In the hustle and bustle of daily life, fast and easy recipes like baked halibut come in handy. It looks and tastes like a gourmet meal, but it takes only moments to make. We all know fish is good for us and when it’s this flavorful, it’s easy to make the healthy choice.
This low carb, high protein recipe is one of those rare unicorns. It’s easy, it’s good for you, and it’s astonishingly delicious. Pair it with some Cauliflower Risotto and you might just think you’re at a fancy restaurant!
Reader’s Thoughts
“Made this tonight-yum! I just drizzled the sauce over the cherry tomato’s-excellent! I served with roasted asparagus and rice. Even my picky 11 yr old loved it. Thank you and I will be making this again.” — Ashley
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Quick and easy: Ready in under 20 minutes with minimal fuss.
- Healthy dinner: Naturally low in carbs and high in protein, and heart-healthy.
- Bright and fresh: Lemon and garlic complements halibut without overpowering its delicate flavor.
- Perfectly tender: Baking ensures succulent, flaky fish every time.
- Family friendly: Mild flavors that even the pickiest eaters enjoy.
- Versatile meal: This easy recipe pairs delightfully with sautéed vegetables, cauliflower rice, grilled zucchini, or a fresh salad.
Is Halibut Healthy?
There are so many wonderful health benefits to eating halibut and similar white fish. And this recipe makes the most of them!
- Low carb, keto-friendly, dairy-free, and gluten-free
- Rich in lean protein with 27 grams per serving
- Heart healthy with Omega-3s and low in saturated fat
- Vital nutrients such selenium, magnesium, and Vitamin B6
- Contains anti-inflammatory nutrients
Ingredient Notes
- Halibut filets: I always wait for a sale since halibut can be very expensive. But you can also use cod or sablefish for a less expensive option. Opt for wild caught whenever possible.
- Olive oil: I use extra virgin olive oil as the basis of the topping. But you could use other oils or fats, like avocado oil, coconut oil, or butter.
- Lemon: Using both the zest and juice of the lemon gives this baked halibut a bright, fresh flavor.
- Garlic: You can use as much fresh garlic as you want. I think 4 cloves is about right. I like to use a garlic press to get it really finely crushed.
- Dijon mustard: Mustard acts as an emulsifier, allowing the oil to blend well with the lemon juice.
- Cherry tomatoes: This is entirely optional, but adding a few halved cherry tomatoes adds a nice colourful touch.
- Seasonings: Paprika, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Overview: How to make baked halibut
- Prepare the topping: Whisk the topping ingredients together in a medium bowl.
- Prepare the fish: Spread the topping over each piece of halibut in a ceramic baking dish.
- Bake: Place the dish in the oven and bake according to the thickness of the fish, then broil lightly to brown up the top.
Tips for Success
As with any fish, it’s important not to overcook the halibut. Be mindful of how thick your filets are, as that will determine the overall cooking time. I found that 7 minutes of baking and 1 minute under the broiler was perfect for 1-inch filets. Thicker cuts will require more time.
Always test doneness by flaking the fish lightly with a fork. The ends will cook faster so try flaking in the center of the thickest filet. If the flesh is opaque and flakes easily, it’s ready.
Halibut is highly prized, and as such, is also relatively expensive. I only ever purchase it when I see a sale. But you can easily sub another mild, firm white fish such as cod and get wonderful results. Cod cooks at about the same rate as halibut so it’s a good option for this recipe.
Recipe FAQs
If you prefer to test the internal temperature of the fish, look for it to reach 130ºF to 135ºF on an instant read thermometer. That should be a good temperature for flaky but firm halibut.
You can easily use frozen filets for baked halibut. Just be sure to remove it from the packaging before thawing completely. I also recommend patting it dry very well prior to cooking.
Halibut is an excellent source of protein and healthy fats, make it perfect for the keto diet. This baked halibut recipe has 4g of carbohydrate and 0.5 g of fiber per serving.
Store any leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat very gently to avoid over-cooking.
More delicious keto fish recipes
Baked Halibut Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (54 g) olive oil
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) pepper
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) paprika
- 4 halibut filets, 4 to 6 ounces each
- 1/2 cup (74.5 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF and brush a ceramic baking dish with olive oil.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Place the halibut in the prepared baking dish, skin-side down. Spread the olive oil mixture evenly over the tops of the fish. Sprinkle the cherry tomatoes around the filets.
- Bake 6 to 9 minutes, depending on the thickness of the filets. 7 minutes is about right for 1-inch filets. Then turn on the broiler for one minute to lightly brown the tops. The fish should flake easily with a fork when done.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Could this be done on the grill in aluminum foil packets? I’m so going to try it!
Delicious! And easy to make!
I couldn’t Find halibut, so I used cod and it was and amazing!
I made this tonight…no skin on Halibut..not crazy about skin..Increased the tomatoes to 1 cup as we love roasted tomatoes…It was a GREATRecipe. We Loved it and we will put this in our roation
Made this tonight-yum! I just drizzled the sauce over the cherry tomato’s-excellent! I served with roasted asparagus and rice. Even my picky 11 yr old loved it. Thank you and I will be making this again.
Made this tonight. We didn’t have tomatoes but added some large shrimp to baking dish with marinade. All baked so well and it was delicious. Am I missing something but although cherry tomatoes are listed as an ingredient, they are not used in the directions.
OMG I’m getting ready to make this tonight and I was JUST THINKING THE SAME THING LOL Where do you include the tomatoes. I’m gonna just toss them in with everything else.
Loved this recipe for Halibut. Came out perfect and so flavorful. Best part was how easy it way. Definitely will be making this again soon.
This was delicious! However, there were no instructions about what to do with the cherry tomatoes, so I didn’t include them.
You can just toss them into the baking dish along side the fish. I toss them a little EVOO, salt and pepper and you should be good to go! 🙂
OMG! This recipe is amazing!! I used cod as that’s what I had tonight and it was perfect!
So glad you liked it!
my halibut was thick and had to cook it about 10 minutes at 425. then broil. this topping can be used on anything. can’t wait to try!!
Made this tonight with frozen haddock (thawed, of course) and it was very good.
Questions about recipe though:
– when/where do we add the tomatoes?
– is the middle oven rack the right one?
Thanks, Carolyn. We love so many of your recipes!
Sorry, tomatoes go in before you bake the fish. You should always assume middle rack unless otherwise specified.
Outstanding recipe for cod as well. I’ve also used fresh limes successfully. This is a keeper!
Dinner Tonight! Haha! Recipe calls for 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes…. but no mention after the ingredients list…. ooops… but thanks for a luscious dinner recipe. you rock girl!
I know you are the Queen B of all things Keto/LC desserts, but you also make a mean (and EASY!) fish entree! I’m from New England, so I used cod instead of halibut and it was super delicious! I didn’t know what was going to be for dinner tonight until my email told me so, lol! Thanks, Carolyn!
Fantastic!