My easy Pan Seared Halibut with Creamed Spinach Recipe will show you how to prepare pan-seared halibut perfectly every time!
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
robin rue
This sounds like a wonderful meal for seafood lovers. I love all your photos of this dish you made.
Sarah Bailey
There is something amazing about a good fish dish – this sounds absolutely amazing! I totally need to give it a try – thank you so much for the recipe for a fish fan!
Amber Myers
Oh yum, this looks like a tasty and healthy meal. I know my mom will just love it. She’s all about fish dishes. I’ll pass this onto her for sure.
Pooja Shama
Wow! this sounds like amazing recipe and also easy to make.
Chef Dennis Littley
it is and I hope get to try it in your kitchen!
Maysz
Wow! this food looks healthy and yummy! it makes me starving 🙂
Kate Kreates
I’m not a great cook but this looks fairly simple to make and so healthy too… I love fish dishes so will have to give this a try.
Chef Dennis Littley
Its a lot easier than you think Kate. I hope you get to try this recipe in your kitchen soon.
Christa
Fresh, quality ingredients really make a huge difference when cooking. Being able to get fresh ingredients delivered is a great thing!
Chef Dennis Littley
It certainly makes life easier Christa!
Stephanie Cruz
I too am getting in the habit to eat more seafood and this recipe is right up my alley!
Chef Dennis Littley
It’s really easy to make and so very delicious! Thanks for the comment and great review!
Angela Tolsma
Oh I have been trying to figure out how to get fresh fish to the landlocked state of Wisconsin for forever and haven’t had much luck! I can’t wait to check out Sizzle. This food sounds so delicious!
Chef Dennis Littley
I order everything I can online Angela, and now that I’ve found Sizzlefish I can get great seafood delivered to my door!
Becca Wilson
Fish is definitely one of our favorites in our home. This looks like it would be so good!
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks Becca, I hope you get to try the recipe!
Rachel
This looks so good. I have no idea how to cook fish so I find posts like this really helpful.
Chef Dennis Littley
I hope you get to try my recipe soon Rachel, maybe I can help you get over your fear of cooking fish with my recipes
Yota Chelf Dortlouke
as a fellow chef I agree, it’s very important to be able to trust the source of your seafood and know that they are offering the best quality possible! This looks delicious chef!
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks Chef! Sourcing is the biggest problem and makes the biggest difference in what we serve!
Debbra Dunning Brouillette
I love seafood and will try this dish! I had fresh Halibut when I was in Washington state in May and it was wonderful! Love spinach, too!
Chef Dennis Littley
You’ll love this dish Debbra, I hope you get to try it soon.
Patricia Chamberlain
We do not cook a lot of fish in our house, because I cant personally eat it, but this looks super easy and I am sure my family would love it. My toddler loves spinach as well, so i’m sure this meal will be a hit.
Chef Dennis Littley
It really is a lot easier to make than most people think. The biggest problem with cooking seafood is overcooking Have fun with my recipe!!
Stephanie
This looks so simple and delicious! I have to watch how much seafood I eat because of an intolerance to it, but we do try to have it at least every other week. My husband will love this meal!
Chef Dennis Littley
It is simple to prepare and you’ll get rave reviews Stephanie! Thanks for leaving a great review and comment even if you won’t be able to sample this deliciousness.