This Air Fryer Halibut is one of my favorite fish recipes. It's light, flaky, and delicious when topped with this Basil Chimichurri sauce.
Halibut is the most amazing-tasting fish when prepared right. This fish is known to be dry because it's so easy to overcook.
Unlike salmon, halibut has very little fat, making it easy to overcook. Halibut is so lean, it's an excellent source of protein for weight loss. Salmon lovers try the Oven Baked Salmon in Foil and Horseradish Crusted Salmon.
Dial in the perfectly cooked halibut with the use of an air fryer. All air fryers cook differently, but I find 360°F for 8-10 minutes is the sweet spot.
If you like this recipe, try the Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon and the Air Fryer Swordfish Recipe.
Halibut is a mild-tasting white fish that takes on any flavor. We love this basil Chimichurri sauce because it's packed with so much flavor.
Serve halibut up with a delicious side dish like my Tomato Peach Burrata Salad for a great summertime meal.
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⭐️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Cooking halibut is difficult but the air fryer makes it easy when you dial in the time and temperature.
- This halibut steak recipe is packed with flavor, thanks to our basil chimichurri sauce.
- A halibut dinner recipe that contains lean protein and low carb.
- With simple ingredients, this air fryer halibut is ready in 15 minutes
📝 Key Ingredients
Here is a visual overview of the air fryer halibut ingredients. Scroll to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Halibut - You will either see Alaskan halibut or Pacific halibut at your grocery store. Halibut is a great source of lean protein and low in fat.
- Chimichurri Sauce - Basil, oregano, chili flakes, garlic, vinegar, and oil oil are blended to make this sauce. We love this Argentinean sauce with seafood, steak, and vegetables.
See recipe card for quantities.
🥘 Substitutions + Variations
- To make a crispy air fryer halibut, sprinkle it with spices and parmesan cheese.
- Pan-seared, baked, and grilled halibut are other popular ways of preparing this delicious white fish.
- Play around with different sauces, I like a Spicy Mango Salsa on top of my halibut fillets.
- Sometimes you can find halibut cheeks from your local fishmonger. Halibut cheeks are the tenderloin of the fish world. I like to cook mine in butter and squeeze fresh lemon juice on top.
- Make halibut fish tacos with cabbage, mango salsa, and pumpkin seed crema.
🔪 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
There are many ways to cook halibut, and I will show you detailed instructions on how to use an air fryer to cook halibut.
Basil Chimichurri Sauce
Step 1: Combine fresh basil, dried oregano, garlic, red wine vinegar, chili flakes, and olive oil in a food processor.
Step 2. Press the pulse button to chop and blend everything. The texture should look slightly chunky.
Cooking the Halibut
Step 3: Season halibut fillets with salt and pepper and spoon a little of the Chimichurri sauce over the fish.
Step 4: Preheat the air fryer to 360°F and place halibut fillets inside the air fryer basket making sure there is enough space for air flow.
Step 5. Cook for 8-10 minutes depending on your air fryer model and the thickness of the halibut fillets.
Step 6. To serve, spoon more of the Chimichurri sauce over top of the halibut and enjoy!
👨🏻🍳 Chef Tips
- Make sure to pulse the Chimichurri sauce to give it some texture.
- I like to let the halibut fillets marinate in the Chimichurri sauce for 30 minutes before cooking. (Optional)
- I like to use these air fryer parchment paper with perforated holes to prevent fish from sticking.
- A thick center-cut piece of halibut may take 10-15 minutes to cook in the air fryer. Cooking times vary depending on the air fryer model and thickness of the fish.
- Fish is safe to eat at 145°F. I remove the halibut when the internal temperature reaches 135-140°F to carry over cook.
❓Recipe FAQ's
We recommend cooking halibut at 360°F for 8-10 minutes. If you have a thick fillet of halibut your cooking time will increase (10-15 minutes).
Halibut is lean and doesn't have a lot of fat to keep it moist like salmon and sea bass. I like to remove halibut slightly undercooked, (135 -140°F) so it will carry over cook and stay moist.
You have two choices Alaskan halibut or Pacific halibut. The Alaskan halibut is more expensive but worth every penny. It's moist, and flaky when prepared the right way.
Yes! Frozen halibut fillets will add 1-3 minutes of extra cooking time. If you forget to thaw your halibut fillets this is a great option.
Place cooked halibut fillets in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, place a damp paper towel over the halibut and microwave on 70% power for 3 minutes.
🍽 You'll Love These Fish Recipes
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review below and tag @thefrizzledleek on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Halibut with Chimichurri Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 5 oz halibut fillets thawed if previously frozen
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Basil Chimichurri Sauce
- 1 cup packed basil leaves
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 4 garlic cloves peeled
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
Instructions
Basil Chimichurri Sauce
- Place all ingredients for the basil chimichurri sauce in a food processor and process until basil leaves are small and even in size.
Halibut
- Season halibut fillets with salt and pepper on both sides. Brush the fish with some of the Chimichurri sauce.
- Preheat the air fryer to 360°F. Place halibut fillets inside the air fryer and cook for 8-10 minutes until halibut reaches an internal temperature of 135 -140°F.
- Remove halibut from the air fryer and serve with more Chimichurri sauce on top.
Notes
- Use the food processor to pulse the Chimichurri sauce to achieve a chunky texture.
- I like to marinate halibut in the Chimichurri sauce for 30 minutes before cooking to maximize flavor.
- Cooking times will vary depending on your air fryer model and the thickness of the halibut fillets.
- Store halibut in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 4-6 months.
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