This air fryer halibut with garlic butter sauce is a quick and easy recipe for delicious and tender halibut for dinner in less than 10 minutes.
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If you are looking for the best halibut recipes, look no further! This air fryer halibut is by far the easiest and quickest way to get deliciously tender and flaky halibut in less than 10 minutes.
Although it might seem fancy, it is simple enough to serve for dinner any day of the week! Since air frying takes less than 10 minutes, you can have it served up in no time.
If you love this recipe be sure to try our other healthy seafood recipes like mahi mahi, Asian Chilean sea bass, Crab Cakes, Argentine Red Shrimp, and Salmon with Old Bay!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Air fryer halibut is quick and easy!
- Air frying is faster than baking, grilling, or pan-searing.
- 6 simple ingredients.
- Tender, flaky, juicy, and bursting with flavor.
- Healthy halibut recipe that is dairy-free, gluten-free, and keto, and is more heart-healthy than the deep-fried recipe.
- Great meal for 2 that can also be doubled for the whole family.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Reference the recipe card at the bottom for exact measurements and the notes below for substitution ideas.
- Halibut: This air fryer halibut recipe was created using an Alaskan wild-caught halibut fillet, not halibut cheeks. However, the sauce would pair well with many seafood recipes so I believe you could interchange cheeks or even mahi mahi, salmon, salmon bites, or shrimp if desired.
- Mayonnaise: I used Primal Kitchen garlic aioli mayonnaise.
- Green onions: Optional, but instructions for pickling green onions are in the recipe card. This makes a delicious topping for halibut.
How to Make This Recipe
Below are step-by-step instructions for how to cook this recipe with the best results. The recipe card at the bottom shows the exact cooking time and temperatures.
Step 1
Use a paper towel to dry off the fillets. Then, season with salt and pepper on both sides.
Step 2
If using, chop green onions and place them in ¼ cup rice vinegar to pickle.
Step 3
Place fillets in the cooking basket and cook at 350F for 6-8 minutes.
Step 4
While halibut is cooking, stir together the butter, mayo, garlic, and onion powder and set aside.
Step 5
During the last minute of cooking, brush the garlic butter sauce evenly on top of the two fillets.
Serving, Storage, Reheating, Make-Ahead, and Freezer Tips
What to Serve with Halibut
Serve air fryer halibut with veggie side dishes like asparagus, broccoli, zucchini, or a salad. Mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, or rice are also great side dishes to serve with halibut.
Alternatively, you can cut the fillet up into bites and serve it in tacos or in a bowl like this salmon buddha bowl.
How to Store Leftover Fish
Store leftovers in an airtight container (these are my favorite glass containers) for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
How to Reheat
Reheat leftovers by air frying at 350F for 1-2 minutes or until heated through.
Make-Ahead Tips
Air fryer halibut can be made ahead by seasoning the fillets and combining ingredients for garlic butter sauce. Make components ahead separately up to 1 day in advance.
Making Halibut From Frozen
You can make air fryer halibut from frozen by adding 2-4 additional minutes (or more) to air frying. Season with salt and pepper before adding the sauce in the final minute of air frying.
Other Expert Tips
- Air fryer halibut is done between 130F and 135F, therefore use an instant-read thermometer to temp the fish before adding garlic butter sauce. Fish should flake easily when cooked through.
- Select fillets that are similar in size and thickness to ensure even cooking.
- Serve with easy garlic bread rolls!
Recipe FAQs
Halibut is super easy to cook by air frying. With this recipe, you simply season it with a dry rub of salt and pepper and then add a garlic butter sauce in the last minute of cooking.
In my opinion, air frying is the best way to cook any fish.
Halibut is a versatile fish that is a meatier white fish, with a texture almost like tuna steak. It has a subtle flavor (similar to mahi-mahi) making it an excellent base for tacos or a buddha bowl.
Air fryer halibut is also delicious with a vegetable side like asparagus, broccoli, zucchini, mashed potatoes, or sweet potatoes.
Garlic butter sauce is in this recipe, however, you can use just the dry rub and then substitute another sauce for the last minute of cooking.
Sauces like teriyaki, bbq, ginger soy, or lemon butter would all be delicious.
I like to cook it at a lower temperature like 350F compared to salmon which I usually air fry at 400F.
Depending on the size of the fillet, it will take anywhere between 6 and 9 minutes.
Related Recipes
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Air Fryer Garlic Butter Halibut Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 fillets halibut
- salt and pepper to taste
Sauce Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Primal Kitchen garlic aioli mayonnaise may sub for Hellman's or other mayonnaise if desired.
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Optional Green Onion Topping
- 1 medium green onion chopped
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
Instructions
- Use a paper towel to dry off the fillets. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.2 fillets halibut, salt and pepper
- If using, chop green onions and place them in ¼ cup rice vinegar to pickle.1 medium green onion, ¼ cup rice vinegar
- Place fillets in the cooking basket and cook at 350F for 6-8 minutes.
- While halibut is cooking, stir together the ingredients for the garlic butter sauce and set aside.1 tablespoon Primal Kitchen garlic aioli mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon butter, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon onion powder
- During the last minute of cooking, brush the sauce evenly on top of the two fillets.
Notes
- Halibut is done between 130F and 135F, therefore use an instant-read thermometer to temp the fish before adding sauce. Thickness and whether it was frozen or thawed will impact cook time. Add additional minutes if needed.
- Select fillets that are similar in size and thickness to ensure even cooking.
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Julie Jevremov says
Really enjoyed recipe exactly as written. Served with green beans sauteed slightly with olive oil and chopped garlic. First time using our Ninja air fryer to make fish, done in 8 minutes.
Lyndsey Piccolino says
Hi Julie! Thanks for your review! I'm glad you enjoyed.