Easy Baked Halibut

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Baked halibut topped with a creamy, herbed mayonnaise crust is a dinner sensation! This quick and easy recipe gives you moist and flakey filets with an utterly delicious topping that will have everyone wanting more. 

Baked halibut with herbed mayonnaise crust on a plate.

If you need one go-to, no-fail halibut recipe, this is it! While it’s fun to get creative with halibut and make something like halibut ceviche, when you’re looking for the perfect foolproof weeknight meal it’s got to be this baked halibut. It’s the halibut recipe I make most often in my house and I never tire of it.

When I was a kid I visited my aunt and uncle in Alaska and caught a huge halibut (see photo proof on the video below!), and I’ve been a fan of halibut ever since. It’s light yet meaty, boasts tons of nutrients, and doesn’t need much to make it taste amazing.

But to keep it extra moist as it cooks, I took the same route of my dijon baked salmon and whipped up this herby, lemon-y, mayonnaise spread to slather on top. And when you take that first bite, you won’t believe how easy it was to create such a healthy yet impressive dinner recipe!   

Ingredients for baked halibut on a table

Baked Halibut Ingredients

Just 5 ingredients plus the halibut are all you need!

  • Mayonnaise: I always default to my homemade mayonnaise recipe, but feel free to use store-bought as well.  
  • Shallot: Adds a mild onion and garlicky flavor with a beautiful pop of pink! 
  • Lemon Juice: Definitely use fresh squeezed lemon juice for the freshest flavor.
  • Herbs: I love chives for this recipe, but any fresh herbs will work!
  • Dijon Mustard: Gives it just a kick of that spicy mustard flavor without being overpowering. 
  • Halibut: This recipe calls for 4 fillets, but keep reading to see how to shop for the perfect ones! 

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

How To Buy Halibut

While you can find halibut year-round, peak season for fresh-caught Pacific halibut (which I recommend) is March through October. So when you’re in the midst of halibut season, keep your eyes peeled for fish with a firm flesh that’s translucent and glistening. Avoid any fillets with discoloration, yellow-ish fat, or chalky white spots. 

Can you buy frozen halibut? You sure can! Frozen halibut is flash frozen right when it’s caught, which helps maintain its freshness, and allows you to store it in your freezer. It’s a win-win option!

Making baked halibut in a ceramic baking pan.

How To Make This Easy Baked Halibut Recipe

In a short 20 minutes, you’ll have beautiful halibut fillets ready to serve! To get started, preheat your oven to 400F, then follow along below. 

  • Make the herbed mayonnaise. In a small bowl, mix together the mayo, mustard, shallots, parsley, half of the chives, lemon juice, and pepper.
  • Spread the herbed mayonnaise on your fillets. Place your halibut fillets in a baking dish brushed with oil. Then evenly spoon the mayo mixture on top of each fillet.  
  • Bake away! Pop this dish in the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes. Then right before the fish is done, turn on your broiler for an extra 1-2 minutes to give it that slightly golden crust. 
  • Garnish and serve. Sprinkle the rest of the chives on top for a fresh green touch, and you’re ready to serve!
Baked halibut fillets on a plate next to cilantro

A Few Extra Tips

  • Try to buy fillets the same size. This will ensure even cooking amongst all the fillets, and hopefully prevent overcooking them. 
  • Speaking of overcooking. It’s best to slightly undercook the halibut rather than overcook it. Halibut doesn’t contain much oil, so it’s prone to drying out more quickly. But good news, the mayonnaise crust acts as a barrier to prevent overcooking as well! 

Ways To Serve Baked Halibut With Mayo

With how light and fresh these fillets are, think leafy greens and a variety of cooked veggies for the perfect pairing. 

A fork breaking into a baked hallibut.

How To Store And Reheat Baked Halibut

  • For storing: Have leftover fillets? They’ll keep for up to 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container. 
  • For reheating: To avoid drying out your halibut, reheat it low and slow. The microwave can be convenient and works just fine. But if you have spare time, reheat it in the oven at 275F for about 15 minutes until it’s warmed through.

More Tasty, Easy Fish Recipes

The beauty of seafood is how easy it is to make in a wide variety of recipes. You can start with my best salmon recipes roundup, or a few of these reader favorites!

If you make this baked halibut, let me know how it turned out! I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below.

Easy Baked Halibut

4.96 from 42 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

Baked halibut topped with a creamy, herbed mayonnaise crust is a dinner sensation! This quick and easy recipe gives you moist and flakey filets with an utterly delicious topping.

Video

Ingredients 
 

  • cup mayonnaise
  • 1 shallot, finely diced
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 4 halibut fillets

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 400F. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, shallot, lemon juice, parsley, one tablespoon of chives (save the remaining for garnish), mustard, salt and pepper.
  • Lightly coat the inside of the baking dish with oil or butter (to prevent the halibut from sticking). Place the halibut filets in the baking dish. Then evenly spoon your mayonnaise mixture onto the top of the halibut filets.
    A baking dish of halibut fillets before baking.
  • Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes minutes being careful not to overcook. Just before the fish is done, turn on the top broiler of your oven for 1-2 minutes to make the top golden. The fish is done when it becomes opaque and flakes easily.
  • Remove the halibut from the oven and sprinkle the remaining chives on top before serving.
    Baked halibut fillets with an herbed mayonnaise crust.

Nutrition

Calories: 289kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 250mg | Potassium: 784mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 277IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked halibut, baked halibut recipe, how to bake halibut
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

Recipe originally posted Oct 2014, but updated with new information.

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

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Recipe Rating




106 Comments

  1. The best and most tasty Halibut I have ever tried. PERFECT! I made sure the fillet was rinsed off and patted dry. Thank you for this recipe and it’s a keeper for me! Happy Happy ME,

  2. Not a huge fish fan, but the sauce on the halibut is so good! I used a little chipotle mayo as I didn’t have enough regular mayo which added a little zing! Will make again!4 stars

  3. Looks delish, cannot wait to make it, my fish delivery is tomorrow 😀
    Quick question can I substitute yogurt for the mayonnaise?

  4. Hi Lisa,
    I live in a mountain town with lots of fishing as a pastime, so fish is a must serve meal here. I have had two dinner parties serving your easy baked halibut to RAVE reviews both times. Love your recipes. Keep ’em coming!5 stars

  5. Have you ever premade this for a dinner party and reheated? I’m worried the fish would dry out,

  6. Hi Lisa,
    Your halibut recipe looks outstanding, thinking about doing on cedar plank on charcoal grill. Any thoughts?
    Bob

  7. I made this with sea bass because I could not find halibut. It turned out fantastic. Everyone asked for the recipe. Will make again soon!5 stars

  8. The store just got super fresh halibut so I searched for a perfect recipe. I found this and tried it and I have to say THIS was the BEST, moist, most delicious halibut I have ever had! This would beat any top tier restaurant. 5 stars

      1. loved this recipe, easy and most delicious.
        My daughter is preparing it this evening for her husband who is a fisherman.

  9. I am making this tonight and would like to know if broiling the fish would work with this recipe?5 stars

    1. So sorry I didn’t get back to you on time! I’m sure you could, but I haven’t tested it with a broiling method yet. So, I would stick with this recipe as is for now.

  10. This was the best halibut recipe I ever ever made . We get a fish seafood delivery every month and every time I cooked the halibut tough and dry. Problem solved thanks for sharing.

  11. We served this on Christmas Eve and everyone loved it. Easy, moist, flakey and flavorful! We had a piece and some sauce left over and I mixed them up the next day and served it as a spread and people could not believe I made it. $30/ lb. For Halibut these days, you better make it right! Thanks, Lisa. 5 stars

  12. I want to try this. Do you have any suggestions for using another ingredient instead of mayonnaise? My family loves your baked salmon recipe. But they don’t like mayonnaise so much.

  13. Made this for the first time today. So delicious! Will definitely be my go-to halibut recipe. Next time I will make double the sauce because it is so yummy!5 stars

  14. Delicious as always. I used ling cod as Halibut was a little out of my budget this week and I also substituted about a quarter of red onion that I soaked in cold water for a bit for the shallot. Everyone had seconds.5 stars

    1. We tried this tonight and have dubbed it Heavenly Halibut. My husband was over the moon for this. A+++ and one we will cook again for sure! Thank you. 😁5 stars

  15. Yet another hit from Downshiftology! Four out of four people gave this rave reviews last night. One person bemoaned the fact that halibut often arrives overdone and dry, so she was particularly pleased since she loves halibut. Whole Foods is having a great sale on halibut, so that was another bonus.
    Thanks, Lisa.5 stars

    1. Happy to hear everyone enjoyed this baked halibut! When you see a sale on it, definitely grab them!

  16. The halibut was outstanding! It didn’t need anythig else. The herbed mayo topping was really delicious (I didn’t tell my honey that it was mayo, which he won’t eat) and his comment was, “The fish is really good ” The recipe is a keeper.5 stars

  17. The recipe is so easy and straight forward. My picky hubby finished it in less than 10 mins. Although halibut is a little bit pricey, it definitely will be our special dinner from time to time.5 stars

  18. Loved this recipe! The halibut was moist but flaky and flavorful. Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipes . They are easy to replicate and delicious! 5 stars

  19. I loved this recipe very much! I couldn’t stop eating it, fish was very tender and delicate, and not dry, i had thinner fillets than Lisa’s so had to cook it less time, will try thicker ones next time, and curious to try this “dressing” on other kinds of fish. This probably is my favourite way to cook this fish from now. Thank you for your amazing recipes always!5 stars

    1. Glad your baked halibut turned out perfectly! Honestly, baking is such a great method if you nail down the temperature and cooking time :)

  20. Another great easy recipe! You could just eat a bowl of the herbed mayo spread if trying to save money. 😉 Halibut was very moist and delicious.5 stars

  21. I made the halibut and I’m about to post photos on Instagram (Home Switz Home). It was a great recipe and a huge hit with the family. I have enjoyed so many of your recipes and meal preps. I appreciate your hard work and content. Thank you!5 stars

  22. I want to give this a try, but only have sablefish (black cod) at the house. Would it work for it?

  23. Never had Halibut before so decided a Lisa recipe would probably be a good way to break the “never.” It was. 5 stars

      1. This recipe sounds amazing and I want to try it. I’m on a really restricted diet due to a liver illness. Do you think it would work out ok with 0% fat Greek yogurt in place of the mayo? Do you have any other suggestions? Fat is the enemy right now. Thanks!

  24. I tried the recipe yesterday and was so happy with the result. Perfectly moist and so flavourful. I love mustard notes in the sauce – so simple yet delicious. Halibut is definitely on my list of favourite fish :)5 stars

  25. Another classic downshiftology recipe: easy, healthy and super delicious. I could not find halibut so swapped it for cod (baked for 12 minutes and it was perfect). The whole family loved it. And I agree with a previous comment that you can easily make this on a weeknight. Easy does it ;-). Thanks Lisa! 5 stars

    1. Glad this worked perfectly with cod fillets! Next time, you’ll have to try it with halibut!

  26. This was really tasty. I was quite pleased. I didn’t give it 5 stars because my husband didn’t think the flavours were balanced. He thought there was maybe too much lemon and Dijon? I liked it though. Maybe for his taste I will add less of the lemon and mustard. 4 stars

  27. Made this last night and it was so good and so fast and easy to make. This recipe will definitely been in my meal rotation a lot. Thanks for a great recipe.5 stars

  28. Full proof recipe, moist, and delicious. I’m new to cooking, 1st time cooking Halibut! This recipe opened opportunity for me to try something new, and I am so happy for the encouragement.  Made it for dinner last night with the suggested homemade mayonnaise and it was an absolute sensation. NO leftovers with requests to make again.  I used the recommended dill in the herb mayonnaise dressing.  The dinner guests requested to top with parsley due to their food sensitivity. They were surprised the dill in the dressing was not an issue for them and they loved the halibut! Thank you for sharing…Tonight I am making your tuna salad recipe, using the remaining homemade mayonnaise…the gift that keeps on giving!5 stars

    1. Happy to hear your first time cooking halibut was a success Erica! Glad the dill wasn’t an issue in the end as well :)

  29. This was delicious and so easy to make! I didn’t have chives on hand but I used some dill and tarragon, with great results!5 stars

  30. Just had this for lunch, it was delish, may have to try cilantro next time instead of parsley tho. Yumm.5 stars

  31. I haven’t tried this yet, but we have halibut quite a bit since we live in Alaska! We go subsistence fishing for it in the fall. My husband is a commercial fisherman so maybe you’ve eaten some of his halibut! He has a specialty for baking halibut and I thought I would share it since mayonnaise is part of the recipe. You can caramelized onions with garlic and put a layer of that underneath and on top of the fish before you add the mayonnaise topping. Absolutely wonderful!  Thank you for promoting wild Alaskan halibut!!

    1. Hi Carol – I’m jealous you have such awesome access to Alaskan seafood! That twist with the caramelized onions sounds delicious, I’ll definitely have to give that a try next time. Thanks for sharing!

  32. I’ll say that I was skeptical of this recipe—mayo on fish?—but decided to try and am so happy I did! It was delicious! Tangy and flavorful, and all-around great. Will keep in the fold for sure!5 stars

  33. This was FANTASTIC! Even my hubs who is not a fish lover enjoyed this recipe. It’s a keeper! Looking forward to making it again. The only thing I added was a sprinkle of lemon pepper on top of the mayo. 5 stars

  34. Very simple, tasty recipe that lets the flavor of fresh halibut shine through. Easy to follow recipe, will definitely make this again, thank you!5 stars

  35. This sauce for the halibut is an excellent and semless blending of flavors. Thanks for sharing it. I served it with baked asparagus and baked potato. Happy Spring is what this meal felt like to me.5 stars

    1. That’s such a great way to describe this dish – “happy spring”. Love that! Thanks Nancy. :) x

  36. Apparently we devoured all of the halibut from our Port Hardy, Vancouver fishing adventures, so I subbed it with ling cod, which is a deep water, white, flaky delicious, (albeit ugly), fish. Instead of removing it (I didn’t want to mangle the delicate fish), I put it skin side down on the buttered bottom of the baking pan. The herbed mayo crust sauce comes together in a flash (& DO make it from scratch – it’s SO easy & SO delicious). I served this baked fish recipe w/ Lisa’s Swiss chard side dish & her orange, fennel, avocado salad. All the flavors meld beautifully, & The Hubbs & I were both members of The Clean Plate Club. (Oh. You can tell his plate’s pictured because bread & I had to break up.)