Simple Grilled Halibut Recipe

Salt, pepper, lemon, and hot coals are all halibut needs to shine on the plate.

By
Joshua Bousel
a photo of Joshua Bousel, a Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Joshua Bousel
Joshua Bousel is a Serious Eats old-timer, having started sharing his passion for grilling and barbecue recipes on the site back in 2008. He continues to develop grilling and barbecue recipes on his own site, The Meatwave, out of his home base of Durham, North Carolina.
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Updated January 06, 2024

Why It Works

  • Thick, firm-fleshed halibut fillets are sturdier than other options, and less likely to fall apart on the grill.
  • Thoroughly cleaning and oiling the grill grate—and coating the seasoned fillets with additional oil—keeps the fish from sticking.

A perfectly grilled piece of seafood can be a glorious thing—light and fresh, with a delicious simplicity. This basic halibut recipe incorporates all our best tips for getting grilled fish fillets right.

Grilled halibut with two lemon halves on a plate.

Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel

July 2012

Recipe Details

Simple Grilled Halibut Recipe

Active 15 mins
Total 30 mins
Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 thick-cut fillets halibut or other hearty fish, about 1/3 pound (150g) each

  • 1/3 cup (80ml) olive oil

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 2 lemons, halved, for serving

Directions

  1. Carefully pat fillets dry with paper towels. Brush fillets liberally with oil and season with salt and pepper.

    Two cuts of halibut being seasoned and resting on a plate.

    Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel

  2. Light 1 chimney full of charcoal. When all charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread coals evenly over entire surface of coal grate. Alternatively, set all the burners of a gas grill to high heat. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil grilling grate. Place fish on grill and cook until the bottom of the fillets begin to turn opaque and a spatula can be slid under fish with little resistance, about 5 minutes. Flip fish and cook until it can be flaked with a fork and is opaque almost all the way through, or until it registers between 130 and 135°F (54 and 57°C) on an instant-read thermometer inserted in middle of fillet, 3 to 5 minutes more. Transfer fish to a platter, let rest for 5 minutes, then serve with lemon halves.

    A seasoned halibut cooking on a grill

    Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel

Special Equipment

Grill, chimney starter, instant-read thermometer (optional)

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
396Calories
21gFat
28gCarbs
30gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories396
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g27%
Saturated Fat 3g15%
Cholesterol 74mg25%
Sodium 343mg15%
Total Carbohydrate 28g10%
Dietary Fiber 6g23%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 30g
Vitamin C 125mg626%
Calcium 69mg5%
Iron 2mg9%
Potassium 1071mg23%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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