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This pan seared halibut is light, flakey, and has a refreshing lemon-herby taste. In less than 20 minutes, you’ll have a restaurant-worthy fancy fish fillet.

fried halibut in a pan with herbs and lemon

Over the past few years, my family and I have been able to eat more and more types of food that growing up, we weren’t able to afford. Many of my recipes actually come from trying foods in restaurants and realizing that I can make the same foods (and way cheaper) at home — and make them taste just as good!

This pan seared halibut recipe is a result of some of my attempts at restaurant copy-cats. Halibut is often considered a “fancy” fish compared to more popular white fish like tilapia, mainly because halibut is a bit more expensive. However, this fish boasts a more buttery, rich texture that I loove. It tastes “bougie” but doesn’t have a fishy flavor!

Loving the halibut? Try my crazy easy baked halibut and grilled halibut and see which method fits your family the best.

How to Pan Sear Halibut

For how easy this pan seared halibut is to cook, I’m surprised it’s not as popular as other white fish. This pan-seared halibut recipe uses only four simple ingredients and takes less than 15 minutes of cooking time.

  • Prepare the halibut fillets: Pat any excess moisture off the fillets with a paper towel. Season them generously with garlic parsley salt on both sides.
  • Cook the fillets: Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and gently place the fillets into the pan. Lay lemon wedges around the fillets. Sear the fillets for a couple of minutes, reduce the heat, flip, and and cook for a couple more minutes.
  • Serve: Serve the halibut immediately with a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkle of fresh herbs.

Herb alert: There are two different kinds of parsley sold in most supermarkets. If you are going to season your halibut with it, grab flat-leaf Italian parsley. Curly parsley often has less flavor and is typically used as a garnish.

seasoned halibut on a cutting board
halibut cooking in a pan
halibut with lemon and seasoning in a pan
fried halibut in a pan

Tips for The Best Pan-Seared Halibut

Okay, you’ve bought this luxurious fish, so now you’ve got to cook it to really show it off! Follow these tips to really get the best taste possible.

  • Pat the fillets down with a paper towel: Prior to cooking, pat as much extra moisture off the fillets as possible. This helps the fish build a nice crust and prevents oil from popping out of the pan (ouch!).
  • Cook the halibut briefly: Take all the guesswork out of searing your halibut by checking the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. Cooked halibut should read at 145°F. It usually takes me about 3-4 minutes per side (it’s so quick!). Immediately remove the fish from the pan once it’s done to prevent it from turning rubbery.
  • Use equal-sized fillets: For more even cooking, buy the most similarly-sized fillets you can find.
  • Handle the halibut with care: Halibut can break apart super easily, so be extra careful when you flip it. I find using a fish spatula makes flipping much easier. Make sure you’ve given it a long enough time on the heat to form a nice crust before flipping, though!
  • Don’t skip the lemon juice: Lemon juice keeps the fish tender and brings out its optimal flavor.
  • Resist the urge to fiddle with the fish: The goal is to flip each fillet only once. The more you mess with it, the more it tends to break.

Hot tip: I like to serve halibut with a Caesar salad, alongside air fryer asparagus or air fryer Brussels sprouts, and a side of buckwheat to keep us full for a long time.

Storing & Reheating Leftover Halibut

I highly recommend eating the halibut right away (it tastes the best fresh!), but in case of leftovers, here are my tips for enjoying it again and again.

  • Refrigerator: Store the cooked halibut in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
  • Reheating: For best results, reheat your halibut in the air fryer at 350°F for a couple minutes or in the oven until warmed through. Reheat just until warm enough to prevent the fish from overcooking.

Hot tip: Use leftovers for easy fish tacos. Grab some tortillas, whip up a batch of salsa, and put your pan-seared halibut leftovers to tasty work.

More Fish Recipes

Recipe

fried halibut in a pan with herbs and lemon

Pan Seared Halibut (Only 4 Ingredients)

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Servings
6 servings
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Total Time 19 minutes
Recipe contributed by: Natalya Drozhzhin
This pan seared halibut is light, flakey, and has a refreshing lemon-herby taste. In less than 20 minutes, you'll have a restaurant-worthy fancy fish fillet.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs halibut fillet
  • 1 tbsp garlic parsley salt adjust to taste
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 lemon sliced
  • 2 tbsp herbs (for garnish) parsley, green onions, cilantro, or dill
US Units – Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat a skillet with butter over medium-high heat.
    butter in a frying pan
  • Season the halibut generously on all sides with garlic parsley salt. Gently add the fillets to the skillet. Arrange the lemon slices throughout the skillet. Cook the fish for 3-4 minutes until a crust forms. Flip the fish over, reduce the heat to medium, and continue cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes.
    halibut with lemon and seasoning in a pan
  • Lightly sprinkle the halibut with lemon juice and herbs (parsley or dill work great). Serve right away.
    fried halibut in a pan
Nutrition Facts
Pan Seared Halibut (Only 4 Ingredients)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 206 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 5g25%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 94mg31%
Sodium 1333mg56%
Potassium 662mg19%
Carbohydrates 1g0%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 28g56%
Vitamin A 373IU7%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 15mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Updated April 2, 2025

About Author

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Natalya founded Momsdish to demonstrate that placing a homemade meal on the table is not hard at all. Natalya makes cooking easier and approachable, by simplifying the ingredients, while still producing the same great taste.