This Grilled Halibut is a great way to enjoy fish any day of the week. Topped with my garlic thyme butter, this halibut is perfectly tender and flaky without coming off the grill dry and bland. Bonus level? It’s ready in less than 30 minutes.
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 to Grill Halibut
Ready to grill that halibut? Simply follow along with these 6 step-by-step directions to get perfectly cooked halibut in no time flat.
- FIRE UP THE GRILL. Preheat your grill (these taste great on a charcoal grill or a good ol’ gas grill) to 375 degrees F.
- MAKE THE GARLIC BUTTER. Place your halibut in a baking dish. Combine the ingredients for the garlic thyme butter in a bowl and pour over the halibut.
- SEASON YOUR HALIBUT. Gently toss the fillets in the butter to evenly cover all sides, and teeason with freshly cracked black pepper and kosher salt.
- SEASON THE GRILL GRATES. Moisten a paper towel with cooking oil (high heat oil is preferred, but any oil you have on hand will do). Pinch the paper towel between the tongs and wipe it on the grates to season the grates and help the halibut from sticking while it’s grilling.
- GRILL THE HALIBUT. Place your buttered and seasoned halibut on the grill and close the lid. Grill the fish for approximately 5-7 minutes. Flip, close the lid, and finish grilling the halibut until the internal temperature reads 145 degrees F. Your halibut should be opaque and starting to flake.
- REMOVE AND SERVE. Promptly remove the halibut from the grill. Serve immediately with a side of lemon wedges. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
Halibut on the Grill
Halibut is great fish to cook on the grill because it is not too delicate. It is a medium firm white fish, so you don’t have to worry about it falling apart on the grill mid-cook.
As far as the “fishiness factor” goes, halibut also has a really mild fish flavor, making it the perfect seafood selection if you’re not really into that strong fishy taste. This also makes it the perfect fish to play around with good seasoning. My garlic thyme butter is simple enough not to overwhelm the mild flavor of the halibut while adding an herbaceous kick of flavor.
This halibut serves beautifully and is citrusy, garlicy, and oh-so buttery. (These are words, right?). It’s a crazy-fast dinner, with prep time and cook time clocking in in less than a half an hour (here’s looking at you, busy families). Plus, we all know the health benefits of fish, right? So consider this a nice break from those days of non-stop red meat consumption.
If you’re a red meat fiend, you’re in luck. Halibut is a dense fish, so it almost eats like a steak. It’s good and hearty and still melts in your mouth like you’d expect from fish, but with a nice, robust texture. It’s gonna fill you and leave you good and satisfied.
For today’s recipe, we’re grilling a halibut fillet. Take note when you’re at the store purchasing your fish that you make sure you walk away with a halibut fillet and not a halibut steak. The two are indeed quite different and will cook up differently on the grill.
Halibut fillets are cut into individual portions and range in size and thickness. Fillets are sold with both the skin and bones removed, so they make for a nice, quick cook, and they’re less likely to overcook and dry out (this is extremely helpful when cooking on a grill).
Halibut steaks, in contrast, tend to be more uniform and consistent in their size and thickness. They are sold with the skin on and usually contain backbone and possibly rib bones as well.
Flaky and Tender GRILLED HALIBUT | How To
FAQ
What temp should halibut be cooked to?
How do you cook halibut without drying it out?
How to cook halibut on a griddle?
How do you cook Halibut on a grill?
Place your buttered and seasoned halibut on the grill and close the lid. Grill the fish for approximately 5-7 minutes. Flip, close the lid, and finish grilling the halibut until the internal temperature reads 145 degrees F. Your halibut should be opaque and starting to flake. REMOVE AND SERVE. Promptly remove the halibut from the grill.
What temperature should halibut be cooked at?
If a rare, or medium-rare is more to your liking, look for temperatures around 120°F for rare and 125°F medium rare. When grilling over high heat remember that as your halibut rests, latent heat on and right below the surface of the fish will make its way to the center causing the internal temperature to rise by as much as 5°.
Can halibut be grilled?
Strongly acidic marinades can break down the meat causing it to fall apart when cooking and making it difficult to grill. Dry rubs and bastes work very well with halibut, but because of the fish’s mild taste, you don’t need much flavor enhancement.
Can You reheat grilled halibut?
Store: Keep leftover grilled halibut in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat: Drizzle with oil and bake at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes, until warm. Alternatively, you could reheat halibut on the grill over indirect heat, preferably wrapped in foil.