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 Lemon Dill Sauce as a drizzle right over the halibut
• Butter sauce: This 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
• 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

Easy 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.

Print