Halibut cheeks are very special pieces of fish that don't need much to shine! This great recipe uses only a few simple ingredients to highlight the flavor of the fish without overpowering it. The way the garlic and thyme-infused butter melts into the tender pieces of fish is absolutely delicious. It's the only halibut cheek recipe you'll ever need!
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
Easy to Make: This halibut cheek recipe is ready in under 20 minutes and is easy to master.
Simple Ingredients: With only 4 ingredients (plus salt and pepper), this recipe takes simple flavors and combines them beautifully to highlight the halibut cheeks.
Delicious: The delicately infused butter imparts a subtle flavor to the fish, striking a perfect balance without overwhelming it. It's truly a delicacy!
Ingredient Notes:
- Halibut Cheeks: Wild Alaskan halibut cheeks are used for this recipe. 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 fish cheeks.
- Black Pepper: 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.
- Butter: 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.
Equipment Notes:
- Cast Iron Pan: This recipe uses a cast iron pan but you can use another type of large skillet as well.
- Fish Spatula: 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!
- Meat Thermometer: 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.
Step by Step Instructions:
How To Make Butter-Basted Halibut Cheeks:
Butter basting is a great method for cooking fish cheeks because it cooks the fish quickly without letting it dry out and adds a delicious richness to the fish. Follow the simple steps below!
Step 1: Pat the cheeks dry with paper towels and season with sea salt 30 minutes before cooking and let rest at room temperature.
Step 2: Pat the fish dry again with a paper towel
Step 3: Season with black pepper.
Step 4: Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Melt butter and add garlic cloves and thyme sprigs.
Step 5: Let the thyme and garlic flavor the butter for 1 minute.
Step 6: 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 fish while it's cooking.
Step 7: 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.
Step 8: 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!
Pro Tip: Halibut cheeks come in many different sizes. If you're cooking a variety of sizes, keep an eye on the smaller ones and remove them from the pan earlier than the larger ones to keep them from overcooking.
What Are Halibut Cheeks?
Halibut cheeks are exactly what they sound like - the cheek meat from halibut. They are considered a delicacy because of their tenderness and sea scallop-like texture. They're also special because there are only 2 small pieces of meat per fish.
It might be difficult to find fresh halibut cheeks at your local grocery store depending on where you live. But, frozen ones can be found at many online seafood retailers.
Recipe Variations:
Halibut cheeks pair well with simple flavors. See below for a few ideas for adjusting this recipe.
- Lemon: The flavor of lemon will always go well with fish. You can add a squeeze of lemon juice before cooking the fish, top it with a little fresh lemon zest after cooking, or serve them with a lemon wedge.
- Sauce: If you want to add a sauce to your halibut cheeks, I suggest a simple sauce that won't overpower it like beurre blanc. Beurre blanc is a simple white wine and butter sauce with shallots. It's delicious with fish!
- Garlic: This recipe uses garlic cloves to flavor the butter. But, you can also season the fish with a little garlic powder for extra flavor.
More Halibut Recipes to Try:
What to Serve with Halibut Cheeks:
Halibut cheeks are obviously the star of the show with any meal. But, you probably won't be making very many at a time since they are such special pieces of fish. So, they make a great appetizer. Or you can serve them alongside another protein like grilled venison backstrap for a special "surf 'n' turf" meal.
As far as the sides go, simple roasted veggies, grilled potatoes, fennel orange salad, or a green salad with honey mustard dressing are great additions to your meal. No matter how you choose to serve them, you're going to love this simple recipe.
Recipe FAQ's:
Halibut cheeks are very special for a few reasons. There are only 2 small cheeks on every halibut so you don't get many of them. Their texture is very similar to sea scallops and the sweet flavor is almost like king crab.
Fish cheeks are considered a delicacy because of their unique flavor and texture. They make for excellent table fare.
Halibut cheeks are boneless and skinless pieces of fish which makes them very easy to cook!
The texture of halibut cheeks is similar to crab meat and can be stringy if overcooked.
Did you try this recipe?
Let us know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Thank you!
Annie
Recipe:
📖 Recipe
Butter-Basted Halibut Cheeks with Garlic and Thyme
Ingredients
- 7-8 oz halibut cheeks (about 6-8 cheeks)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2-3 sprigs 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!
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.
Dawn M says
This recipe is excellent, the only thing I changed was I added 1 medium shallot. I have made cheeks several ways, this way was our favorite! Quick and easy and delicious!
Annie Weisz says
Thanks so much, Dawn! I bet the shallot was a great addition. Yum!!
Anonymous says
Delicious, I added miso
Annie Weisz says
That sounds lovely! You would probably love my miso halibut recipe too. 😉 https://peaktoplate.com/miso-halibut/
Hishinlai' R Peter says
This recipe was so good, easy, and tasty! If I had more halibut cheeks, I'd make it again.
Annie Weisz says
Thank you so much! It's a bummer you only get 2 cheeks per halibut - they're so delicious!!
Fran says
Halibut cheeks are delicious and this recipe highlights their delicate sweetness while giving just enough additional flavor.
Annie Weisz says
Thank you, Fran! That is exactly what I was going for with this recipe. 😊
Anonymous says
Keep on writing, great job!
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