What to Serve With Halibut (14 Best Side Dishes)

If you’re wondering what to serve with halibut, you’ve come to the right place!

There are plenty of tasty side dishes that perfectly complement this mild white fish.

Halibut is a healthy choice for lunch or dinner. It’s delicious baked, grilled, poached, or steamed.

With its mild flavor, halibut is similar to tilapia and is an easy go-to meal.

Don’t be afraid to add a little spice! Just remember that it can be easy to overcook leaner fish, so keep an eye on your temperatures and timings. 

What Goes Well with Halibut?

Because it’s so light, you’ll want to choose side dishes for halibut that pack a flavorful punch.

Flavorful rice, savory potatoes, roasted vegetables, and sauteed mushrooms are all wonderful accompaniments.

Whether you’re serving it for a quick weeknight dinner or something a little fancier, these 14 easy side dishes are perfect to eat with halibut and will definitely be a hit.

1. Autumn Harvest Salad With Orange Vinaigrette

If you’re looking for lighter fare, this Autumn Harvest Salad is a must try!

The combination of orange slices, roasted nuts, and cranberries will give your halibut a fresh kick. 

Store-bought salad and a dressing that comes together in a snap make this a wonderful and different option as a side. 

2. Buttery Sautéed Green Bean Recipe

Packed with garlic and a little hint of lemon, these buttery green beans will be quite the compliment to your halibut. They’ll add a nice pop of color to your plate!

The simple flavors enhance the sweetness in the fish, and the lemon adds a little zest to the dish.

All it takes to make these beans is a quick 3-minute boil followed by less than 2 minutes in a butter and garlic swirl.

Feel free to experiment with your flavors! Try adding some rosemary or basil to your butter for a whole new level of wow. 

3. Indian Lemon Rice

Tangy and full of Indian spices, this side dish will give your taste buds a treat!

The savory curry flavors mixed with the tang of the lemon will compliment the halibut and its mild flavor.

Cooking the rice in a cast iron pan will make it tender and crunchy.

4. Braised Fingerling Potatoes with Garlic, Shallots, and Fresh Herbs

Looking for something a little more filling?

Braise potatoes in a little water or stock. It’s an extra step, but it will leave you with a delicious caramelized garlic and onion glaze.

You can coat potatoes with it for a yummy side dish, and it can be poured over the fish for an added boost.

Cook the potatoes in the stock to ensure they are fork-tender. After turning the potatoes, you can gently place your halibut on top, cooking everything together as one. 

5. Spring Pesto Roasted Tomatoes

The simplicity of this side dish doesn’t take away from its flavors. Fresh, juicy tomatoes filled with garlic, chili flakes, and pesto compliment the slightly sweet halibut perfectly.

And the breadcrumbs provide some much-needed crunch for a well-rounded flavor and texture.

This dish comes together fast, allowing for store-bought pesto and breadcrumbs. The result is to die for!

Your guests will be so impressed!

Here’s a tip: this dish needs 18-20 minutes in the oven, so you can even add the halibut onto the tray after the first 5 minutes, allowing it to cook in the juices from the tomatoes at the same time.

6. Lemon Couscous Recipe

Lemon is a classic go-to when cooking fish. It’s a simple way to boost the natural flavor of fish, along with adding some freshness and a little kick.

Couscous is a fast side that can be easily adapted to fit certain tastes.

Going from a simple lemon base, you can add vegetables, fresh herbs, feta, or even raisins and nuts for a diverse and delicious side. 

7. Cilantro Lime Slaw

With its tender and slightly sweet flesh, halibut makes an excellent choice for fish tacos. And fish tacos aren’t complete without some slaw!

This colorful and crunchy side adds freshness and zing to halibut tacos. If you like it a little sweeter, add in some honey. Prefer some extra spice? Add chilies into the mix. 

This dish will work well as a simple side or as a topping for the tacos.

The creamy dressing and crunch of the vegetables will be a pleasant contrast to the tender fish. Perfect with a Corona and some lime!

8. Artichoke Hearts in a White Wine Garlic Butter Sauce

White wine and garlic are magical ingredients, and when brought together with a little lemon and some butter, they make tender artichoke hearts the perfect pairing for fish. 

With just 5 minutes of cooking time, you’ll have a restaurant-worthy dinner. If you like a little extra texture, try baking your halibut with an herbed crust.

9. Cucumber Tomato Salad

Fresh, crunchy cucumbers and juicy tomatoes drizzled with a little balsamic will make a crowd-pleasing side to any dish. 

Easy to make ahead, balsamic and tomatoes are already a match made in heaven.

The bold flavors are calmed slightly by adding cucumbers into the mix. It’s the perfect addition to halibut.

10. Roasted Vegetables

You really can’t go wrong with a selection of roasted and colorful veggies.

The beauty of this side is that everything gets roasted together.

Toss your chosen vegetables in some oil, salt and pepper, and whatever herbs you like, and roast on a single tray for an easy to clean side. 

If you need to make dinner even easier, rub your halibut with some of the oil and seasonings and place on the tray to roast alongside the vegetables.

Just be sure you add the fish in the last 15 minutes of baking.

11. Quick Bok Choy with Garlic and Ginger

Another super-fast side is this healthy and colorful bok choy dish. 

With fresh ginger, garlic, chilli flakes, and sesame oil, this Asian inspired side will add a vitamin boost to your already healthy halibut.

And with less than 10 minutes of cooking time, you can have it on the table in record time. 

12. Sauteed Corn with Fresh Tarragon and Shiitake Mushrooms

Sweet corn is an underrated side, mostly because people don’t always know how to give it a lift.

This recipe combines naturally sweet corn, buttery shiitake mushrooms, and tarragon for a unique flavor combination.

The subtle flavor of the tarragon won’t overpower the natural sweetness in the fish, while the meaty mushrooms will add a pleasant, savory note. 

13. Best Italian Orzo Salad

With this side, orzo is mixed with tomatoes, chickpeas, cucumber, and Italian dressing for a substantial yet light dish.

This dish is easy to make ahead and comes together fast. For added flavor, try marinating the fish in some of the dressing for 30 minutes before cooking. 

14. Sautéed Mushrooms and Spinach with Spicy Garlic Sauce

This spicy Korean-inspired dish is substantial enough to have as a meat-free main. But when served with halibut, you’ll get a healthy meal with some complex flavors and textures.

Another fast option, this dish comes together in less than 15 minutes. The bold flavors in the sauce are more than enough to jazz up your fish. 

Try adding a little honey or some edamame for a sweeter take on the recipe.

What to Serve With Halibut

In addition to the side dishes for halibut listed above, there are also several other halibut side dishes that you can’t go wrong with.

If you’re making a meal for the family, why not serve up some creamy mac and cheese?

Or you could even try steamed broccoli smothered in cheddar cheese. It’s an easy way to sneak in some veggies to their plates.

Halibut is also delicious when served on top of risotto or pasta with a light, white wine sauce.

Whatever you serve with your halibut, no one will be able to resist this spectacular white fish!

Preparations for Halibut

In addition to wondering what to serve with halibut, you might also be wondering what the best ways are to prepare it.

There are different cooking methods you can use based on the firmness of your fish. If it’s on the flakier side, you may want to opt for steaming, poaching, or baking it in the oven.

For firmer filets, you can always pan-sear it, grill it, or even bread it and fry it. There’s really no wrong way to prepare halibut!