Tender halibut and bright vegetables tossed in a bold Mediterranean sauce with lots of citrus, olive oil, fresh garlic, and spices. An easy one-pan baked halibut recipe that’s ready in 20 minutes or less!
In this one-pan baked halibut recipe, a flavor-packed, decidedly Mediterranean sauce does the work of adding great flavor and also keeping this delicate white fish moist and tender as it bakes.
And since the vegetables are already cooked with the fish, you don’t need much else. But you can totally serve it over a bed of hearty grains like barley or bulgur to make use of the delicious sauce!
Halibut
Halibut fish is a tender white fish that is mild in flavor with a firm yet flaky texture. Like cod or sea bass, halibut cooks quickly and is an excellent source of protein, Omega-3 fatty acids, as well as nutrients like selenium, niacin, and more.
And if you’re not big on the taste of fish, you’ll likely appreciate its mild, slightly sweet taste, which makes it a great candidate for all sorts of seasonings and flavors!
In this post
Tips for buying halibut fish
When buying fresh halibut, be sure the flesh looks white and glossy (no brown spots). The fish should also be moist and smooth. Give it a quick sniff, it should not be too pungent or overwhelming (yes, all fish will have some fishy smell, but you should not need to pinch your nose shut).
If you can’t find halibut fillet at the fish counter, look in the freezer section instead! That may even be the better option in terms of freshness because 80 percent of Pacific halibut are harvested in Alaskan waters and flash-frozen while still on the boat! Of course, be sure to properly thaw frozen fish in the fridge before using.
Halibut recipe ingredients
This halibut recipe has 3 main components: the fish, the vegetables, and the delicious Mediterranean sauce that pulls them together. Here is what you need to make this baked halibut recipe:
For the fish
You’ll need a 1 ½-pound halibut filet, cut into 1 ½-inch wide pieces. If you can’t find halibut, use other white fish filets like haddock or cod.
The vegetables
You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand for this baked fish and vegetables recipe. I like fresh green beans and cherry tomatoes, and a yellow onion sliced into half moons. Mushrooms, sliced bell peppers, and asparagus are also delicious options that would pair well with halibut.
Sauce or marinade for halibut
This bold Mediterranean sauce with lots of lemon and garlic can also be used as a marinade for the fish. If you use it as a marinade, simply toss the fish in it and cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or so. Here is what you need for the sauce:
- Lemon juice and zest – Citrus helps to counter the brininess of fish, while also toning down any remaining fishy smell that might be present.
- Extra virgin olive oil – You’ll need a cup of good olive oil of moderate intensity and milder flavor in this halibut recipe to complement the other flavors in the sauce without being overpowering. I recommend our Spanish Hojiblanca EVOO.
- Garlic – A generous amount of fresh minced garlic adds bold flavor to the fish and vegetables.
- Spices – You’ll need dry dill weed, dry oregano, and ground coriander.
How to make baked halibut
The secret to this moist, flaky baked fish recipe is in the quick sauce, which lends flavor and keeps the fish nice and tender! Once you make the sauce, you toss the vegetables and fish with it and you pop everything in the oven. Here’s how to bake halibut:
- Make the sauce. Combine the following sauce ingredients in a large mixing bowl: zest and juice of 2 lemons, 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 ½ tablespoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon seasoned salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoon dill weed (I use dry), 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and ½ to ¾ teaspoon coriander.
- Prepare the vegetables. Toss the vegetables in the sauce. I used 1 pound each fresh green beans and cherry tomatoes, as well as 1 large yellow onion sliced into half moons. Remove the vegetables from the mixing bowl using a slotted spoon, because you will need the rest of the sauce for the halibut. Place the vegetables on one side of a large sheet pan.
- Prepare the fish. Cut a 1 ½-pound halibut filet into 1 ½-inch pieces. Like you did with the vegetables, toss the halibut in the sauce until well coated.
Place the fish on the sheet pan next to the veggies. If you have any sauce left, drizzle it all over the fish and vegetables. - Bake the fish and vegetables. Bake in a 450 degrees heated oven for about 15 minutes until the fish turns from translucent to opaque. If you like, place the sheet pan under the broiler for about 3 minutes (I like the cherry tomatoes to pop a bit). Watch carefully.
Serve it with
Since the vegetables are cooked right along with the baked fish, there is really no need to add more sides. But, if you like, you can serve the halibut and veggies on a bed of barley or bulgur for a more hearty dinner.
But it’s never a bad idea to start a fish dinner with a big salad and maybe a plate of creamy avocado hummus to share with some pita chips.
Leftovers and storage
Baked halibut is best enjoyed immediately, but if you do have any leftovers, you can store them in tight-lid glass containers in the fridge for about 2 days. Personally, I prefer to eat leftover fish at room temperature so it doesn’t get rubbery. But if you want, you can heat the fish in a skillet over medium-low heat just until warmed through (add a little bit of liquid and cover briefly).
Additional baked halibut recipe questions
If you can’t find halibut, you can use another white fish fillet for this recipe. Try cod, sea bass, haddock, or even red snapper fillets.
Your fish is ready when it turns from translucent to opaque, and flakes easily with a fork. It’s recommended to cook fish to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. This can sometimes lead to dry fish, however, so I often remove my halibut from the oven at around 135 degrees F and allow it to sit briefly. Fish will continue to cook for a bit after it’s been removed from the heat.
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One-Pan Baked Halibut Recipe with Vegetables
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- Zest of 2 lemons
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
- 2 teaspoon dill weed
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt, more for later
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
For the Fish
- 1 pound fresh green beans
- 1 pound cherry tomatoes
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced into half moons
- 1 1/2 pound halibut fillet, slice into 1 1/2-inch pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sauce ingredients together. Add the green beans, tomatoes, and onions and toss to coat with the sauce. With a large slotted spoon or spatula, transfer the vegetables to a large baking sheet (21 x 15 x 1 inch baking sheet, for example). Keep the vegetables to one side or one half of the baking sheet and make sure they are spread out in one layer.
- Now, add the halibut fillet strips to the remaining sauce, toss to coat. Transfer the halibut fillet to the baking sheet next to the vegetables and pour any remaining sauce on top.
- Lightly sprinkle the halibut and vegetables with a little more seasoned salt.
- Bake in 425 degrees F heated oven for 15 minutes. Then transfer the baking sheet to the top oven rack and broil for another 3 minutes or so, watching carefully. The cherry tomatoes should begin to pop under the broiler.
- When ready, remove the baked halibut and vegetables from the oven. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Tips for moist, never dry white fish: Cooked fish has an internal temp of 145 degrees F, but this can sometimes cause fish to become dry and overcooked. I remove my halibut from the oven around 135 degrees F and let it sit for a few minutes. It will continue to cook a little as it rests. The flesh of the fish will also turn from translucent to opaque as it cooks.
- Halibut substitutes: Try another white fish like cod, sea bass, haddock, or even red snapper fillets. You may have to adjust the cooking time depending on the thickness of the fish fillet.
- Serving suggestions: This sheet pan fish recipe is filling by itself, but a bed of barley or bulgur to soak up the sauce wouldn’t hurt!
- Leftovers and storage: You can store leftovers in tight-lid glass containers in the fridge for 2 days. Personally, I prefer to eat leftover fish at room temperature, but if you want, you can heat it in a skillet over medium-low heat just until warmed through (add a little bit of liquid and cover briefly).
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Nutrition
*This post first appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2019 and has recently been updated with new information and media of readers’ benefit.
I like to eat my fish premature!!
I loved that??
Making this tomorrow. So excited.
Thanks for the LOL!
Hope you love it, Elissa!
Simple, flavorful, elegant, colorful, healthy – this recipe hits all the high marks! Thanks for another winner Suzy!
My pleasure, Ellen! So glad you enjoyed it!
Great recipe.love the sauce.
I brought home 30 lbs. of halibut from Alaska last year and have tried many different halibut cooking methods and recipes since. This recipe is my favorite! Not being an oily fish, I learned the hard way that halibut is easy to overcook and it gets dry and tough. Suzy’s recipe adds the right amount of olive oil to keep the halibut moist and tender. It’s an easy recipe to prepare, cook and clean up. I didn’t have ground coriander but the internet suggested caraway seeds and cumin as a reasonable substitute so I used a 50/50 mix of those two spices and it worked well. I only had cherry tomatoes on hand so used those cutting each in half. Halibut fillets can be thin on the outer edge and pretty thick on the other side so I cut off the thin side and sliced the thicker part across the middle so I had three equal sized boneless pieces. The recommended cooking time was perfect! I toasted a couple pieces of crusty bread to go with and together they made a perfectly delicious and healthy supper! Definitely worthy for serving to guests! Thanks Suzy!!
Thank you so much for sharing, Terry! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
What a delicious and simple recipe. I’ve made it several times, and it’s great every time. I cook the vegetables first for about 8-10 minutes before putting in the halibut. Then add it and cook at 325 for 12 mins, then broil for 3 mins maximum. It comes out perfectly. Thanks for the great recipe.
Thanks for sharing, Jeff!
I love this recipe keep doing it over a over so easy and practical …thanks for sharing …
Wonderful! So glad it’s been such a hit :).
I’m a huge fan of sheet pan dinners and this one will be a favourite whenever I can get the freshest fish. I added some tiny potatoes — no bigger than the tomatoes — and put them in first for about 5 minutes before adding everything else. Delicious! I grew up in the Middle East and love Mediterranean flavors, so I will be trying more of Suzy’s recipes.
So glad, Jessica! Thanks so much for sharing
Incredibly delicious recipe. Cooking time was more with my oven. I added 1 bulb of fennel to the vegetables. Very easy to put together.
So tasty, healthy and appetizing! Thank you for sharing your recipes for free; very much appreciated.
My pleasure, Yolande!! So glad you enjoyed this one!
This was really really good, husband loved it. I did halibut and shrimp, and used the extra sauce (I made too much) mixed with heavy cream and butter sauce to go over the cooked fish. My husband said it was restaurant-quality excellent. He doesn’t even like fish and he loved this recipe. Thanks!
Wow! For someone who doesn’t even like fish, it sounds like this one was a winner for your husband! Thanks so much for sharing.
We made this recipe tonight. It was very easy to prepare. We had nearly everything except for the green beans which we substituted broccolini (we would have used the green beans if we had them on hand). It didn’t take long at all to cook and the flavors were a perfect match for each other. We had couscous on the side.
It plated perfectly, as well. Simply beautiful colors and flavors. Everything in the meal is good for you. Very healthy.
Thanks for the delicious and easy recipe. This one stays in our rotation.
William, thank you so much for sharing! So happy to hear you enjoyed this one.
Super easy to prepare. I used broccoli crowns and small chunks of zucchini and thin slices of potato. Added a bit more oil and fresh, finely chopped parsley, basil and chives. Baked on pan for 20 mins + 2 additional minutes under broiler. Served with Forbidden Black Rice. Excellent!
Wonderful, Janis! Thanks for sharing
Thanks, Janis!
Very tasty! Thank you for the recipe.
My pleasure! So glad you enjoyed it!
I’m new to eating/cooking fish, and this recipe is so easy yet flavorful and healthy. It’s one of my husband’s favorites (and mine!). I’ve found it’s forgiving if I don’t have quite the right herbs on hand or if I use different vegetables. Thank you for sharing such a winning weeknight recipe!
My pleasure, Valerie! So glad you all enjoy this recipe!
Suzy,
Thanks so much for this recipe. It was awesome. I am really enjoying your website and eating healthier.
That’s great to hear, Bob! Thank you so much!!
I made it with asparagus instead of green beans and it was amazing. I am not a big fish person and neither are my kids and everyone loved it. We will definitely be having this again. Plus it was pretty easy to make as well. Yum!!
So glad you guys enjoyed it!! 🙂
This dish is great! My husband literally spoons the sauce! I added a little bit of sumac to just the halibut and enjoyed it. Any recommendations on subbing out the green beans? I’ve tried it with green beans and swapped them for potatoes once and still can’t get the third veggie right.
Maybe try asparagus?
Exceptionally easy and delicious. My husband loves when I make this recipe. Works with all sorts of vegetables and white fish (we usually can’t get halibut so use cod or haddock).
Thank you for sharing, Valerie!