• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Tammy Circeo - Chez Nous
  • Home
  • About Chez Nous
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Baking & Desserts
    • Breakfast
    • Canning and Preserving
    • Casseroles
    • Homemade Staples
    • Meat
    • Poultry
    • Salads
    • Sauces
    • Seafood
    • Skillet Dinners
    • Soups and Stews
    • Vegetables
  • Local Producers
  • Retail Therapy
    • Cookbooks I Love
    • Kitchen Appliances
    • Kitchen Tools
    • Kitchen Linens
    • Thrive Market
  • Contact Page
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Retail Therapy
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Retail Therapy
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Seafood

    Butter Baked Halibut

    Published: May 28, 2021 · Modified: Apr 28, 2023 by Tammy Circeo · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Yum
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    PIN for Pinterest - Butter Baked Halibut

    ... with Lemon, Chives, and Garlic!

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Halibut is my favorite white fish, especially wild-caught from Alaska. When cooked right, it is soft and tender, and can handle a multitude of seasonings. However, that's no reason to load it up with too much. Sometimes, a simple butter, lemon, chives, and garlic is just plenty to provide a delicious Butter Baked Halibut for dinner.

    Butter baked halibut with fresh chives and blossoms

    This post may contain affiliate links which means that if you click them and purchase something, I get a little commission. Thank you for your support.

    Fish is a great option for a weeknight dinner because it cooks so quickly. When time is of the essence during a busy week, fish is a timely and healthful choice. But this dish is just as appealing to serve to dinner guests! It's so tasty and beautiful.

    lemon, butter, garlic, and chives to flavor halibut

    I use the zest and the juice from the lemon for added zing, plenty of garlic, and fresh chives from my garden.

    Let's talk about the chives a bit.

    Chives are so easy to grow and if you only have an apartment balcony with a pot to grow it in, you certainly should. They are easy, they come back every year, and you can use the greens as well as the blossoms. At the end of the season, you can dry them and use them all winter.

    Just melt the butter gently, then add the garlic and allow it to cook together for about a minute before adding the lemon juice, zest, and chopped chives.

    Melted butter ready for the garlic, chives, and lemon juice

    Swirl it around and pour it over the halibut in the baking dish. Make sure to cover all of the flesh.

    Pouring the melted butter mixture over the halibut

    What do I look for when buying halibut?

    Whether you are buying a whole halibut or just fillets or steaks, be sure the flesh is firm and fully white, but translucent with maybe even a little green tint to it. Avoid any halibut that has red or yellow discoloration. If it's fresh, it will smell like seawater. You can read more on how to choose fresh halibut on Quality Seafood Delivery.

    How long does halibut need to bake?

    This is the best news ... not long at all! It all depends on how thick the halibut is, of course, but it shouldn't take more than 10-15 minutes. Be sure to baste it about halfway through to be sure the fish is still covered with the butter. If you overcook halibut, it will be dry and unpleasant so err on the side of undercooked when you take it out of the oven because it will continue cooking as it rests. It should flake easily, but still have a bit of translucence.

    Butter baked halibut with fresh chives and blossoms

    How to serve Butter Baked Halibut with Lemon, Chives, and Garlic

    All of that delicious flavored butter is amazing soaked into rice and is my favorite thing to pair with it. Along with something green and crunchy. Sauteed Garlic Green Beans is the perfect option.

    two servings of butter baked halibut with lemon, chives, and garlic

    Other recipes you might like:

    • Chive Blossom Vinegar
    • Grilled Lemon Garlic Pork Chops
    • Sheet Pan Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken
    • Lemon Tart in a Gingersnap Crust
    • Salmon with Toasted Hazelnut Herb Butter

    If you try this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a comment below and a star rating. Also, if you are on Instagram, post a photo and tag me @tammycirceocheznous so that I can see your delicious dish!

    Recipe

    Butter baked halibut with fresh chives and blossoms

    Butter Baked Halibut with Lemon, Chives, & Garlic

    Tammy Circeo
    When cooked right, halibut is soft and tender, and can handle a multitude of seasonings. Sometimes, though, a simple butter, lemon, chives, and garlic sauce is plenty to provide a delicious Butter Baked Halibut for dinner.
    The recipe is written using only a pound of halibut, but it can certainly be scaled to feed as many as you need!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 25 minutes mins
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine American
    Servings 2 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 pound halibut fillet
    • ⅓ cup butter See notes.
    • 3 cloves garlic chopped small
    • 1 lemon zested
    • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice from the zested lemon
    • 2 Tablespoons freshly chopped chives
    • Sea salt and and freshly ground pepper to season

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter a baking dish and lay the halibut fillet in skin side down. Season the halibut with salt and pepper.
    • In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the garlic and let it cook for about a minute. Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice, zest, and chives. Pour the melted butter mixture over the halibut
    • Bake the fish for 10-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillet. Baste with the butter mixture after about halfway 7 minutes. At this point, also use a fork or knife to see if the fish will flake. Allow the fish to continue cooking, basting and checking again after another 5 minutes.
    • When the fish flakes easily and is still a bit clear, take it out of the oven. It will keep cooking once you take it out so don't let it go too long. Err on the side of caution. You can always put it back in.
    • Serve it with rice because that sauce is amazing and totally soaks into the rice. You should also have some sauteed green beans.

    Notes

    On the butter ... I always use salted butter. I know that the "experts" say you shouldn't do that because you can't control the amount of salt. That is true in that you don't know how much salt is in the butter, but if you are consistently tasting your food, you can control anything. And I like salted butter. Bottom line.
    If you can get fresh chive blossoms (like from your garden!), you should definitely use them and add that gorgeous lavender color to your dish at the same time!
    If you don't like chives, feel free to use your favorite herb. Thyme, rosemary, or basil would all be amazing choices and they all pair so well with butter. 
    Keyword baked halibut, halibut
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    Yum

    More Recipes for all kinds of seafood

    • Two Halibut Tacos with Pineapple Salsa on a plate
      Halibut Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
    • Shrimp & Pineapple Fried Rice in the wok with chopsticks
      Shrimp & Pineapple Fried Rice
    • Ginger Garlic Halibut served with rice and cucumbers and pea shoots
      Ginger Garlic Halibut
    • Two pottery bowl with rice topped with Coconut Curry Halibut
      Coconut Curry Halibut

    About Tammy Circeo

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Headshot of Tammy.

    I have always loved nurturing and feeding people. My cooking style is influenced by my Southern parents, time living in Europe, and the foods available in the Pacific Northwest, where I lived for over 20 years. I cook from scratch and strongly support local farms and producers, believing that food plays a pivotal role in our quality of life.

    More about me →

    Popular Recipes

    • Baking dish with balsamic roasted onions in it on a wooden charger with a napkin and serving pieces beside
      Balsamic Roasted Onions
    • A deviled egg plate with Simple Deviled Eggs
      Simple Deviled Eggs
    • Vanilla Bean Flan
    • Featured Image - Two pottery bowls with Guinness Beef Stew, blue napkins with spoons and forks laid on them, slices of crunchy sourdough bread
      Guinness Beef Stew

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Photos & Recipe Sharing
    • Commenting Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2023 Tammy Circeo