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This tender, charred grilled halibut recipe with smoked salt and lemon is my foolproof method for cooking this white fish on the grill in just 20 minutes!
If you’ve got a great piece of halibut, I’ve got a way to cook it: try this deliciously tender grilled halibut recipe! 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 is inspired by my time in Alaska, where my brother in law’s family often serves grilled fresh halibut on the deck for cookouts (I’m spoiled, I know!). Serve with truffle aioli or just a big pile of grilled veggies, and it’s one incredible meal.
Ingredients for Grilled Halibut
Halibut is a popular white fish with firm, meaty flesh and mild, slightly sweet flavor. It’s pretty expensive because it is rare: wild populations are struggling to compete with demand. Depending on your location, it can cost between $20 to $40 per pound!
For that reason, I usually eat halibut as an occasional treat: or fresh caught when I’m 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: Step by Step
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 until flaky. Insert a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the fish: it should read 135 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sauces That Are Best With Halibut
This grilled halibut recipe is delicious as is: tender and charred, with a straightforward lemon flavor. To step it up you can make a dipping sauce, or a sauce that covers the entire fish. Here are a few that pair well with this mild white fish:
- 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
What to Serve Alongside
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
Storage and Reheating
Grilled halibut is best the day it’s made, but leftovers store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. To reheat, warm the fillets gently in a 275°F oven for about 8 to 10 minutes, or flake the fish into a salad (or make something new, like this salmon salad).
Dietary Notes
This grilled halibut recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free and pescatarian. It’s also a great Mediterranean diet recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pull halibut off the grill when the thickest part reads 130 to 135°F on an instant-read thermometer. Carryover cooking will bring it up to a perfect 140°F as it rests.
Yes. The timing is the same — just place the smoothest side down first to get those grill marks. Skinless halibut is a little more delicate, so handle it gently when flipping.
Not at all. Halibut has such a clean, naturally sweet flavor that I think a marinade would mask it. A simple oil-and-salt rub is all you need.
Yes! Just thaw it fully in the fridge overnight and pat it very dry before grilling so it doesn’t steam on the grates.
Easy Grilled Halibut Recipe
This tender, charred grilled halibut recipe with smoked salt and lemon is my foolproof method for cooking this white fish on the grill in just 20 minutes!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Grilled
- Cuisine: Seafood
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1 pound halibut
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Smoked salt, for garnish (optional; or flaky sea salt)
- Lemon wedges, for garnish
- Chopped herbs (we used basil and chives), for garnish
- Truffle aioli, for dipping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (375 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Pat halibut filets dry. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with the kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
- Cook directly on grates for 3 to 4 minutes skin side up, until grill marks appear and flesh starts to release from the grates. Flip and continue cooking another 3 to 4 minutes until flaky, or internal temperature reaches 135 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Sprinkle with smoked salt and chopped herbs. Squeeze with a lemon wedge directly before serving. If desired, serve with truffle aioli for dipping.
More Grilled Fish Recipes To Try
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
i was confused by description of grilling given first (not on recipe card) “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”. Why. flip if only going back to the same side :)
Thank you – fixed :)
Hello,
Love your site!!! How would we cook this without skin?
Xoxo
Shaide
Hi! The timing should be the same without skin, just start with the smoothest side face down.
Let us know if you have any questions!