20-Minute Pecan Crusted Halibut

Craving a quick and easy fish dish? This 20-Minute Pecan Crusted Halibut hits all the right notes with its perfect balance of savory and sweet flavors, a tender, flaky interior, and a delightfully crispy exterior.

If you’re like me and love the contrast of textures in nut-crusted fish, this recipe is a must-try—just like my popular Almond Crusted Salmon.

Not only is this dish ready in just 20 minutes, but it also requires only one sheet pan, making it both delicious and effortlessly simple.

The combination of honey mustard’s sweetness, the bright citrus from lemon, and the rich nuttiness of pecans creates a flavor experience you won’t forget.

Pecan Crusted Halibut Ingredients

Here’s everything you need:

• Halibut.  This recipe was developed for individual portions of fresh, skinless halibut, about 4 ounces per portion. If you’re using frozen halibut, make sure to thaw it before following this recipe.
• Honey mustard. This adds a subtle sweetness to this dish. If you don’t have honey mustard on hand, you can easily make your own by mixing 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard with 2 teaspoons honey.
• Lemon. You only need 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, which is equivalent to the juice of approximately 1/4 of a large lemon.
• Pecans. You can buy them crushed or use whole pecans and crush them manually.
• Panko. For extra crunch. Panko gets the crispiest, but if you have other breadcrumbs on hand, you can easily use those instead.
• Salt & pepper. To ramp up all the other flavors.

Sustainable Seafood

While this recipe is delicious with really any white fish, halibut gets deliciously tender and flaky. It has a mild taste that takes on other flavors very well. Plus, there are ways to source halibut sustainably!

U.S. wild-caught Pacific halibut is a sustainable seafood choice as it is local and native to the Pacific Ocean and responsibly harvested under strict regulation.

Green tip: Look for Marine Stewardship Council and Friend of the Sea labels on your fish to ensure they were harvested sustainably.

Pecan Crusted Halibut Tips and Tricks

Make Your Marinade

Start by mixing your honey mustard and lemon juice together to form a quick marinade. Fresh lemon goes a long way in this recipe!

Squeeze your lemon juice into a small mixing bowl first. This will give you an opportunity to remove any lemon seeds if they fall into your bowl.

Then, add your honey mustard and stir to combine.

Crush Your Pecans

The pecans need to be crushed so that you can more easily form a crust for your halibut with them. Ideally, you will have some remaining larger chunks and some pieces that break down into fine dust.

I like to use my mortar and pestle to crush the pecans, but you can also add your cookies to a large storage bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.

Green tip: Reduce your plastic waste by using these reusable storage bags!

You can use a blender or food processor, but you may find that all of your pecans break down completely, and it’s best to keep some larger pieces!

Make Your Crust

Add your crushed pecans to a bowl with the panko, salt, and pepper and mix. This mixture will act as an outer crust for your halibut.

Adding panko to the crust is a really great way to ensure it’s extra crispy!

Prep Your Halibut for Roasting

Before you start cooking, it’s best to dry your halibut in order to get the best texture.

Green tip: Paper products contribute to deforestation. Consider these bamboo paper towels! Bamboo naturally regenerates every few months, whereas trees cannot regrow once harvested.

Place your halibut filets in between two paper towels and press down lightly to pat dry to remove excess moisture. This will avoid a mushy texture and allow for the crispiest exterior.

You can use fresh or frozen halibut! Just thaw frozen fish overnight in the refrigerator or add it to a plastic or reusable storage bag and submerge the bag in cold water for about 45 minutes to defrost.

Coat Your Fish

Add your halibut to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a reusable baking mat. Use a spoon or pastry brush to coat both sides of the fish with a thin layer of your honey mustard and lemon marinade.

Press in the Crust

Using clean hands, grab a handful of your pecan crust mixture and lightly press it into your fish. This recipe makes enough crust to generously coat two individual 4-ounce portions of halibut.

Halibut, when cooked correctly, is super juicy and flaky. To avoid drying it out, it’s important not to overcook it. The optimal internal temperature for halibut is 130°F.

If you’re worried about overcooking it, use a kitchen thermometer to monitor the temperature!

In the oven at 425°F, fresh halibut will roast in just 10-12 minutes.

How to Properly Store and Reheat Halibut with Pecan Crust

Once cooked, your Pecan Crusted Halibut will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze your crispy crusted halibut for up to 3 months.

To reheat the halibut, thaw in the refrigerator overnight if frozen, and bake your pecan crusted halibut for a second time at 275°F for about 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 130°F.

Green tip: Did you know that of the billions of pounds of food wasted annually, it is estimated that 50% of it happens in our homes? It’s always best to avoid food waste as much as you can!

Serving Your Pecan Halibut

This halibut has a wide variety of flavor profiles including sweet, nutty, and citrusy. It pairs deliciously with a variety of sides!

Of course, like any main dish, this Pecan Crusted Halibut can be served with any vegetable like these Sweet and Salty Brussels Sprouts or Garlic Lemon Asparagus.

I also love serving this halibut over a quick and simple salad like this Spinach Arugula Salad.

Why You Should Make this Pecan Crusted Halibut

• It’s balanced. Perfect combo of savory, sweet, nutty, and citrus.
• The texture. Flaky and juicy on the inside, crispy and crunchy on the outside.
• It’s easy! 15 minutes, a sheet pan, and 7 simple ingredients is all you need.

20-Minute Pecan Crusted Halibut

5 from 6 votes

Marley Goldin

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This quick and easy Pecan Crusted Halibut uses a honey mustard and lemon marinade to bring sweet and citrus to the flaky fish that is then coated with a crispy pecan crust.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 2 servings

Equipment

• Mortar and Pestle (optional)
• Reusable Baking Mat (optional)
• Pastry Brush (optional)
• Kitchen Thermometer (optional)
• Reusable Storage Bags (optional)

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 8 ounces halibut (individual 4-ounce portions)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice (1 lemon = approx. 4 tablespoons juice)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons honey mustard
• ▢ ¼ cup pecans (crushed)
• ▢ ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper

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Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 425°F.
• Prep your halibut by cutting into individual portions (about 4 ounces each) and removing skin if necessary and patting dry with paper towels (try these bamboo paper towels for a more sustainable option!). Place halibut on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a reusable baking mat and set aside.
• To a small bowl, add the lemon juice and honey mustard and whisk to combine to make your marinade.
• Crush pecans using a mortar and pestle or by adding pecans to a storage bag and crushing with a rolling pin.
• In a separate bowl, prepare your crust by adding crushed pecans, panko, salt, and pepper and stirring.
• Use a pastry brush or spoon to brush an even layer of your honey mustard marinade onto both sides of the halibut.
• Use clean hands to press the crust into the halibut, coating it generously on both sides.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes until the internal temperature of the halibut reaches 125°F.
• Serve with lemon wedges (optional) and sides of choice. My favorite is this Purple Asparagus and Roasted Honey Gold Potatoes.

Pro Tips

• If you don’t have Panko, you can replace it with any plain breadcrumbs. 
• If you don’t have honey mustard, you can easily make your own by mixing 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard with 2 teaspoons of honey. 

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword 30 Minutes or Less, 5 Ingredients or Less, Fish Dinner, Halibut, Pecan Crust, Pescatarian

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