One of my most popular recipes, this Mediterranean Baked Halibut Recipe is simple to make and will give you rave reviews from your family! Fresh halibut is topped with a light mediterranean-flavored sauce and baked for 15 minutes for the perfect easy dinner.
You'll love this baked halibut for an easy meal that can be prepped ahead, but still feels fancy enough to serve guests. Pair it with a butter lettuce salad and Boursin potatoes for a delicious dinner.
And if you haven't tried baked halibut with mayo, it's actually really good. The mayonnaise adds both moisture and flavor, so this is a great recipe if you tend to overcook fish.
The sauce on top really allows for some error in cooking time without it drying out.
Baked Halibut Recipe
This Mediterranean baked halibut recipe has been a favorite for years, getting 5 star reviews from Pinterest and cookbook readers. It’s a weeknight staple in our house!
This recipe was developed because I often would bake halibut, let it cool, and then mix it with these ingredients to make a fish salad. One day I just tried it all together to cut out an extra step - it worked out great!
It's a reader favorite because not only is this recipe delicious, but it also is very simple for every type of cook to make. And you could even substitute the type of fish like I did with this Mediterranean Salmon.
You’ll love this baked halibut with mayo because:
- Fast - It’s ready in under 20 minutes.
- Easy - It’s easy to make with minimal hands on time and the clean up is as simple as throwing away the parchment paper.
- 6 Ingredients - Just a few ingredients needed, many of which you probably have on hand!
- Perfect for weeknights - This is one of my reliable recipes that I love to make when I don't want to think about dinner.
- Great for dinner parties - Guests will love this flavorful meal and you can easily prep the fillets ahead so all you have to do when they come over is bake for 15 minutes.
- Special Diet Friendly - This recipe can fit multiple diets. It’s gluten free, dairy free, and migraine diet friendly. It would also fit a Whole 30 and paleo diet.
Choosing Halibut
If you have a local fishmonger you like, it's always best to get wild caught halibut that's fresh. Because halibut can be expensive, I usually wait till Central Market has a sale and then plug it into my recipes for the week.
Ask your fishmonger for a "center cut, even piece" for best results. If it's out of your budget, cod is usually less expensive and will also work in this recipe.
You can also purchase frozen halibut and defrost it overnight in the fridge so it's ready to go for dinner the next day. A quick defrost, you could place the sealed bag of halibut into room temperature water for about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- Halibut - I use wild caught halibut, but it can be pricey. If you don't want to spend the money on halibut, wild caught cod is a less expensive substitute. The sauce can really work well on a few different types of fish. Previously frozen halibut is ok, just make sure it’s fully defrosted and dry before baking. I portion out about 6-8oz a person, so 1 ¾-2 pounds for 4 people.
- Sun-dried tomatoes - If you can buy these dehydrated in bulk (not in olive oil), I think the flavor is so much better. However any sun-dried tomato in olive oil will work. You can also make your own sun-dried tomatoes. Hate tomatoes? Try this air fryer halibut recipe instead (you can bake it too!).
- Fresh Basil - I prefer to use fresh basil for this recipe just because a stronger basil flavor here works well with the tomatoes. However, dried will work in a pinch.
- Mayonnaise - I like to use Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Mayo, or you can even do homemade mayo. It may seem strange to put mayo on halibut, but it keeps the fish really flavorful and prevents it from drying out.
- Dried Oregano - Fresh is certainly fine for this recipe if you have it, but dried works well here.
- Garlic - Fresh garlic works best to add a stronger flavor to the mayo topping.
How to Make
This is the easiest baked halibut recipe you will ever make.
Step 1: Prep the ingredients and oven.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit or 220 Celcius. Start by patting the halibut dry, place it on a baking sheet covered with parchment or foil for easy clean up, and season it with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Make the mayo mixture
Mix together the mayonnaise, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, and garlic. Spoon the mixture on top of the halibut fillet, covering the top with a thin layer.
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You should have enough for 2 large fillets or 3 smaller fillets. I would probably recommend doing 2 fillets if just doing a pound. I did 3 above but it was more difficult to coat if you have a thicker fillet.
Step 3: Bake halibut
Bake at 425F/220C for 13-15 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. A thinner fillet will take about 13 minutes, whereas a larger fillet will run about 15 minutes. Top with fresh basil leaves!
Recipe Tip
I absolutely love using these pre-cut parchment paper sheets that you don't have to worry about cutting. They're not bleached and perfect for this baked halibut recipe!
Recipe Substitutions
- Sun-dried tomatoes - You can leave out the sun-dried tomatoes, however I would recommend adding a little more basil and oregano for flavor depth. It will change the flavor profile, but still is a great recipe.
- Halibut - I've made this recipe with salmon, cod, and
- For an egg sensitivity, I recommend making my vegan mayo.
- I do not recommend replacing the mayo in this recipe, but even if you’re not a huge mayonnaise fan, it doesn’t seem overpowering for this recipe. Try it at least once as written. It’s definitely a fan favorite.
Storage Information
Fridge - Mediterranean halibut can be stored in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. I would recommend eating this as fresh as you can, it's always best that way.
You could even mix this up into a fish salad, adding a little bit more mayo, if you'd like to serve it cold as leftovers.
Reheat - To reheat, either microwave in 30 second increments, or warm in an oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about 5-7 minutes.
Freezer - I don't recommend freezing this recipe after cooking. Not only does the texture change, but this one is easy enough to make without worrying about reheating.
Serving Suggestions
I recommend pairing this mediterranean baked halibut with some easy sides like roasted baby potatoes and green beans. Some other options that would work for this baked halibut recipe are:
Vegetables - A few of my favorite vegetable sides that pair well are simple green beans, roasted mashed cauliflower, and cauliflower in cheese sauce.
Starches - Boursin mashed potatoes are probably my favorite side, but even simple roasted potatoes are delicious. For a pasta, try my mascarpone pasta or mozzarella alfredo which both have mild flavors that won't overwhelm the fish. Warm bread is also wonderful here.
Greens - My favorite simple salad is this Butter lettuce salad, but for a great summer side, try the peach burrata salad with a basil vinaigrette.
Easy Fish Recipes
For more easy fish ideas like this baked halibut recipe, I recommend these posts!
If you make this, tag me #thedizzycook or @thedizzycook on Facebook and Instagram. And if you love the recipe, please leave a review below! Follow along on my Pinterest for more great recipes.
Mediterranean Baked Halibut
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh halibut, cut into 2-3 fillets
- 3 tablespoons sundried tomatoes, chopped
- 3 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
- kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F/ 220 C. Mix together chopped sun-dried tomatoes, mayo, garlic, and oregano.
- Place parchment on top of a baking sheet, then place the fish on top, skin side down. Sprinkle fish with a tiny bit of kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Spread the mayonnaise/tomato mixture over the top of the fish.
- Bake at 425 for 15-17 minutes. My fish was about 1 ½" thick and took 15 minutes. Remove from oven and top with fresh chopped basil. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can use previously frozen halibut, just make sure it's fully defrosted and patted dry.
- This recipe works with cod or even salmon - any mild white fish!
- I like to use fresh sun-dried tomatoes (I get these in the tomato area at Central Market), but you could also use ones packed in oil or water.
Nutrition
This baked halibut recipe was originally written in April 2018 and has been updated September 2024 to have new recipe tips and photos.
This was an easy meal to prepare and tasted delicious. The whole family raved about it. We will be making this again.
I made this last night for dinner and it was easy and delicious. I used Haddock as that is what I had from Fish Fixe. So tender and moist and lots of flavor. I use the Mezzetta brand of sundried tomatoes in oil as it is sulfite free. Will definitely be making this again.
Loved this wonderful recipe. My only modification was to add a few chopped cherry tomatoes with the sun dried tomatoes. It was sooooo good!
That sounds delicious! You'll have to give my mediterranean salmon recipe a try too!
I love this so much and with halibut at $30/lb where I live I wondered if Rock Fish (7.99/lb) would be as good. I sautés the fresh garlic because the cooking time with the Rock Fish fillets would be much less. I put a large dollop of the marinade in the center of the fillet and wrapped the fillet around the marinade and secured with tooth pick. I put a dab of marinade on the top of the fillet roll and baked at 425 for 10 min. It was very good! I stil add about 4 chopped cherry tomatoes.
Glad that worked for you, Liz! Thanks for sharing this alternative. I've never had rock fish before!
Where do you find sundried tomatoes that don't have sulfur or "spices" on the label? I haven't been able to find any.
Spices would be ok. Mezzetta is a commonly found brand. I find mine at Central Market next to all the fresh tomatoes if you're in texas.
Halibut is my favorite fish. I’ve tried a lot of different recipes. This has to be my favorite. It was absolutely delicious
Is the bake time 400 or 425 it’s says it’s 400 in the first set of instructions, then in the recipe breakdown is says 425?
Hey! It's 425!
Loved it! Added a little Parmesan at the end!
Awesome!!
do people eat the skin?
Some people do! You can always remove it.
Good and fast. Will become a staple
Best Halibut recipe, thank you so much!
Thanks Adele!
Delicious! I added capers because I had them in my refrigerator. I didn’t use lemon at first, but the taste was enhanced with a squeeze of lemon. Thanks for a great recipe.
Oh my gosh, pure goodness. This is by far the best halibut recipe we’ve tried. Thanks for sharing.
My husband brought home lots of beautiful halibut from a recent fishing trip. I have tried several highly rated recipes that were just so-so, but this recipe is delicious. I doubled the topping because I had a 2 lb piece. I will definitely make this one again. Thank you!
Thank you so much for your review! I'm so glad you loved this one as much as I do.
YESSS! This is stellar thanks so much for the recipe!!! Love adding fish to our diet to add so many extra nutrients.
I’ve saved this recipe but haven’t tried it yet. Question: should I soften the sun dried tomatoes in hot water and pat them dry before mixing it with the mayo? It seems like chopped dry tomatoes would be chewy, even after baking the fish.
Thank you in advance for your reply!
If they're like super dry and crispy - yes!! If they're soft you don't need to soak in water. They're not too chewy, you just chop them really small.
Thanks Alicia! I’m going to make this tonight. My filets are skinless will put parchment paper on the pan to help prevent the flesh from sticking.
It should! Watch the cooking time on it because sometimes skinless can dry out a little bit faster. The topping should seal in some moisture though!