This blackened halibut recipe is so delicious! The inside of the fish is tender and flaky while the outside is crusty and well-seasoned.
This blackened halibut is wonderful. Halibut is a mild-tasting fish, and halibut recipes are often mildly flavored. But blackening turns this fish into an intensely flavorful dish that my entire family enjoys.
What is the blackening cooking technique?
When blackening food, the food is dipped in melted butter and then dredged in a mixture of herbs and spices. It is then cooked in a very hot cast-iron skillet.
This creates e characteristic brown-black crust on the food, the result of browned milk solids from the butter and charred spices.
So the blackened halibut becomes crispy and blackened when the seasonings used to coat it become charred in a hot skillet.
Blackening is a very tasty way of preparing fish. The inside is tender and flaky while the outside is crusty and boldly seasoned. Blackened salmon is excellent too.
Is blackening healthy?
There seems to be a link between the frequent eating of large amounts of charred food and disease, although the actual non-laboratory risk is probably very small.
Still, I wouldn’t eat blackened halibut every day. The decision is yours, of course, but like everything else, moderation is a good idea. My personal choice is to make this recipe for my family about once a month.
The ingredients needed for this recipe
These are the simple ingredients you’ll need to make this tasty main dish:
- Spices: paprika, thyme, oregano, onion and garlic powders, cayenne pepper
- Kosher salt
- Halibut fillets
- Butter
How to make blackened halibut
It’s so easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
- In a shallow dish, whisk together the spices and salt.
- Sprinkle the halibut fillets with the spice mix.
- Fry the halibut fillets in butter over medium-high heat until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.
- Spoon the pan juices on top of the fish and serve.
What to serve with this dish?
I like to serve it with any of the following sides:
- Cauliflower pancakes
- Okra stew
- Roasted vegetables
- When I’m especially lazy, I serve it with creamy cucumber salad.
What to do with leftover blackened halibut?
If you have leftovers, you can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.
Make sure you reheat them very gently though, so as not to dry out the fish. Reheat them covered in the microwave, on 50% power.
More tasty fish recipes
Another good halibut recipe is this recipe for grilled halibut. It’s excellent, and my husband and I really enjoy it. But my kids do prefer blackened halibut. And keto fried fish is amazing. You get to eat fish ‘n’ chips (well, at least the “fish” part), but it’s healthy!
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Blackened Halibut
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 (6 oz) halibut fillets, 1 to 1/12-inch thick
- 2 tablespoon butter
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a shallow dish, whisk together the paprika, thyme, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt and cayenne.
- Sprinkle the halibut fillets with the seasoning mixture, pressing with your fingers to help the coating adhere.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, 2-3 minutes. Traditionally you would use a cast iron skillet, but I use a nonstick hard anodized aluminum skillet to minimize the risk of sticking.
- Add the butter to the hot skillet and swirl to coat. Add the halibut fillets. Cook 4 minutes on each side, until the fillets turn from translucent into opaque and white (it’s fine to cut a small slit and peek).
- Spoon the pan juices on top of the fish, and serve.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., has been following a healthy real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She has taken 
