My easy Pan Seared Halibut with Creamed Spinach Recipe will show you how to prepare pan-seared halibut perfectly every time!
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After spending six weeks in Europe this summer I realized that I needed to get more seafood in my diet. Too much red meat, white meat or any kind of meat is not good for the body.
Now don’t get me wrong I love meat, but it just needs to be eaten in moderation and in smaller portions. My goal is to eat seafood 2-3 times a week and halibut has become one of my favorite fish to eat.
It’s Important to Find a Trusted Source of Quality Seafood
If you don’t have a good source for fresh seafood in your area (and I don’t mean your local grocery store) there are many online sources for fresh frozen and cryovaced portions of fish.
What Ingredients do you need to make pan seared halibut?
Let’s gather the ingredients for this dish which is referred to as the mise en place in chef speak, which means everything in its place. This is always a good way to start your recipe so all the ingredients are at ready (and in the house) before you start cooking.
I knew I wanted to pan-sear my halibut and as I thought about how to serve it without making an additional sauce, creamed spinach seemed like the perfect companion to this light flaky fish.
Tips for Perfect Pan-Seared Halibut
It’s not difficult to pan-sear halibut (or other fish) if you follow these few simple steps.
- remove the halibut from the refrigerator and let stand for 15 minutes before starting
- dry the surface of the fish very well in between two paper towels
- preheat your skillet (I used cast iron but stainless steel works well too) over high heat
- add a small amount of vegetable oil to the pan, heating the oil until it starts to shimmer slightly
- place each fillet skin side up (good side down) carefully onto the heated pan
- lightly press down on the fish with your spatula to create the perfect crust
Create a Restaurant Style Dish in your home
Creating mouth-watering restaurant-style dishes is a lot easier than you think. It all comes down to getting quality products to create your dishes.
So get in your kitchen and start cooking. I promise after you make this dish you’ll be trying more of my seafood recipes in your home and have fun in the process.
You’ll be creating delicious restaurant-style meals in your own home at a fraction of the cost of going out to dinner. And you’ll have full control of the ingredients used in making your dinner, that’s the best part.
More Seafood Recipes You’ll Love!
- Blackened Salmon with a Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
- Ginger Garlic Pan Roasted Swordfish
- How to Poach Mahi-Mahi (or your favorite fish)
- Grilled Atlantic Rockfish
- Pan Seared Rockfish
Pan Seared Halibut with Creamed Spinach
Ingredients
Pan Seared Halibut
- 12 ounces halibut fillets 2- six ounce fillets
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 ounce vegetable oil for searing
Creamed Spinach
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup Vidalia onion minced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 12 ounces baby spinach stems removed
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup Romano cheese grated
Instructions
Pan Seared Halibut
- season each side of the halibut fillets generously with sea salt and black pepper before searing.
- Preheat a large cast-iron or stainless steel pan over high heat. Add just enough oil for a good coating of the pan. Heat until oil starts to shimmer slightly.
- Add each halibut fillet very carefully to the pan with the good side down.
- Lightly press down on the fish with a spatula to create direct contact with the pan to create the crust for 30 seconds to a minute. Continue to cook the fish for 2-3 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and turn over the fish to the other side. Continue cooking the fish for 2-4 minutes until cooked all the way through. Be careful not to overcook. Undercooked slightly overcooked.
Creamed Spinach
- In a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, melt butter and then add the olive oil.
- Mix in the onions and garlic, cook for 2 minutes until soft.
- Add the spinach and saute until wilted.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, Romano cheese and the heavy cream. Mix well.
- Cook until liquid reduces by half and sauce thickens. About 5-6 minutes.
Assembly
- Place creamed spinach on a plate and serve pan-seared halibut on top of the spinach. Serve immediately
Donna Robinson says
Another 5 star recipe for my cookbook!! I was curious as to what I should serve with this delicious Halibut meal??
(I used our Halibut we caught last summer in Alaska!)
Chef Dennis Littley says
I usually serve roasted or mashed potatoes, but rice would go nicely. As for an additional vegetable, zucchini and tomatoes go nicely, but you could also serve a salad as the side veggie.
Angela Ledgerwood says
Delicious, nutritious, & easy to make – the recipe Triple Crown! Definitely going to make this again.
Femmy Thomas says
Is a delicious recipe ! I love how easy is. Thank you for share.
April says
It says this dish has 21 carbs. May I ask what the carbs are coming from? I want to cook this recipe but trying to follow keto. Thanks!!
Chef Dennis Littley says
thanks for asking, there was an error in the amount of onions in the dish and most of the carbs came from that. As of now the carbs come from the onions, spinach and heavy cream.
Shelley says
I made this several times and it always tastes like a gourmet dish. I heavily season the fish with spices using coriander, and onion and garlic powder to reduce salt. The pairing of the halibut with the creamed spinach is perfect; every mouthful is a delight.
Leslie says
You are so talented! This looks just incredible!
Maggie Unzueta says
Great job, Chef! Looks healthy and delicious.
Sabrina says
Fish is always such a scary thing to cook at home but this made it so easy!
Raquel says
This looks like a wonderful recipe for my favorite fish! It pairs nicely with the spinach!
Marina says
Great halibut recipe, love it with creamy spinach!
Sue says
I just received some halibut. Thank you for this recipe!
Emily Flint says
We get fresh halibut every year and this recipe is perfect for any day of the week! Looks amazing!
Andy Mellon says
Absolutely brilliant. Home grown spinach straight from
Garden.minor variations – Parmigiano and a tablespoon of kefir yoghurt and new potatoes.
Chef Dennis Littley says
thanks for the great review Andy, I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the halibut with your fresh spinach. I love the idea of using kefir