Free Kitchen Hacks eBook

5-Ingredient Pistachio Crusted Halibut (20 Minute Meal!)

Name: 5-Ingredient Pistachio Crusted Halibut (20 Minute Meal!)
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 10 ounces halibut (in individual portions); 1 teaspoon lemon juice; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (smooth or grainy); ¼ cup roasted and salted Pistachios; 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

By Marley Goldin

on June 27, 2024

last updated August 4, 2025

Jump to Recipe

5 from 1 vote

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This Pistachio Crusted Halibut is as simple as it gets, with only 5 ingredients and 20 minutes required! Tender fish with a crispy exterior and deep savory flavor.

If you want a quick and simple dinner that doesn’t skimp on flavor, this Pistachio Crusted Halibut is for you. In just 20 minutes and with only 5 ingredients, dinner is served!

This isn’t the first time I’ve coated fish in chopped pistachios! See also: this 5-star rated 25-Minute Pistachio Crusted Salmon.

This pistachio crusted fish recipe lends the BEST texture, yielding a firm yet tender fish with a crispy crunchy exterior. Filling, flavorful, and fast. What more do we need?

I’ll be the first to admit that after a long day, this busy mom (who doesn’t want to settle for boring food), sometimes only has 5 ingredients and 20 minutes in her!

Halibut crusted in pistachios served with lemon wedges.

Halibut with Pistachio Crust Ingredient Highlights

If you’re using frozen halibut (as I did!), make sure it’s completely defrosted before you start cookin’. Either transfer the fish from the freezer to the refrigerator at least 12 hours before or add the halibut to a storage bag and make sure it’s sealed tight.

Then, you can submerge the frozen halibut in cold water for about 45 minutes until completely defrosted.

In my experience, I’ve found that halibut is often sold skinless, but if you need to remove the skin yourself, do so with a sharp knife before you get started.

You can use pre-grated Parmesan or you can grate your own from a fresh block.

Use roasted and salted Pistachios for the best flavor on your crusted halibut.

overhead view of all ingredients for pistachio crusted halibut - lemon juice, pistachios, halibut, Dijon mustard, Parmesan

Pistachio Crusted Halibut Tips and Tricks

How I Get My Pistachio Crust to Stick to the Halibut

To start, dry your halibut in order to get the best texture when baked. Simply place your halibut filets in between two paper towels and press down lightly, so that the towels absorb any excess moisture.

This will help to avoid a mushy texture.

As for the pistachios, we want to break them down into smaller pieces so we can more easily form a crust for the fish. You can either crush them with a mortar and pestle or use a sharp knife to chop them.

This 5-ingredient halibut recipe is made so simple by using high-impact ingredients so that we don’t have an ingredient list that’s a mile long. The simple marinade, which doubles as an “adhesive” to stick the crust mixture to the halibut, is only 2 ingredients.

Just mix together the lemon juice and mustard in a bowl and voila! I recommend using a fork or whisk to make sure you integrate the lemon juice into the mustard well.

In a second bowl, toss together the Parmesan cheese and Pistachio pieces.

Now that you’re all set up, crusting your halibut is easy! Drop the halibut into the mustard marinade and coat it on both sides.

Then, transfer the halibut to the crust mixture, pressing it in. Repeat for both pieces of halibut. You should aim to use up all the marinade and all the crust.

Reducing moisture in raw halibut by blotting with paper towel. — Pat the halibut dry with paper towel.

Pistachios roughly chopped on a cutting board to make a crust for fish. — Chop or crush the Pistachios into smaller pieces.

Lemon juice and Dijon mustard mixed together to make a very simple fish marinade. — Whisk together the lemon juice and mustard.

Grated Parmesan cheese and chopped Pistachios mixed together to make a crust. — Toss together the Pistachios and Parmesan.

Coating halibut in a mixture of Dijon mustard and halibut. — Coat the halibut in the mustard marinade.

Pressing mustard-coated halibut into crust made of pistachios and Parmesan. — Press the pistachio crust into the halibut.

How I Get My Pistachio Crust Crispy Every Time

The goal here is to balance getting the halibut to the right temperature while also getting the crust crispy without burning the pistachios too much in the oven.

The best way to do so is by roasting your halibut in a ceramic baking dish.

Place the halibut in the dish, sprinkling any excess crust mixture over top. Then roast the halibut on the middle rack at until the internal temperature reaches 130°F.

Check on it after 10 minutes. If you see that the pistachios are starting to burn, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil so that they don’t burn.

You’ll be left with tender fish with a crispy outer crust.

Halibut completely coated in pistachios placed inside a baking dish. — Place the pistachio-crusted halibut in a baking dish.

Pistachio-crusted halibut just baked in the oven. — Roast at 425°F for 10-13 minutes.

Serving Halibut with Pistachio Crust

This delicious halibut recipe is versatile and pairs well with pretty much anything and everything you have in your fridge. If you need ideas, here are some of my favorite sides to serve with it:

Two plates with bed of greens with halibut crusted in pistachios on top.

How I Store and Reheat Leftover Roasted Halibut

Once cooked, your Crusted Halibut will last in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can also wrap and freeze it for up to 3 months.

To reheat cooked halibut, thaw in the refrigerator overnight if frozen, cover, and bake it at 275°F for about 15-20 minutes. Ideally, the internal temperature reaches 130°F.

Want to sharpen your kitchen skills?