Baked Halibut with Lemon Capers (Printable Version)

Flaky halibut fillets baked and finished with a bright lemon-caper sauce for a flavorful dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Fish & Marinade

01 - 4 halibut fillets, skinless, 6 oz each
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 lemon, zested and juiced
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Lemon Caper Sauce

06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
07 - 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
09 - 1 garlic clove, minced
10 - 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
11 - Lemon slices, for garnish

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to arrange fillets in a single layer.
02 - Pat halibut fillets dry with paper towels and place them evenly in the prepared dish.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Pour the mixture evenly over the fillets.
04 - Bake fillets for 15 to 18 minutes, until opaque and flaky when tested with a fork.
05 - While baking, gently melt butter over low heat in a small saucepan. Stir in capers, garlic, parsley, and Dijon mustard if using. Warm for 1 to 2 minutes.
06 - Remove halibut from oven and spoon warm lemon-caper sauce over each fillet. Garnish with lemon slices and additional parsley if desired.
07 - Serve immediately accompanied by preferred sides such as steamed asparagus, roasted potatoes, or a light salad.

# Expert Insights:

01 -
  • Dinner's ready in under 30 minutes, which means you can actually enjoy the meal instead of being exhausted from cooking it.
  • The lemon-caper sauce tastes like you've been cooking all day, even though you barely turned on the stove.
  • Fish cooked this way stays so moist and tender that even people who claim they don't love seafood ask for seconds.
02 -
  • Wet fish steams instead of bakes, so spending an extra 30 seconds on that paper towel step makes a real difference in texture.
  • Capers need rinsing or they'll taste aggressively salty and turn people off—this one mistake taught me that the hard way.
  • The sauce comes together in the time the fish finishes baking, so don't make it ahead; the warmth is part of what makes it work.
03 -
  • If your fillets are different thicknesses, tuck the thinner ends under so they cook evenly and nothing ends up dry while you wait for the rest.
  • Taste the sauce before pouring it over the fish—sometimes capers are saltier than expected, and you might want to adjust the seasoning.

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