5.0 from 30 votes
Butter-Basted Halibut Cheeks with Garlic and Thyme
Garlic and thyme-infused butter melted into perfectly tender halibut cheeks. Simple flavors let these special pieces of fish shine!
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Resting Time
3 mins
Total Time
18 mins
Servings: 3
Calories: 132 kcal
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
American
Ingredients
- 7-8 oz halibut cheeks (about 6-8 cheeks)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2-3 prigs fresh thyme
- flaked sea salt (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Pat the halibut cheeks dry with paper towels and season with sea salt 30 minutes before cooking and let rest at room temperature.
- Pat the fish dry again with a paper towel and season with black pepper.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Melt butter and add garlic cloves and thyme sprigs. Let the thyme and garlic flavor the butter for 1 minute.
- Place cheeks in a single layer in the hot pan with bubbly butter and cook for 1-2 minutes. Tilt the pan slightly so you can scoop up the butter with a spoon and baste the halibut cheeks while they're cooking.
- Flip and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Continuously baste the halibut cheeks with the hot butter until the internal temperature reaches 135°F and the outsides are golden brown.
- Transfer cheeks to a plate and let rest for 3-4 minutes before serving. Drizzle with hot butter from the pan and sprinkle with flaked sea salt, if desired. Enjoy!
Cup of Yum
Notes
- Halibut vary widely in size and so do the size of the pieces of halibut cheeks. Smaller fish will yield smaller pieces that will cook more quickly than larger pieces. You may have to adjust the cooking time according to the size of your halibut cheeks.
- If you have white pepper, you can use that in place of black pepper. It is less obvious visually and will give the cheeks a cleaner appearance.
- You can use salted or unsalted butter for this recipe. But, I like to use unsalted butter so I can adjust the saltiness of the dish with the seasoning instead.
- This recipe uses a cast iron pan but you can use another type of large skillet as well.
- Fish spatulas are super handy for cooking fish. The thin metal and unique shape make flipping fish without breaking it apart a breeze. You don't have to use one, but they're very helpful!
- Halibut cheeks are very small pieces of fish so they cook quickly. You might be surprised at how quickly they reach the desired internal temperature. For perfect results, I suggest using a good digital thermometer.
Nutrition Information
Calories
132kcal
(7%)
Carbohydrates
1g
(0%)
Protein
13g
(26%)
Fat
8g
(12%)
Saturated Fat
5g
(25%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.5g
Monounsaturated Fat
2g
Trans Fat
0.3g
Cholesterol
52mg
(17%)
Sodium
299mg
(12%)
Potassium
306mg
(9%)
Fiber
0.2g
(1%)
Sugar
0.04g
(0%)
Vitamin A
310IU
(6%)
Vitamin C
2mg
(2%)
Calcium
15mg
(2%)
Iron
0.3mg
(2%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 3Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 132
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 132kcal | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 1g | 0% |
| Protein | 13g | 26% |
| Fat | 8g | 12% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.5g | 3% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Trans Fat | 0.3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 52mg | 17% |
| Sodium | 299mg | 12% |
| Potassium | 306mg | 7% |
| Fiber | 0.2g | 1% |
| Sugar | 0.04g | 0% |
| Vitamin A | 310IU | 6% |
| Vitamin C | 2mg | 2% |
| Calcium | 15mg | 2% |
| Iron | 0.3mg | 2% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.