Originally published in 2013, this recipe was updated in October 2026 with refreshed instructions, photos and cooking information.
Garlic butter halibut is one of my go-to halibut recipes. It is simple to prepare, tastes great, and always seems to bring compliments to the chef. With just butter, fresh garlic and a good piece of halibut, you don’t need much else. Halibut is also a nutritious, high-protein fish, making it one of my favourites to bring home for the table. I’ve included some nutritional information for plain cooked halibut later in the article.
Cooking fresh halibut is one of the best parts of bringing home your own catch. If you want to catch your own, see the FishinBC.COM Complete Guide to Halibut Fishing.
Ingredients
To prepare garlic butter halibut you will need:
- Halibut fillet — enough for the number of people you are serving
- ½ cup (113 g) butter
- 4–5 small cloves fresh garlic
- Salt and pepper, optional, to taste
The amount of butter doesn’t need to be exact. I like to have enough garlic butter to baste the fish generously while it cooks, and I’d rather have a little extra than run out.
Garlic Butter Halibut Preparation
If the halibut is frozen, thaw it in a sealed bag submerged in cold water. Before cooking, I like to give the halibut fillet a quick rinse under cold water, then pat it thoroughly dry with paper towel. Trim the fillet as needed and leave the skin on. When rinsing or handling raw fish, avoid splashing and thoroughly clean and sanitize the sink, faucet and surrounding work surfaces afterward.
Melt about ½ cup (113 g) of butter in a small bowl. Crush 4–5 small cloves of fresh garlic with a garlic press and stir them into the melted butter. Salt and pepper can be added to taste, but I normally make mine with just butter and fresh garlic.
Barbecue Prep
Preheat the barbecue on high, let it come up to temperature, then clean the grill. Before putting the halibut on, reduce the heat to medium-low.
Tear off a sheet of aluminum foil slightly larger than the halibut fillet and fold the edges up about 1 inch to make a shallow tray. I like cooking halibut this way because the foil catches the fish juices and garlic butter instead of letting them run into the barbecue. It also makes cleanup easy and helps keep the grill from smelling like fish the next time you use it.
Cooking Garlic Butter Halibut
Place the foil tray on the grill and put the halibut on it skin-side down. Spoon the garlic butter generously over the fillet. Let the halibut cook for about 5 minutes, then baste it again with more garlic butter. Keep some butter available for basting as the fish finishes cooking. Keep the halibut skin-side down for the entire cook; there is no need to flip it.
A fillet like the one shown here will take roughly 10 minutes, but the actual cooking time depends on its thickness. Thinner sections, particularly toward the tail, will cook faster than the thickest part of the fillet.
When is Halibut Done?
Halibut cooks quickly and can become dry if it is overcooked, so watch it closely during the last few minutes. I check the fish by gently separating the flesh with two forks and looking inside. When the halibut changes from translucent to opaque white, I know it is getting close. I then check the thickest part with a digital food thermometer to make sure it has reached 70°C (158°F), the internal temperature recommended by Health Canada for fish.
If the fillet varies in thickness, the thinner sections may be ready before the thicker portions. You can remove the thinner pieces as they finish and give the thicker sections a little more time on the barbecue.
Serving Garlic Butter Halibut
When the halibut is finished cooking, slide a flipper between the flesh and the skin. The skin will usually stick to the foil, allowing the cooked fillet to lift away cleanly. Transfer the halibut to a serving dish and it is ready to serve. I like to serve garlic butter halibut with rice, grilled potatoes, coleslaw or a fresh salad.
Halibut Nutrition
Halibut is a nutritious fish and an excellent source of protein. The table below shows approximate nutrition for a 75 g serving of plain cooked halibut. These values are for the halibut itself and do not include the butter or other ingredients used in this recipe.
| Nutrient | Per 75 g cooked halibut | Approx. % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 105 | — |
| Protein | 20 g | — |
| Fat | 2 g | — |
| Potassium | 432 mg | 13% |
| Phosphorus | 214 mg | 17% |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.03 µg | 43% |
| Vitamin D | 3.6 µg | 18% |
| DHA + EPA omega-3 | 350 mg | — |
Nutrition values are approximate and based on Health Canada data for cooked Atlantic and Pacific halibut. % Daily Value (%DV) is based on Health Canada’s reference values for adults and children 4 years and older. Individual nutrient needs may vary.
Other Fish to Try
I have also used this garlic butter method with lingcod, rockfish and sablefish, and it works well with all three. Cooking times will vary depending on the type of fish and the thickness of the fillet, so watch the fish closely and check the internal temperature before serving.
Your Turn: How Do You Cook Halibut?
If you’re looking for another way to prepare halibut, try our Stuffed Halibut Recipe, made with scallops, green onions and garlic butter. What is your favourite way to cook halibut? If you have a favourite seasoning, sauce or grilling technique, share it in the comments below. I’m always interested in hearing how other anglers prepare their catch.