Secrets To Fantastic Summer Grilling
The saying that your food is only as good as your ingredients is so true. When we plan on entertaining we make a list of what we need and make a one-stop shop at our favorite grocery store. It’s a real timesaver.
For our grilled halibut we needed the fresh lime and basil which we found in the produce department. Then, for the rest of the ingredients we wheeled our cart down to the condiments department.
Coarse Black Pepper Tastes Like Freshly Ground
Until I started buying small containers of coarsely ground black pepper I was picking up those humongous plastic containers you find in membership stores. I didn’t realize what was missing.
When I tasted the grilled halibut, the sharp fiery pepper flavor shined through. That kick certainly never happened with my stale pepper. There is a lesson learned here, get the best quality you can and I certainly found it here.
Grilled Citrus Herb Halibut
- 1sprigfresh sage leaves
- 1tspsalt
- Slice 2 tangerines. Zest and juice the other tangerine.
- Heat the grill to 375-400F degrees.
- Place a small saucepot on the grill, and melt one tablespoon of butter in it. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add 2 chopped sage leaves, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, red pepper flakes, the tangerine juice, the remaining butter and half of the tangerine zest. Stir until melted and combined. Remove the pot from the grill.
- Season the halibut with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper on both sides.
- Arrange the tangerine slices on the grill in two overlapping rows the length of your fish filet. Place the fish on top of the orange slices. Spoon some of the tangerine butter sauce on top. Close the lid and grill for 10 minutes.
- Open the grill lid. Spoon more sauce on top of the fish. Set the remaining sage leaves on the grill off to the side. Close the lid and grill for 5 more minutes.
- Remove the halibut to a platter. Drizzle the remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle with remaining tangerine zest and crispy sage leaves.
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The Internal Temperature Of Halibut When Done Is
145 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the suggested safe temperature. However, dont cook it to this temperature unless you want a dry piece of fish.
Remember when I said cooking halibut is tricky? Why is that? Lets figure this out.
A 5-pound fresh halibut fillet from Alaska.
If you do a search of meat temperature guides for the proper final temperatures for halibut you will discover a bunch of articles citing 145 degrees Fahrenheit. That is the governments guideline for proper serving temperature for fish. This higher-than-desirable temperature is due to a few factors, most beyond the scope of this article.
If you are the type who likes to go down rabbit holes you can read more about that here.
But, for the sake of time, you can rest assured that a lower temperature will be more than adequate.
Halibut has lower fat content than most fish. If you cook it to 145 degrees Fahrenheit it will be dry. For a fish such as a halibut, you will find the best results in the 125 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit range using an accurate digital meat thermometer.
A halibut fillet measuring an internal temperature of 124 degrees Fahrenheit on a gas grill.
Dont have one?
Read our review of the best digital meat thermometers.
It is in this range that halibut is at its juiciest, with perhaps 130 degrees Fahrenheit being the optimum temperature taking into account texture and moistness.
Moist and flaky pieces.
Lime Herb Grilled Halibut
We wanted to start our summer grill season with Lime Herb Grilled Halibut. Halibut not only lends itself to almost any flavor profile but it’s an ideal entree for family and guests. You can’t find better summer flavors than fresh herbs and citrus? It’s easy to keep your grilled fish juicy and flavorful. Great seasonings plus a fantastic marinade is all it takes. Our marinade made of fresh lime juice, capers, basil, and hot sauce gives the halibut the ideal zing that elevates your family and friends grilling experience from okay to WOW!
Next time try the Mahi Mahi marinade on your seafood.
For this recipe you will need: lime juice, olive oil, garlic, Frank’s® RedHot® Sauce, fresh basil, capers, Lawry’s® Seasoned Salt, McCormick® Black Pepper, 4 Halibut Fillets or Steaks
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How Do You Not Overcook Halibut
Harry Yoshimura, of Seattles Mutual Fish, suggests sprinkling a halibut fillet or steak with salt and pepper, lightly dusting it with flour, sautéing both sides in a combination of olive oil and butter for a bit of color in an oven-safe pan, and then throwing it in a 375-degree oven for about five minutes.
How Long To Cook Halibut In A Pan
The halibut sauteed in butter will take 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.
TIP: The first side is done when you see the edges are opaque, and its browned underneath.
Carefully flip it over, and cook for an additional 2-4 minutes, until its cooked through.
TIP: The lemon butter halibut is done when the whole filet is opaque and flakes easily.
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Ready To Grill The Fish
When you’re about ready to entertain, remove the fish from the fridge and the marinade. Place the halibut on a platter and lightly blot the fillets with a paper towel. Discard the used marinade.
Season the fish on both sides with the seasoned salt and the black pepper.
Oil the grill grates or use spray oil on the grates before lighting the grill. Heat the grill to medium high 450 .
Divide the grilled halibut among 4 plates. Stir the remaining citrus marinade and drizzle over the fish. You may want to serve the halibut with additional hot sauce, seasoned salt, and coarsely ground black pepper.
We love entertaining, especially when we have a chance to grill our food. These are laid-back moments that makes it easy for us to enjoy.
What Is The Best Way To Cook Halibut
You are talking about one of my very favourite fish. Your fishmonger may seem unimaginitive when he says ‘grill it’, but he has a point. The pearl white flesh of the halibut is subtly flavoured and is pretty expensive.
These are two excellent reasons for doing very little with it. Aside of turbot there are few more expensive and exquite fish and it may be best to treat it with much respect.
I flipped back through my note books to see what I did with my last piece of halibut, bought two weeks ago, and I baked it dotted with a little butter, some lemon juice and salt and pepper.
I served it with green beans. For some reason I didn’t make my usual hollandaise sauce, which of made one of my favourite meals of all time.
I guess I wanted something simpler. If you can face whisking egg yolks and butter over a pan of simmering water for fifteen minutes or so, then I suggest you look up this butter and egg sauce. Nothing will flatter your halibut more.
If you must get fancy then don¹t be tempted to gild the lily. I suggest wrapping the steak in buttered baking parchment and, before you seal the parcel, sprinke over a little white wine, some chopped chives, chervil and dill.
Bake the parcel in a hot oven until it is puffed up, take it to the table and open it up.
The smell of fish, butter, white wine and herbs will waft up from the paper. A really good way to treat this great fish while respecting its delicacy.
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What To Look For When Buying Halibut
As with all fish it is important to choose the freshest and highest quality before buying. Halibut should be firm to the touch and free of an unpleasant fishy odour. The eyes should be clear, the fins should be intact and the gills should be bright red.
When choosing fillets of halibut, it is harder to tell how fresh the fish is look for flesh with no discolouration.
Preparing To Cook Halibut On The Grill
One of the big secrets to grilling halibut is a hot fire, and well-oiled grill grates .
Thats it. The grill is hot and oiled, the fish is seasoned, salsa is made, and its time to grill.
Equipment Recommendation: If you dont have a metal fish spatula or large wide spatula, this is a great time to consider investing in one. It makes flipping large cuts of fish easy and keeps them intact.
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What To Serve With Pan Fried Halibut
This pan seared halibut recipe is pretty versatile, so it can go in many different directions. And Ive got them all! Whether youre looking for salads, veggie sides, or anything in between, check out my low carb side dishes. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Oven Roasted Green Beans with Garlic Roast these easy green beans in the oven while youre making pan fried halibut with lemon. Your healthy dinner is ready to be devoured!
- Whole Roasted Cauliflower This one is a show stopper, but so is this pan seared halibut fillet recipe, so its a good match.
- Asparagus In The Oven I think asparagus is a great match for pan fried halibut in butter. Give the asparagus a squeeze with lemon, too!
- Rainbow Salad If youre looking for a fresh option, try this easy salad.
How To Cook Halibut
Halibut is a large flatfish usually found in the cold waters of the North Atlantic. It is also now farmed, which is a much more sustainable option as the wild fish currently has endangered status. Halibut can range in size from 1 kilo right up to 70 kilos! 3-5 kilo fish are the best to eat, any larger than this and the flesh can be very tough and dry out easily.
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A Fish Spatula Is The Secret To Perfect Grilled Fish
These thin, flexible spatulas are something you should always have in your back pocket when youre grilling fish. They slide easily between your fish and the grates of your grill and, bonus, theyre great for flipping burgers too.
Before grilling, youll want to ensure you remove as much moisture as possible from the halibut. Carefully pat the fish dry all over particularly on the skin before grilling. Clean and oil your grill grates right before grilling halibut and start the halibut skin-side down. Grill until grill-marked and opaque throughout, about 4 minutes per side for fillets.
For some brilliant grilled halibut inspo, check out a few of our favorite recipes.
Halibut with Olive Bagna Cauda as prepared by Giada De Laurentiis, as seen on Giada on the Beach, Season 1.
Grilled Halibut with Olive Bagna Cauda
30 minutes max is all you need to whip up this light, flavorful dinner complete with a savory olive, garlic and tomato sauce.
Grilled Halibut with Corn-Coconut Curry Sauce and Grilled Cherry Tomato Chutney
This recipe is case in point that halibut can pair with strong, bold flavors.
Grilled Halibut with Fennel, Red Onions and Oregano
Smart tip: grill some bread alongside your halibut, then serve the two alongside a fresh summer salad.
Tools To Make Pan Fried Halibut
Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Fish Turner This special angled spatula will help flip your pan fried halibut in butter, without it flaking apart. Worth having if you cook a lot of seafood.
- Zulay Lemon Kitchen Squeezer Fresh lemon juice makes this the best sauce for halibut and my Zulay citrus press makes it beyond easy.
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Grilled Halibut With Mango Salsa
This Grilled Halibut Recipe combines the savory flavors of open-flame char with the sweet and spicy flavors of a mango and jalapeño salsa. We walk through the steps on how to Grill Halibut perfectly every time, so you dont overcook it.
Lets face it, halibut is an expensive cut of fish, and for good reason. This cold weather white fish has a clean and fresh flavor, and is one of my all time favorite fish to cook with. Since this cut isnt cheap, we dont want to mess it up!
Hot Sauce Is An Indispensable Staple
We use so much hot sauce we buy it in huge bottles. We use it for seasoning, marinades, and pour it on anything else we can think of. Yes! I said pour, we don’t just put on a dash.
In fact, unless the family member is under five, we are all the same.
So, when we decided to make our citrus grilled halibut, we knew that we’d use some of our hot sauce in the marinade. We know it will taste good because the only seasoning we use on our grilled chicken is a deep soak in this delicious sauce.
This is one sauce that can go from breakfast to dinner. Find your own favorite special hot sauce and see if you don’t want to keep a huge supply in your pantry.
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This post is sponsored by Zulay Kitchen. All opinions are my own and I only share products I personally love. Thanks for supporting the brands that make this site possible!
This easy pan seared halibut recipe with lemon butter sauce will show you how to pan sear halibut perfectly every time! Pan fried halibut could pass for a fancy meal out, but its surprisingly easy to make. In just 5 minutes prep and 15 minutes cooking time, dinner is ready. It tastes plenty decadent, thanks to the butter lemon sauce for halibut, but its plenty healthy, too! If you have any hesitations about fish, this might just be the recipe to turn you into a fan. Try it out for an easy dinner or a meal to impress.
I was inspired to make this pan seared halibut recipe when I got my new Zulay Kitchen Metal Lemon Squeezer. Right away, I got the idea to make lemon butter sauce for halibut.
I have to admit, more often than not I used to either buy bottled lemon juice or just squeeze using my hands, and this new tool made such a huge difference:
What Do You Eat With Halibut
Side Dishes for Halibut: A List of Delightful Recipes Lemon Braised Fennel. Haricot Verts with Lemon-Herb Brown Butter. Braised Fingerling Potatoes with Garlic, Shallots and Fresh Herbs. Spring Pesto Roasted Tomatoes. Garlic Ginger Bok Choy with Toasted Sesame Seeds. Glazed Carrots. Celery Root and Apple Salad.
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Do You Wash Halibut Before Cooking
Halibut is one of the most versatile fish you can cook. Before you start to cook your halibut make sure to wash it thoroughly under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. One of the handiest kitchen tools you can have is a cooking thermometer , this takes all the guess work out of cooking halibut.
Seafood Ingredient: Fresh Alaska Halibut
Fresh Alaska HalibutPageTHAWING
- The best way to thaw your halibut cheeks is to leave them in the refrigerator overnight allowing at least 8-10 hours. Trying to rush the process by thawing at room temperature or placing the frozen pouch in warm water is definitely NOT recommended, as it can cause the halibut cheek to lose flavor and texture. If you must thaw your halibut cheeks quickly, place the frozen pouch in a bowl of cool water for 30-45 minutes, and then continue thawing in refrigerator.
PAN SEARED
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Dip each halibut cheek in a bit of flour and brown over high heat 1-2 minutes per side until center is opaque. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.
BAKED
- Preheat oven to 450. Brush halibut cheek with butter and a dusting of bread crumbs if desired. Place tray high in oven and bake for 3-4 minutes until opaque in center. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
GRILLED
- Brush grill with olive oil PRIOR to heating. Season halibut cheek with salt and pepper. Once the grill is medium hot place it, uncovered, and cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes on each side or until it is firm and cooked through.
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