Grilled Halibut

Here’s how to make grilled halibut: one of the best ways to cook this fish! This halibut recipe makes it perfectly tender and charred.

Got a great piece of halibut? Try this deliciously tender Grilled Halibut! This method is no fail, and makes a tender, juicy, charred piece of fish. Spritz with lemon juice and sprinkle with a little smoked salt, and it’s out of this world! This halibut recipe makes us fondly remember our time in Alaska with family, where high-quality fresh halibut is readily available. Serve with truffle aioli if you like: or just a big pile of grilled veggies.

Ingredients for this grilled halibut recipe

Halibut is a popular white fish with firm, meaty flesh and mild, slightly sweet flavor. Halibut is expensive because it is rare: wild populations are struggling to compete with demand. Depending on the location, it can cost between $20 to $40 per pound. For that reason, we eat halibut as an occasional treat: or fresh caught when we’re in Alaska. If you’re lucky enough to have a great piece of halibut, the grill is a fantastic way to prepare it. Here’s what you’ll need for this halibut recipe:

• Skin-on halibut fillets: Fresh or frozen and thawed
• Olive oil & salt: You’ll just need a bit for rubbing and sprinkling.
• Smoked salt: Adds great flavor! If you don’t have it, use flaky sea salt instead
• Lemon wedges: A few spritzes add brightness
• Herbs, for garnish: Chives, basil or fresh parsley work well

How to grill halibut

This grilled halibut recipe calls for placing the fish fillets directly onto the grill grates: not foil! This infuses the best charred flavor into the fish (foil which blocks some of the flavor absorption). Here’s the basic idea for how to grill halibut:

• The temperature for grilled halibut? Medium high heat, or 375 to 450 degrees. Medium high heat makes for a perfectly cooked piece of fish. While you can cook at high heat and then finish at lower heat, we like the ease of grilling at one temperature.
• How long to cook grilled halibut? Cook for 3 to 4 minutes skin side up until grill marks form and the flesh starts to release from the grates. Flip and cook another 3 to 4 minutes skin side up until flaky. Insert a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the fish: it should read 135 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sauces to add

This grilled halibut recipe is delicious as is: tender and charred, with a straightforward lemon flavor. Want to step it up a bit? Add a sauce! You can make a dipping sauce, or a sauce that covers the entire fish. Here are a few to try:

• Aioli: Try this Truffle Aioli as a quick and easy dipping sauce
• Remoulade or tartar sauce: This Remoulade or Tartar Sauce are ideal dipping sauces for fish
• Lemon dill sauce: Use this Dill Sauce as a drizzle right over the halibut
• Butter sauce: This Garlic Butter Sauce, Lemon Butter Sauce, or Lemon Caper Sauce are also ideal for drizzling over fish

Sides to serve with grilled halibut

Got your fillets of grilled halibut? Let’s make it a meal! There are so many great sides to pair with this halibut recipe: especially those you can make on the grill! Here are a few ideas for making a meal:

• Grilled vegetables like these Best Grilled Vegetables (pictured)
• Grilled corn like Perfect Grilled Corn, Elote or Corn in Foil
• Grilled green vegetables like Grilled Asparagus, Grilled Green Beans, Grilled Broccolini, or Grilled Broccoli
• Rice like Lemon Rice or Basil Rice
• Salads like Corn Salad, Cucumber Salad, Potato Salad, or Green Bean Salad
• Slaws like Coleslaw, Cilantro Lime Slaw or Broccoli Slaw
• Desserts like Grilled Apples a La Mode, Grilled Bananas or Grilled Pineapple

More grilled fish recipes

Grilled fish always hits the spot! Try these other grilled fish recipes to add to your arsenal:

• Try amazing Easy Grilled Salmon
• Opt for Easy Grilled Tilapia or Perfect Grilled Cod
• Try Grilled Red Snapper
• Make Best-Ever Grilled Tuna Steak

01

Grilled Salmon

02

Easy Grilled Tilapia

03

Perfect Grilled Cod

04

Grilled Red Snapper

This grilled halibut recipe is…

Gluten-free, dairy-free and pescatarian.

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