Succulent baked halibut with a touch of lemon, Dijon mustard and dill is an ideal meal when something light and healthy is what you're hungry for, and it's ready to serve in around twenty minutes!
Baked Halibut, a Simple and Delicious Fish Dish
Halibut was one of favorite kinds of fish to prepare and serve to my clients during my personal chef days.
The light and succulent fillets were the perfect canvas to take on the slightly bright and tangy flavors of lemon, garlic, perhaps a touch of mustard, and a sprinkling of herbs and seasoning. And the fact that they baked off so quickly made it an incredibly quick and convenient meal to prepare!
Because halibut takes on added flavors so well, it only needs a few minutes of quick marination before simply being placed onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and baked for roughly 12 minutes.
Baking halibut in this way yields a moist, flavorful piece of fish, one perfect to serve with a light accompaniment of simple quinoa, or some roasted potatoes, sauteed asparagus, roasted vegetables, or even a green salad.
And if being easy to prepare and tasting so good wasn't enough, it's nice to know too that baked halibut is an excellent source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
How to Cook Halibut
For me, of all the halibut recipes, baking it is a favorite way to cook it because it ends up so tender, moist and full of flavor.
The key to cooking flavorful halibut is to be liberal with the seasonings, and choose complimentary flavor profiles. The delicious seasonings will then penetrate into the halibut and create a moist and delicious result.
Depending on the thickness of your fillet, you can allow the halibut to sit in the seasoning in order to marinate for a few minutes (15-20 works really great), or just skip the marination and go straight to the baking.
Here's my baked halibut recipe at a glance: (or just jump to the full recipe...)
- I prepare a quick paste with some Dijon mustard, some garlic, lemon zest and juice, plus some spices, salt and pepper; then, I brush this mixture onto my halibut fillets.
- If I have a few extra minutes, I allow the fish to marinate; otherwise, I preheat the oven to 425°, line a baking sheet with parchment or foil, and place the fillets on the baking sheet.
- The halibut is baked for about 10 minutes, then I turn on the broiler for a couple of extra minutes for a hint of extra color on top.
- I garnish the fish with fresh herbs (I love dill for this) and lemon, and serve!
(The full recipe is below...)
Recipe
Baked Halibut
by Ingrid Beer
Print RecipeCategory: Entree
Cuisine: American
Yield: Serves 4
Nutrition Info: 252 calories
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 large garlic cloves, pressed through garlic press
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- Pinch paprika (about ⅛ – ¼ teaspoon)
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 (6 ounce) skinless halibut fillets (you can ask you seafood department to cut it for you)
- Fresh dill, chopped for garnish
- Lemon slices or wedges, on the side
- Preheat your oven to 425°, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil, and position your oven rack in the center of your oven. (If using parchment, cut the parchment to fit your baking sheet, with no overhang.)
- In a small ramekin, prepare the marinade/seasoning by combining the pressed garlic cloves, Dijon, lemon juice and zest, the paprika, and a couple of good pinches of salt and pepper with a fork; add in the olive oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, and blend that in until combined.
- Place the halibut fillets onto the prepared baking sheet, and brush each fillet with the seasoning mixture (or pour it directly over), and if you have a few minutes, allow it the fillets to marinate for 10 to 20 minutes.
- Place the seasoned fillets into the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes; then, switch your oven setting to "broil", and allow the fish to broil for 2 to 3 minutes until it has a bit of color, and is tender, flaky and cooked through. (To be clear, do not use the broiler underneath the oven.)
- To finish, sprinkle over some fresh dill, add lemon slices or wedges, and serve with your choice of side.
Tips & Tidbits for Baked Halibut:
- Choose, firm, fresh fillets: When you choose your halibut fillets, opt for firmer fillets that have a fresh, ocean-like scent. Also, run your fingers over the fillets to check for any tiny little bones, and remove those before seasoning and baking.
- Marinate for extra flavor: While you truly don't need to set aside a lot of extra time for marination, even 10-20 minutes will allow the flavors of the seasoning to penetrate and create a more succulent result.
- Herbs of your choice: One of my favorite flavor combinations when it comes to fish is dill and lemon; so I like to finish things with a flourish of fresh chopped dill along with lemon slices. You can also use green onion, parsley, chives, rosemary or thyme, a small amount of oregano, or even basil.
- How long to bake: I find that roughly 10 minutes at a 425° temp is a pretty good ball-park for a 6 ounce fillet. You want to look for the fillets to be opaque in the center and still moist, with a tender “flake” to them, very slightly firm in the center when pressed. Then a quick finish under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes adds a little extra golden color.
Hungry for more healthy fish or seafood recipes? Check out this Broiled Salmon, this Pan-Seared Salmon, this Grilled Salmon Chopped Salad, or this Cajun Shrimp Pasta!
Ingrid - This recipe could not have come along at a better time. Fits perfectly into my new year Mediterranean diet. This will definitely be on the menu at my house this week!
Hi Ann, good for you for going for the healthier food this new year! Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Healthy and ????
Hey Vance, happy to read that!
I love all of your recipes. I have a section on Pinterest just for the Cozy Apron. I often find myself turning to your recipes for things to cook. Your writing and photos are wonderful. You can almost taste the food. Thank you so much.
Diane, that is such a wonderful thing to say. Thank you so much!
I really appreciate it, and it makes my heart so very happy that you're finding some pleasure and nourishment in the recipes and posts here on the site. Thank you so much for your readership! Happy cooking to you. 🙂
I bought some beautiful cod that looks as thick as the halibut... can I substitute the cod??
Hi Annette, absolutely! Cod is another "meatier" white fish, nice and neutral in flavor, and would be delicious with these seasoning ingredients!
The temperature and cooking time for these halibut fillets is based on 6 ounces each, so if your cod fillets are the same, the cooking should be the same. If they're bigger (more like 8 ounces), go a little longer on the cook time—maybe 12 minutes at 425°; and if smaller, go less.
Hope you enjoy!
This was delicious! First time I made fish that worked. Thank you so much.
Allison, this is the best kind of compliment I can get—I'm thrilled that this recipe was finally a winner for you! Woo-hoo!
Thanks so much for sharing this with me, and I hope you enjoy it for a long time to come. Happy cooking!
I just made this and it is delicious!
Hi Roseanne, so happy to read that! Thank you so much for letting me know that the recipe was a success for you!
Do you remove the marinade before cooking the Halibut, or do you cook it with the marinade?
Hi Gloria, you don't remove the marinade, as that's where all the flavor is. Cook it just as is.
Hope you enjoy!
Cooked on the bbq, was great, but cooked 2 min less; then took it to broiler for 2 min. Great recipe!
Cheryl, that's terrific! Sounds delicious cooked on the grill, as I'm sure it imparted a touch of smokiness.
Thanks for sharing!
This was really delicious- I used it with haddock which was the best way to cook it. Thanks for sharing.
Fantastic, Bernadette—so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Thank you for this recipe. I loved it! I made it with halibut and liked it so much I made it with salmon the next night. Thanks again for sharing!
Perfect, Elizabeth! I'm thrilled you enjoyed it so much that you're incorporating elements of it with other fish!
This was delicious!! Thank you so much for posting. I’ve had a hard time finding tasty recipes for white fish. Husband loved it too!
Hi Julie, my pleasure! Thrilled that the recipe was a success for you, and that both you and your hubby enjoyed it!
Made this tonight, and it was fabulous. Looked exactly like the pictures. So juicy and succulent, will be making this on a regular basis
Hi Frank, so glad to read that—thanks so much for taking a moment to share your experience!
Just made this tonight and my wife and I loved it! Made it exactly as the recipe stated, except did not have fresh dill so substituted some fresh rosemary we grow in abundance. Delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Tony, thanks so much for sharing that with me! I'm thrilled you both enjoyed it.
The rosemary is a nice substitution, so kudos on that; and I hope you gain a lot of pleasure and nourishment from the recipe for a long time to come! 🙂
Hi I was thinking about making this fish tonight , but I am confused about the temp for the oven. In one description you say preheat to 450 and in another description you say to preheat to 425. Could you please clarify the temp to use. I don’t want to over cook the fish. Thanks.
Deb
Hi Deb, so sorry about the confusion, and thank you for bringing this boo-boo to my attention.
The correct baking temperature is 425°.
I recently made a little adjustment to that in the recipe portion of the post, and forgot to change it in a couple of other sections, so I appreciate this.
Hope that clarifies...and I hope you enjoy! 🙂
Thanks for your prompt response.
The halibut was delicious and so simple to prepare. Great dish, I will definitely be making it again. The cooking time was perfect!
So glad you enjoyed, Deb! Thanks for letting me know.
Just delicious! Halibut was on sale this week at Whole Foods so I had to get some. I don’t think I would cook it any other way after trying your recipe it was excellent,
Kelly, thank you—so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I, too, love it when Whole Foods has a sale on some of their seafood, especially the halibut which tends be a bit pricey, so kudos for snagging a good deal. 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing your experience!
Absolutely incredible! I approximated the ingredients so it came out a bit spicy which I loved! Will be making again.
Excellent, John! Happy to read that. Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Do you remove the skin from the Halibut, or is it okay to bake with the skin side down?
Hi Linda, I typically purchase my halibut with skin already removed, or remove it myself.
If you'd like to keep the skin on, then I would suggest you bake it skin-side down, and then simply flake the fish away from the skin with your fork to enjoy.
May you enjoy the recipe!
I made your halibut recipe and it was fantastic with the fresh halibut filet I got from the fishmonger this morning at our famer’s market. I paired with couscous , fresh peas, mint & lemon peel and a few heirlooms with basil. The whole meal took 25 minutes. It was a total hit in our house.
That complete meal sounds absolutely amazing & super healthy—brilliant!
So glad the halibut was enjoyed, and please know that I appreciate you taking a bit of time to share you experience here with me.
Just tried this tonight, and this recipe was aces. Thank you for a great, simple, and flexible recipe!
My pleasure! So glad you enjoyed!
When adding fresh herbs—do you add as garnish on top? I’m not sure the best combo or choice—I don’t have fresh dill but I have plenty of fresh growing cilantro, rosemary, thyme, lavender... thoughts?! Thanks!
Hi Kelsey, you can certainly garnish on top—added flavor!
And if you don't have dill, you can certainly substitute your favorite. I'm, personally, a huge fan of cilantro, so that'd be a great option. Even thyme. Hope you enjoy!
Delicious!
However, mind the parchment paper. Mine burned up under the broiler causing a heavy smoke to billow out of the oven vent! Interestingly, the bit under the fish was fine.
Gerry, so glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Yes, that parchment paper can be a bit tricky if there are any overhanging bits that get near the broiler. Foil is a terrific substitute if you prefer to use that next time.
Thanks so much for sharing, and happy cooking to you!
Just made this dish tonight. Absolutely delicious. Simple and very tasty. Nice slight tang with the dijon and lemon pairing. It was a big hit at home this evening. Thanks for the recipe.
Don, thanks so much for sharing your experience with me. It makes my heart smile that you and your loved ones enjoyed the recipe!
"To be clear, do not use the broiler underneath the main oven"
Actually, that's not clear to me! I have one oven, what to do?
Hi there Mark, sorry for any confusion. I see how the word "main" oven can imply that there are multiple ovens, which is not what I'm referring to; so I have changed the verbiage in that portion of the recipe directions.
Typically, there is a "broil" feature (can choose between "low" or "high", typically) that many ovens have as part of their cooking options, and this is the one that I recommend to use for this recipe.
Some ovens have a heat source—a flame that acts a bit like a broiler—which can be found below the oven, and I do not recommend using this one. (Basically, the main issue is making sure that the parchment paper doesn't catch fire if it's too close to the flame/heat source, if that is what's being used to line the baking sheet.)
Hope this clarifies, and I hope you enjoy the recipe.
This was delicious! The dijon was a great flavor for the halibut. I baked my fillets in an unlined glass dish raised to near the top of my (electric) oven for 11.5 min. (i'm at 4800' altitude) and didn't do the broil. The tops were great and they were the moistest, flakiest fillets ever! Clean up was easy, too. Definitely will add this recipe to my repertoire!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Linda! I'm so very glad to read that the halibut turned out so moist and flakey, with lots of flavor. May you continue to enjoy the recipe!
I have made halibut many ways and sooo many fish recipes but this one is a standout. It is such a great combination of flavors; the consistency keeps it on the fish; and it is so simple. My previous go to for halibut was with lime and cilantro. I'm going to try subbing those for the lemon and dill next time.
Thanks for commenting, Bill! So glad you enjoy this recipe, and find the flavors tasty and the preparation simple. 😉
Happy cooking!