Baked Halibut Garlic Butter (Printable)

Tender halibut fillets baked with aromatic garlic butter and fresh herbs for a light, flavorful dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Fish

01 - 4 halibut fillets (6 ounces each), skinless and boneless
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - Salt, to taste
04 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garlic Butter Sauce

05 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
06 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
08 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
10 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (optional)

→ Garnish

11 - Lemon wedges, for serving
12 - Extra chopped parsley

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to hold the fillets in a single layer.
02 - Pat halibut fillets dry with paper towels. Brush both sides with olive oil, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
03 - Place the seasoned fillets evenly spaced in the prepared baking dish.
04 - In a small bowl, combine melted butter, minced garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, chopped parsley, and thyme leaves if using.
05 - Spoon the garlic butter mixture evenly over each halibut fillet.
06 - Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until the halibut is opaque and flakes easily with a fork (internal temperature 130–135°F).
07 - Remove from oven, garnish with lemon wedges and extra parsley. Serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The whole dish comes together in under thirty minutes, which means you can make an elegant dinner on a random weeknight without planning ahead.
  • Halibut stays impossibly tender and flaky, and the garlic butter does all the heavy lifting flavor-wise so you barely have to think.
  • It's naturally light but feels completely satisfying, and honestly tastes fancy enough that people will assume you spent way more time on it than you did.
02 -
  • Don't skip the step of drying the fillets with paper towels—moisture is what ruins the texture and makes everything feel steamed instead of baked.
  • The internal temperature should hit 130 to 135°F, which is the sweet spot where it's cooked through but still actually juicy; one minute too long and halibut goes from tender to chalky.
  • Fresh herbs make an impossible difference here—if your parsley or thyme have been sitting in the fridge for two weeks, honestly just skip them because old herbs taste musty and that matters in a simple recipe like this.
03 -
  • Use a meat thermometer if you have one—130 to 135°F is the magic number where halibut tastes perfect, and guessing means you'll cook it too long half the time.
  • Let your butter cool for just a minute after melting before you add the garlic, because if it's too hot the garlic will cook and turn bitter instead of staying sweet and mild.

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