Name: Baked Halibut Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Seafood
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds halibut (4 filets); 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided; ¾ teaspoon kosher salt; 1 large shallot, thinly sliced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1/2 small lemon, thinly sliced into rings; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon dried tarragon; 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional); 2 tablespoons drained capers; Fresh parsley, for garnish; Crispy fried onions (purchased*), for garnish

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This baked halibut recipe is dream! It comes out flaky and tender with lemon and garlic, garnished with herbs and crispy onions.

Oh hey there, welcome to one of our favorite fish recipes ever. Meet our best halibut recipe! This genius way to cook this popular white fish bakes it until flaky and tender with garlic and lemon, along with capers if you love that salty, briny pop. Once it’s juicy and baked, shower it with the secret sauce: finely minced parsley and crispy fried onions, which add a pop of salt, herbaceous flavor and a crunch. You’ll want to use this trick on everything!

Cooking with halibut

Halibut is a popular white fish with firm, meaty flesh and mild, slightly sweet flavor. It is similar to cod or tilapia, but it’s more buttery with a less fishy flavor. Why is halibut so expensive? Wild halibut populations are struggling to compete with demand. Depending on your location, it can cost between $20 to $40 per pound.

Since we live in Midwestern America, we eat halibut as an occasional treat, or of course fresh caught when we’re in Alaska visiting family.

What you need for this baked halibut recipe

If you have a few filets of halibut, baking is a fantastic way to prepare this white fish. It’s also great grilled, but this baked version is our favorite. It’s quick and simple, with just a 15 minute cook time. Here’s what you’ll need for this halibut recipe:

For the fish: skin-on halibut filets, fresh or frozen and thawed
Seasonings: Olive oil, salt, dried oregano, dried tarragon, red pepper flakes, jarred capers
Fresh ingredients: Shallot, garlic, lemon, fresh Italian parsley
Special ingredients: Crispy fried onions
Equipment: Baking dish: 9 x 13 or 7 x 11

About those crispy fried onions

Crispy fried onions are one of our favorite secrets for adding big flavor to fish, salads, bowl meals, and more! We discovered the idea with our salmon rice crunch bowl, and have been using them ever since! Here are a few tips:

Grab a can of purchased crispy fried onions. That’s right, the kind that go on green bean casserole.
Chop with the parsley as a garnish. You can chop them right along with the parsley, making a sort of dry herby garnish.
Use them for sprinkling on any bowl meal or salad. They’re especially fun on on a salmon rice crunch bowl, a Caesar salad or kale Caesar.

How to make baked halibut

This baked halibut recipe calls for placing the fish in a baking dish with olive oil, salt, and a few aromatic vegetables (shallot, garlic, capers, and lemon) and baking until tender. You can also use this template of a recipe and add your own flavors. Here’s the basic idea for how to make baked halibut:

The temperature for baked halibut? 425°F. High heat makes for a perfectly cooked piece of fish. This results in a tasty, tender piece of fish (it won’t have a crispy or seared top).
How to season it? We use 1 tablespoon olive oil and ¾ teaspoon salt for 1 ½ pounds halibut. Use more salt to taste if you’re not adding extra seasonings. It’s best baked up with 1 thinly sliced shallot, 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced lemon rings, and a dusting of dried oregano and tarragon.
How long to cook baked halibut? Bake it for 15 to 18 minutes, until flaky. Insert a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the fish: it should read 125°F for medium rare fish (cook to 145°F for well done).

Make it a meal

This baked halibut recipe is a tasty Mediterranean-style meal that will make a fish lover out of anyone! Both seafood afficionados and fish-wary eaters will be wowed by this one, and it’s perfect for a quick weeknight meal or a dinner party to impress. Want to make it into a simple and elegant meal? Try whipping up one of these side dishes for fish:

Add Lemon Rice or Basil Rice
Go for elegant Endive Salad with Parmesan & Orange, Crisp Apple Salad, or Fennel Salad with Parmesan
Opt for Simple Roasted Broccolini or Sauteed Broccolini
Add Lemony Broiled Asparagus or Roasted Asparagus with Lemon
Mix it up with Lentil Salad, Bell Pepper Salad, Orzo Pasta Salad or Bow Tie Pasta Salad

Halibut substitutes

Want to make this halibut recipe with another white fish when you can’t find halibut? This recipe works beautifully with other types of fish too. The best substitutes for halibut are:

Cod
Tilapia
Mahi Mahi
Sea bass
Swordfish

More fish recipes

This baked halibut recipe is a family favorite! Here are a few more fish recipes you’ll love:

Try this Mediterranean-style Easy Baked Fish
Go for Baked Tilapia with Lemon or Baked Cod
Ditch the oven and go for Fried Tilapia, Blackened Tilapia or Parmesan Crusted Tilapia
Make Oven Baked Salmon or these 35 Easy Salmon Recipes

This halibut recipe is…

Pescatarian, gluten-free and dairy-free.