This easy pan seared halibut recipe with lemon butter sauce will show you how to cook halibut perfectly every time! Just like baked Chilean sea bass, this pan fried halibut could pass for a special meal at a fancy restaurant — but it’s surprisingly fast and easy to make. Cooking halibut this way tastes decadent, thanks to the butter lemon sauce for halibut, but it’s healthy, too! If you have any hesitations about fish, halibut recipes (like this one) taste mild and just might turn you into a fan. Try it out for an easy dinner to impress.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for cooking halibut, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Halibut:
Halibut – Get four 6-ounce halibut fillets, or one large 1.5-pound fillet that you can cut into four smaller ones. You can get it with or without skin. (If you get the kind with skin, cook skin side down first.)Spices – Garlic powder, paprika, sea salt, and black pepper.Oil – I used olive oil, but any heat-safe oil, such as avocado oil, will also work.
Lemon Butter Sauce:
Butter – I used salted butter, but you can also use unsalted and add salt to taste.Lemon Juice – For the best flavor, I highly recommend juicing a fresh lemon rather than using bottled.
How To Cook Halibut In A Pan
This section shows how to make the best halibut recipe, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
How To Make Sauce For Halibut
Once your pan fried halibut is done cooking, it’s time to make the lemon butter sauce! You can simply remove the fish, cover to keep warm, and re-use the same pan: Keeping it one spot prevents tearing and helps it get a nice, browned sear.
How Long To Cook Halibut In A Pan?
Pan fried halibut takes about 5-9 minutes to cook, depending a bit on the size of your fillet and how hot your pan is. A good starting point is to cook it for 3-4 minutes on the first side, undisturbed. Carefully flip it over, and cook for an additional 2-4 minutes, until cooked through. You can open and close again several times to get it all out.
Storage Instructions
Store: For the best results, make this pan seared halibut with lemon butter sauce right before you plan on serving it. It takes just 10 minutes to cook, so it’s easy to make quickly! Fish tends to get a little rubbery when it’s reheated and it can be easy to overcook it, so I always recommend making it fresh. However, if you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.Reheat: Warm up halibut gently in a hot pan over medium heat, or in the oven at 350 degrees F. Be careful not to overcook.Freeze: You can freeze raw halibut for up to 3 months, but I don’t recommend freezing cooked halibut recipes.
What To Serve With Halibut Recipes
This pan seared halibut recipe is pretty versatile, so it can go in many different directions. And I’ve got them all! Try it with these types of healthy side dishes:
The first side is done when you see the edges are opaque, and it’s browned underneath. The lemon butter halibut is done when the whole fillet is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. If you have a meat thermometer, use that for cooking halibut perfectly: The ideal internal temperature for fish is 135-140 degrees F.
Vegetables – Use your oven to make roasted asparagus, green beans, whole roasted cauliflower, or roasted zucchini while you’re making pan fried halibut on the stove.Starches – Potatoes, pasta, or rice are classic options, but you can also do healthier veggie alternatives like roasted rutabaga, zucchini noodles, or cauliflower rice.Salads – Try creamy cucumber salad, tomato cucumber avocado salad, or Caprese salad.
More Easy Fish Recipes To Try
If you love fish, try these other easy fish recipes: TIP: If you like garlic, you can also use this lemon butter sauce recipe. Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our Facebook support group, too – I’d love to see it!
