Crisp on the outside, tender and buttery inside — this pan-seared halibut with wilted spinach and lemon butter sauce is proof that simple techniques make restaurant-quality dinners at home. It’s the kind of clean, bright dish that takes just 20 minutes but tastes like you worked all night.
After fresh halibut in Alaska, there’s no changing our minds—it’s the king of white fish. But most people are serving sad, soggy versions because they’re not letting the pan get hot enough to form a proper crust. That step changes everything. Get the heat right, sear without moving, and halibut stops being something you order at restaurants and becomes your one-pan, date-night dinner at home.
We use this exact technique across our quick-cooking fish recipes (cod, sea bass, whatever’s in season), but halibut with wilted spinach and a bright lemon butter sauce is the combo that actually feels special—impressive enough for date night, simple enough that you’re only washing one pan, and built on a recipe you’ll use it forever for any fish worth cooking.
If you’re new to the technique, our full collection of pan-seared recipes breaks down everything you need to know, from heat control to crust formation.
🔪 Ingredients & Tools You’ll Need
For the Halibut
- Halibut fillets (about 1.5 inches thick, skin removed)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Avocado oil (or any high smoke point oil)
- Fresh baby spinach
For the Lemon Butter Sauce
- Garlic
- Dry white wine or chicken broth
- Cold butter, cut into cubes
- Fresh lemon juice
- Chopped fresh parsley
Equipment
- Cast iron or stainless steel skillet
- Fish spatula
- Instant-read thermometer
- Tongs
📝 Step-By-Step Instructions: How to Make Pan Seared Halibut in a Skillet
1. Prep and Season
Pat halibut completely dry with paper towels — moisture is the enemy of browning. Season both sides with salt and black pepper.
2. Sear the Fish
Heat avocado oil in your skillet over medium-high until it’s shimmering and just starting to smoke. Carefully lay in the fillets and don’t move them — you’re building that crust. Sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown and the internal temp hits 130–135°F. Remove and tent with foil. If you want another great example, this pan-seared salmon uses the same high-heat method and shows how versatile this approach really is.
3. Wilt the Spinach
Toss the spinach right into the hot pan drippings with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir with tongs until just wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Plate it as a bed for the halibut.
4. Make the Lemon Butter Sauce
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Sauté garlic in the pan until fragrant, then deglaze with white wine or broth, scraping up those browned bits. Let it reduce by half.
Take the pan off the heat, whisk in cold butter a few cubes at a time, then finish with lemon juice and parsley. Spoon that golden sauce over your fish and spinach.
Butter should always go in off the heat for sauces like this. That’s how you get a creamy, glossy emulsion instead of a greasy, broken mess.
🔄 Substitutions & Variations
- Swap halibut for cod, grouper, or sea bass — just adjust cooking time by thickness.
- Use arugula or Swiss chard instead of spinach for different greens.
- Add red pepper flakes to the sauce if you like a hint of heat.
- Deglaze with chicken broth for a non-alcoholic version.
- Or try the sauce technique on Pan-Seared Cod with Tomatoes for a Mediterranean twist.
💡 Meat Nerd Tips
- Halibut’s mild flavor makes it a great canvas for butter and acid — always finish with lemon to brighten it up.
- Wild-caught halibut tends to be thicker and holds up better for searing than farmed fillets.
- A fish spatula isn’t optional — its thin edge helps flip delicate fillets without tearing them.
- Dry your fish well before searing — moisture steams, not browns.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Sear in batches if needed.
- Use an instant-read thermometer. Halibut is perfect at 130–135°F.
- Add butter off the heat. Keeps the sauce creamy and prevents it from breaking.
🍽️ What to Serve with Pan-Seared Halibut
- Garlic mashed potatoes
- Lemon rice pilaf
- Roasted asparagus or green beans
- Crusty bread for soaking up every drop of sauce
- And from our sister site LibationChronicles.com: try pairing it with a Citrus Gin Spritz or Chardonnay-based White Sangria
🧊 Leftovers & Reheating
- Store leftovers in an airtight container up to 2 days.
- Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat, adding a splash of water or broth as needed, until warm.
- Avoid microwaving — it’ll overcook the fish and wilt the spinach to mush.
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Pan Seared Halibut with Wilted Spinach and Lemon Butter Sauce
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
For the Halibut
- 2 8-ounce halibut fillets, about 1.5-inches thick, skin removed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach
For the Lemon Butter Sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 tablespoons butter cold and cut into pieces
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Cook the Halibut
- Pat the fillets completely dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and black pepper.
- Heat the avocado oil in a large stainless steel or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Wait until the oil is shimmering and just beginning to smoke.
- Place the fillets carefully in the hot pan. Sear on the first side without moving them, allowing a golden brown crust to form, which should take 3 to 4 minutes.
- Flip the fillets using a thin fish spatula.
- Continue to cook for another 3 to 4 minutes on the second side, or until the internal temperature reaches 130-135°F on an instant-read thermometer and the fish flakes easily.
- Remove the halibut from the pan and set aside.
Saute the Spinach
- Add the spinach to the hot skillet, which will have the remaining oil and fish drippings.
- Toss the spinach with tongs, seasoning it with salt and pepper, until it has just wilted, which should only take 1 to 2 minutes.
- Remove the spinach from the pan and arrange it on serving plates, then place the seared halibut fillets on top.
Make the Lemon Butter Sauce
- Reduce the skillet heat to medium-low. Add the garlic to the pan and saute until fragrant.
- Pour in the white wine or chicken broth to deglaze the skillet, scraping up any bits from the bottom.
- Allow the liquid to simmer and reduce by about half.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the cold, cubed butter and lemon juice, whisking until the butter melts and emulsifies.
Serve
- Pour the lemon butter sauce over the fillets and spinach. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
- Use a hot pan and dry fish. Pat the halibut very dry before seasoning so it actually sears instead of steaming.
- Pick the right oil. Use avocado or another high smoke point oil; butter alone will burn before the fish is done.
- Target temp: 130–135°F. Halibut is best when just opaque and flaky. An instant-read thermometer takes out the guesswork.
- Don’t fuss with it. Once the fish hits the pan, leave it alone for a few minutes to build that golden crust.
- Wilt the spinach in the drippings. The fond and oil left in the pan season the greens for free flavor.
- For the sauce, kill the heat. Take the pan off the burner before whisking in cold butter so the sauce stays creamy instead of breaking.
- No wine? No problem. Low-sodium chicken broth works just as well for deglazing.
- Other fish that work. This method is also great for thick fillets of cod, grouper, or sea bass—just adjust time for thickness.
Nutrition
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❓FAQs for damned good Pan Seared Halibut
It should flake easily with a fork and reach 130–135°F internally. The center should look just opaque, not dry.
Your pan was too hot when adding butter. Always remove from heat before whisking it in.
Yes, but press it down gently as it cooks so the skin gets crisp. Remove the skin before saucing, if desired.
A dry white like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio — something you’d drink with the dish.
Either the pan wasn’t hot enough or you tried to flip too soon. Let the fish sear undisturbed until a crust forms; it will release more easily when it’s ready.
Use a high smoke point oil like avocado, canola, or grapeseed oil. Save the butter for finishing the sauce so it doesn’t burn.
Yes. Swap the white wine for low-sodium chicken broth to deglaze the pan and build the sauce.
You can, as long as they’re fully thawed and patted very dry before searing. Any extra moisture will fight against browning.
