If you love whitefish, you will want to try this simple Alaska halibut steak recipe with homemade pesto.
This grilled whitefish recipe is a perfect introduction to eating fish for kids because halibut is mild and doesn't get mushy. If seafood is your thing, check out these amazing gluten free seafood recipes. There are over 50 delicious recipes to try!
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(*This post was sponsored by Alaska Seafood as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all Alaska seafood loving opinions expressed in my post are my own.)
Welcome back :-).
We are pretty lucky! My kids are pretty picky, but they do like whitefish!
For dinner tonight, I made this simple Grilled Halibut Steak with Fresh Pesto recipe. Alaska Halibut is an easy whitefish to cook and kids love it.
Alaska Halibut is firm and has a mild flavor. Combine it with fresh pesto, and it makes a delicious dinner!
Wild-caught Alaska whitefish comes in many varieties, such as halibut, sablefish (black cod), sole, Alaska pollock and cod. It is a delicious and easy way for the whole family to eat more seafood.
Alaska’s cold pristine waters produce the purest, high-quality seafood. Its wild fisheries contribute nearly 60% of all seafood harvested in the United States. When you are out shopping at the grocery store, make sure to “Ask for Alaska” to ensure you’re enjoying the best, most sustainable seafood.
For this recipe, I chose to make a healthy halibut recipe that doesn't taste healthy. (If you have kids, you totally understand what I mean by this. Hiding nutrition is a way of life in our house!)
Ways to cook fish:
- Grill
- Bake
- Sauté
- Sous vide
We are the crazy ones who love to use their grill all year long. Even in the rain! We even bring Alaska halibut camping and cook it in foil for a delicious easy camping meal!
Are you ready to see how easy it is to cook halibut?
Instructions:
If you purchased your halibut frozen, you will need to let it thaw out before grilling.
How to thaw frozen fish:
To thaw frozen fish, put the frozen fish (in its packaging) on a plate and put it into the refrigerator. Let it thaw over a day or two. If you need your fish thawed quicker. Place the frozen fish in its package into a bowl of warm water and allow it to sit for 15 minutes.
Once your fish is thawed, add salt and pepper to the raw halibut steaks. Drizzle a little olive oil on top. Let this sit for 5 minutes while you make the fresh pesto. Preheat your grill so that it will be hot when you are ready to cook.
Add fresh basil, garlic cloves, olive oil, parmesan cheese, and toasted pine nuts to a Cuisinart. Blend until all ingredients are blended together. (Make sure you don't leave it on too long or it will liquefy.)
This fresh pesto will keep for up to 5 days in your refrigerator.
How to grill halibut:
Rub the pesto on both sides of the Alaska halibut steaks. You are going to love this Alaska halibut steak recipe!
Close the grill lid and allow to grill for 10 minutes. Alaska halibut cooks in about 5 minutes per side if you are flipping it. I didn't flip mine and it was ready in 10 minutes.
More ways to cook halibut:
- A stovetop is a quick and easy way to cook halibut. Put some oil into a sauté pan and heat on medium heat. Add the fish and herbs, salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes on each side. (Note cooking time depends on how thick the fish is.
- Cook halibut in your oven! You can easily bake halibut in a dish. Just add oil, herbs, salt, and pepper. Bake at 350F degrees for 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish.
- Sous Vide halibut. My son has been getting into sous vide cooking lately. Place the halibut with fresh herbs into a special bag and use the pump to suck out the air from the bag. Sous vide takes a long time because it gently cooks the fish at a very low temperature. Ensure to leave about an hour for your halibut to cook.
Side dish ideas:
- Everyone loves potatoes and these fancy Roasted Bacon Potato Roses make a show-stopping side dish.
- Cheese and potatoes cook together in this Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes recipe
- If you are looking for a healthier side, this Kale and Apple Salad is kid-approved.
- Sweet potatoes and leeks sauté together in this Pan-Fried Sweet Potatoes recipe. It is delicious with fish.
Tools:
- A food processor to make the homemade pesto.
- This large grill spatula is perfect for picking up the foil packets off the grill.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave me a rating and a comment. I LOVE hearing from you!! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest to see even more delicious recipes!
📋 Recipe
Grilled Alaska Halibut with Fresh Pesto
Ingredients
- 4 Alaska halibut steaks
- 1 teaspoon olive oil (to brush on fish)
- 1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- dash black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the grill.
- Place the Alaska halibut steaks on a piece of foil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush with olive oil.
- Place basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and the 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a Cuisinart. Blend well.
- Brush the pesto on both sides of the fish.
- Place the foil with the fish on the grill. Close the lid and cook for 10 minutes.
- Serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
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Wendy Rivera
Hello. Going to try this one. I assume I should remove skin. Mine has skin on. Have never grilled fish with foil. Hopeful!! Thanks
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Wendy, I grill mine with the skin on...skin down on the foil.
johny
thasnks
shell shockers
wow, the fish looks delicious and very attractive, thank you for sharing
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you so much 🙂
animal jam
There is nothing better than fresh wild caught seafood. I just can’t do the farm-raised fish. The pesto sauce sounds awesome.
Sandi Gaertner
I don't like farm raised fish either. I am so glad you found this recipe, I hope you enjoy it as much as we do ;-).