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The Easiest Baked Halibut recipe – quick to make, juicy, flavorful and delicious weeknight dinner paired with veggies, Ratatouille, Oven Fries or a Cucumber Cabbage Salad.
This is my favorite way to cook Halibut in the oven. Learn how to prepare and bake Halibut fillets and make a tasty, yet fancy dinner in no time. Perfect for Keto, low carb or balanced diet.
What is Halibut and how to cook it?
Halibut is a species of flatfish. It is rich in Selenium, Magnesium, Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Niacin.
It is a lean fish with mild white flesh, large flakes and a firm but tender texture.
It doesn’t require a long cooking time.
It is white fish, that cooks relatively fast depending on the thickness of the fillets.
It tends to dry out if cooked for longer periods of time, so quick cooking at higher temperature is best for this fish. Halibut is sometimes cured or smoked.
I personally either cook it on the stove top with oil and seasoning or bake it.
The advantage of baking Halibut fillets in the oven at a moderately high temperature is that the fish cooks evenly and the outside is not burned.
If you cook on the stove top, there is a possibility that the fish gets a little too brown on the outside and underdone on the inside.
There also is an issue with flaking, the fish may fall apart when cooked on the stove top.
What ingredients do you need to make this easy baked halibut recipe?
Note: This is an overview. See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions
Here is what I used for this Halibut recipe.
- halibut fillets – fresh or frozen (defrosted)
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olive oil
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salt – regular or sea salt
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black pepper
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paprika
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smoked paprika
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garlic powder
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lemon juice
Other seasoning options for baked Halibut fillets are – lemon garlic butter, pesto sauce, covering the fillets mayonnaise seasoned with herbs and baking them or preparing a breadcrumb topping with Panko breadcrumbs, olive oil and herbs. Dill and parsley are great for garnishing the fish.
How to bake halibut?
- Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Line a baking dish with parchment paper (optional) and arrange the fish.
- Combine the salt, black pepper, paprika, smoked paprika, garlic powder, lemon juice and olive oil in a small bowl.
- Place the halibut fillets in the baking dish or on a sheet pan. Brush with the spice mixture on top.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until opaque.
- Serve with a side dish of your choice.
Tips to make baked halibut:
- Choose the freshest fish you can get, don’t buy frozen fillets.
- Frozen Halibut can be used in the recipe, if this is what you have. Keep in ming, that previously frozen Halibut fillets may be drier and denser than fresh ones and tend to cook faster.
- Cook the fish right away, you may leave it in the fridge overnight, but no more than that, because it may go bad.
- You don’t need to remove the skin off the halibut, if you have it on, since it helps keep the shape better. Bake fillets with the skin side down.
- If you have time, “marinate” the fish – leave the seasoning on for 15 minutes, to intensify the flavors.
- Line the baking dish with parchment paper or aluminum foil if you’d like for easier cleanup.
- You can use fresh or dried herbs of your choice. I chose to use salt, pepper and some paprika. Brushed the fish with melted butter and parsley.
What to serve with baked halibut?
This oven baked halibut goes well with salad, grilled vegetables, potatoes and rice. I served mine with oven roasted asparagus.
This oven baked okra, cucumber and onion salad and Keto Mashed Cauliflower are great side dishes for white fish.
You can also add some chopped tomatoes and capers on top of the seasoned fish and bake it with them.
This way you have a light and simple side dish, cooked together with the fish.
More fish recipes:
Baked halibut recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb Halibut fillet
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper
- 1/4 tsp Paprika
- 1/4 tsp Smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp Garlic powder
- Juice from one medium lemon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Arrange fish on a baking dish.
- In a small bowl combine the salt, black pepper, paprika, smoked paprika, garlic powder, lemon juice and olive oil.
- Place fish in a baking dish or on a sheet pan. Brush with the mixture on top.
- Bank for 10-12 minutes, until opaque.
- Serve with a salad, quinoa, pasta or couscous.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made tonight and turned out great! You mentioned that you brushed the fish with butter and parsley. Was that before or after the marinade?
Hi, glad you liked it! I brushed it with butter prior to serving.
I made it last night and it turned out amazing! This is a winner thank you!
I didn’t have fresh herbs but i had a majority of the spices, so i prepared the fish that way as well as the warm butter and garlic, I also included lemon zest and fresh lemon juice as the final touch. I was going to marinade in advance but after I read your tip about 15 minutes prior I felt that would be long enough and I was not disappointed….”Yum” will make again 🙂
Glad you liked it!!!
Delicious!!
My brothers went to Alaska and brought back 200 pounds of halibut, which they were happy to share. I made this, on a whim last month and it was absolutely delicious! My husband does not like garlic so I omitted it. I was very happy with the consistency of the seasoning as the combination of olive oil and lemon juice thickened after sitting for 20-30 minutes. I was able to lavish it on the two fillets and bake it to 130 degrees…perfect. Tonight I will add capers with chopped tomatoes and finish with a sprinkle of parsley. Served with basmati rice, roasted cauliflower and asparagus.