yet. Cover it with foil to keep warm while you make the best part… the sauce!
How To Make The Sauce
Once your pan fried halibut is done cooking, you can re-use the same pan to make the lemon butter sauce:
Recipe 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 weed, 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.
Storage Instructions
Store: Fish tends to dry out when it’s reheated and overcooks easily, so I always recommend making this pan seared halibut recipe fresh. However, if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. 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 a better alternative than overcooking. Freeze: You can freeze raw halibut for up to 3 months, but I don’t recommend freezing cooked halibut recipes like this one. It’s just not the same after thawing.
Serving Suggestions
This easy halibut recipe is pretty versatile, so you can go in many different directions to serve it. And I’ve got them all! Try it with one of my fresh side dishes below. If I’m really feeling fancy, I start the meal with my 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 around, I just toss some cherry tomatoes into my arugula salad anytime of year and call it a day!
More Easy Fish Recipes To Try
If you love fish like I do, try one of my other easy fish recipes next:
My Tools For This Recipe
Non-stick Skillet – It’s not fancy, but my fish never sticks with this one and the non-stick surface hasn’t worn off after years of use. Can’t say the same for some others I’ve tried. Lemon Squeezer – This is the citrus press I use to help me get every last drop. Fish Turner – This special angled spatula will help flip your pan fried halibut without it flaking apart. Worth having if you cook a lot of fish like I do!
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