Pan Seared Halibut Recipe With Lemon Dill Butter - Chef Billy Parisi

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This amazing pan seared halibut recipe is cooked to perfection and topped off with an elegant lemon butter sauce with fresh dill. You won’t believe how quickly this recipe comes together.

This pan seared halibut recipe is loaded with flavor and would go very well served with my butter-glazed green beans or perfectly cooked rice. Both are easy to make and would complement this dish.

Halibut

Halibut is a saltwater fish that is caught in the Atlantic water and is incredibly popular throughout the world. It has a mild, slightly sweet flavor and is firm in texture. I would compare the flavors of halibut to that of tilapia.

Halibut can be grilled, broiled, pan seared, poached, or baked. It is also best to remove the skin or scales as it is very rubbery and not overly flavorful. While it is on the more expensive side of fresh fish, you can find it on sale or frozen at a much cheaper price.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Oil – Any neutral flavored oil will work.
• Butter – unsalted butter helps to brown the fish, adds flavor, and assists in releasing it from the pan.
• Halibut – Use fresh, skinless halibut for this recipe.
• Dill – Fresh dill is best, but you can substitute it with half the amount of dry dill.
• White Wine – You can use chardonnay, pinot grigio, or sauvignon blanc, and hit will help deglaze the pan.
• Shallots – Small diced shallots will help add a lot of flavors to the sauce.
• Garlic – Finely diced garlic will take the sauce to the next level.
• Lemon – This will add some acid and brightness to the sauce and fish.

How to Make Pan Seared Halibut

Use these easy-to-follow instructions and pictures to make this perfect Pan Seared Halibut recipe:

Season the halibut on both sides with salt and pepper.

Add some oil to a large frying pan and heat over high heat until it begins to smoke lightly.

Place in the halibut, turn the heat down to medium-high, add in some butter and cook for 3 to 3 ½ minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked throughout. Set aside.

Add the butter to the pan and cook the shallots and garlic over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until very lightly browned.

Deglaze with white wine and cook until there are about 1 to 2 tablespoons of liquid left.

Turn the heat off completely and let sit for 1 to 2 minutes before adding in cold butter and mixing until the butter is melted but not broken.

Stir in the dill, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and mix until combined.

Pour the sauce over the fish and garnish with more dill and lemon slices.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: You can keep it warm and covered in a pan for up to 15 minutes before serving, but this recipe is meant to be eaten as soon as it is cooked.

How to Store: Cover and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This will freeze covered for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.

How to Reheat: Place the desired number of halibut with sauce in a pan and heat in the oven at 350° for 5-6 minutes or until hot.

chef notes + tips

• Take care that your pan is not too hot before adding in the cold butter to make the sauce, or else the butter will separate, and your sauce will be broken and runny.
• You can use frozen halibut; just be sure it’s completely thawed before using.
• Pat the halibut down with paper towels as it will help release it from the pan when ready to flip over.
• This recipe is very versatile, so just about any fish will work with the lemon dill sauce.
• If your butter sauce breaks, you can sometimes bring it back with 1 to 2 tablespoons of cold heavy whipping cream. Whisk it in until combined.

More Fish Recipes

• Broiled Salmon
• Halibut and Chimichurri Sauce
• Salmon Patties
• Halibut with Honey-Soy Glaze
• Honey Garlic Salmon

Video

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Pan Seared Halibut Recipe with Lemon Dill Butter

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Print 5 from 18 votes This amazing pan-seared halibut recipe is cooked to perfection and topped off with an elegant lemon butter sauce with fresh dill. Servings: 2Prep Time: 5 minutes minutesCook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Ingredients US CustomaryMetric

• 2 8- ounce fresh skinless halibut fillets
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
• ½ peeled and small diced shallot
• 1 finely minced garlic clove
• ¼ cup white wine
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Season the halibut on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Add the oil to a large frying pan and heat over high heat until it begins to lightly smoke.
• Place in the halibut, turn the heat down to medium-high, add in 1 teaspoon of butter and cook for 3 to 3 ½ minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked throughout. Remove the cooked halibut and set aside.
• Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan and cook the shallots and garlic over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until very lightly browned.
• Deglaze with the white wine and cook until there are about 1 to 2 tablespoons of liquid left.
• Turn the heat off completely and let sit for 1 to 2 minutes before adding in 4 tablespoons of cold butter and mixing until the butter is melted, but not broken. See note on helping to re-emulsify the sauce.
• Stir in the dill, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and mix until combined.
• Pour the sauce over the fish and garnish with more dill and lemon slices.

Notes

Make-Ahead: You can keep warm covered in a pan for up to 15 minutes before serving, but this recipe is meant to be eaten as soon as it is done being cooked. How to Store: Cover and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This will freeze covered for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating. How to Reheat: Place the desired number of halibut with sauce in a pan and heat in the oven at 350° for 5-6 minutes or until hot. Take care that your pan is not too hot before adding in the cold butter to make the sauce or else the butter will separate, and your sauce will be broken and runny. You can use frozen halibut; just be sure it’s completely thawed before using. Pat the halibut down with paper towels as it will help release it from the pan when ready to flip over. This recipe is very versatile so just about any fish will work with the lemon dill sauce. If your butter sauce broke, you can sometimes bring it back with 1 to 2 tablespoons of cold heavy whipping cream. Whisk it in until combined.

Nutrition

Calories: 535kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 27gFat: 44gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 145mgSodium: 103mgPotassium: 675mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 985IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 1mg Course: MainCuisine: American, French Author: Chef Billy Parisi

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34 comments

• • Lynda Leonard
  • 
  March 28, 2025

  This recipe is phenomenal. My only issue after taking halibut out of pan finishing sauce then letting cold butter melt everything is cold. Other than that I highly recommend this recipe.

  • Reply
  • March 29, 2025

    Why is the butter be cold after melting in the pan?

    • Reply
    • • Nina
      May 22, 2025

      I bet the fish might have cooled off while this person was making the butter lemon dill shallot sauce is my guess?? I am making your recipe tonight with fresh halibut. I might have my warming draw set on low and keep the fish on a warm plate as i make the sauce.

      • Reply
• • Catmk
  • 
  November 26, 2024

  I had pre+cut fillets without skin from a company I ordered from, will order again. This was amazing! It was linked to the rice pilaf recipe I was making for the first time. Yummy! Will make again, again and again! Thank you for sharing!

  • Reply
  • • Chef Billy Parisi
    December 3, 2024

    Appreciate you giving it a try!

    • Reply
• • MRS
  July 13, 2024

  Hello. Chef. I was hoping you would have some recipes for treating fillet of sole. I am having some trouble flipping the fish without breaking it. Some techniques working with sole would be much appreciated. I love your website & appreciate all the work you are doing here. Many thanks for your consideration. Best regards.

  • Reply
  • August 16, 2024

    I do not, sorry.

    • Reply
  • • Shawna
    July 29, 2025

    Hi, a little late to the party, but I would pan sear on one side and then finish for a minute or two with a lid on to cook the top! Sole is much thinner and more fragile than halibut, so I wouldn’t try to flip it or it will probably fall apart. Take the fish out, make the sauce and top the fish off and it will warm it right back up again!

    • Reply
• • Mary Jane Harvey
  April 14, 2024

  We can’t get halibut where we live. What fish could I substitute?

  • Reply
  • May 18, 2024

    Anyone you want.

    • Reply
• • sue😁 Macleod
  • 
  March 5, 2024

  Fabulous aslook through your tasty recipe getting brave explore ….thank you ChefBilly 🤤😁😋

  • Reply
• • Lisa Jones
  • 
  September 21, 2023

  Delicious & easy skill level recipe. Made this for my husband and he loved it. Adding it to my recipe book.

  • Reply
• • Kathy
  • 
  August 3, 2023

  I made this tonight along with Chef Biily’s Greek salad. What an amazing way to cook the halibut!! Very few ingredients so pulls together quickly and boy was it tasty!! That fish with the green salad was over the top. My husband could not believe what a wonderful dinner I served on a weeknight. Highly recommend!

  • Reply
  • August 5, 2023

    amazing!

    • Reply
• • Dave
  • 
  July 27, 2023

  Always been a bit hesitant to cook fish. Came out just great!

  • Reply
  • July 28, 2023

    excellent!

    • Reply
• • Lynne Finnerty
  • 
  July 22, 2023

  This was easy and delicious. I used the other half of the shallot in a mushroom risotto to serve with the halibut.

  • Reply
  • July 26, 2023

    perfect!

    • Reply
• • Pam
  • 
  July 18, 2023

  I had planned on fish tonight so I thought would give it a try. I had everything but the shallots so I used the white of a green onion then added the green at the end… I like onions. I used sole, not the best choice for sure but what I had. I should have reduced the wine just a bit more I think but I just poured it over everything. It was fantastic! Served with green and yellow beans and quinoa. Such a simple change from what I usually do and what a difference! Pam

  • Reply
  • July 19, 2023

    appreciate you trying it

    • Reply

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