Grilled Halibut Recipe with White Wine Butter and Caper Sauce

5 from 3 votes

An easy grilled halibut recipe with salt and pepper seasoning and then topped with an elegant and simple white wine and caper sauce.

Prep Time15

Cook Time6

Resting Time10

Course: dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Author: Mary Cressler

Cost: $30

1 ¼ pounds fresh halibut filet (or purchase pre-sliced into 4 equal-sized filets or steaks)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, separated (half to season the fish and half for grill grates)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons coarse black pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons diced shallots
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons dry white wine (like Pinot Gris or Sauvignon Blanc)
1 tablespoon grilled lemon juice
1 tablespoon capers (drained of any brine. We like to leave them whole for the texture and flavor)
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, (just a pinch)

Prep: Preheat your grill for direct grilling targeting 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat the halibut with olive oil and liberally season with salt and pepper. Place the halibut on the grill grate over direct heat with the skin side facing up (if there is skin).
(If grilling lemons for the sauce, you can add the lemons to the grill now.)
Grill Direct: Sear for up to 4 minutes or until you can see a crust form and the halibut will release from the grates without any of it sticking to the grate. We use a fish spatula to slowly test and lift away. Once it does it’s time to flip.
Grill: After flipping, grill the other side of the halibut over direct heat. Continue to grill until the internal temperature of the halibut reaches 130 degrees F using an instant-read thermometer. The fish will be just turning white all the way through and retain a moist center. Remove and rest for 10 minutes and make the sauce.

Place the cast iron pan in the grill over direct heat. Allow the pan to heat up for 3 minutes. Place the butter in the pan. When it melts completely add shallots and garlic. Stir occasionally to soften (about 2 minutes). Add the white wine, lemon juice, capers, and salt, and stir again. Allow to come to a boil and reduce slightly for 2-3 minutes.
The total cooking time will be about 8 minutes for the sauce to be ready. Remove the pan from the grill and pour the sauce over your fish.

Preparation Notes:

Halibut – Be sure to pat dry with a paper towel. You want to make sure that before adding oil or seasoning there is no residual moisture. This helps create a better sear crust and prevent sticking.
Grill – Your grill grates need to be clean and hot.
- Preheat your grill for direct grilling targeting 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
- We recommend using your grate cleaning tool to scrape off any residual food. You should get in the habit of cleaning grates while still warm after every cook. Next, take some of the olive oil, place it on a paper towel, and run the oil over the hot grates immediately before adding the fish.
Sauce – Have a small cast iron pan ready with all your sauce ingredients pre-chopped. Make the sauce after the fish is done and resting.

Grilled Lemon: We like to use grilled lemon juice for the sauce. It adds great flavor and you can grill the lemons while the halibut cooks.