Blackened halibut is served in this brightly colored bowl with cilantro lime rice, black beans, and purple cabbage. This simple recipe goes together quickly and easily for a meal everyone is sure to love. I hope you enjoy making halibut rice bowls for a hearty meal that's packed with so much flavor!
Although I grew up in Alaska where most seafood is readily available, halibut was always a little harder to come by. It was and still is ALWAYS a treat. My parents are good enough to send me several fillets a year and I am so grateful for that.
This blackened halibut recipe is one of the main dishes I love to use the halibut to prepare. We love a little spice in our house, so that is a no-brainer.
Since I also try to be mindful to add in plenty of whole grains and veggies, the cilantro lime brown rice and veggies in the recipe reflect that!
If you love serving up buddha bowls like this one, check out this salmon and grain bowl! Or create your own bowl with some tasty honey citrus salmon fillets or serve up your favorite veggie grain bowl with some of these crispy salmon fritters.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Balanced bowl. This recipe combines lean protein, whole grains, and fresh vegetables.
- Easy to make. There's nothing all that complicated when it comes to making blackened halibut and veggie rice bowls.
- Simple ingredients. Fresh fish, vegetables, and a few pantry staples are all it takes to prepare!
Ingredients
Let's take a look at the main ingredients to make blackened halibut rice bowls.
- Halibut fillet: Choose one large enough for the number of people you are planning on feeding or the number of meals you are making.
- Homemade blackening spices: A blend of garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cayenne, black pepper, paprika, and salt.
- Vegetable or chicken stock: Adds more flavor to the cooked rice than simply using water.
- Long grain brown rice: One of my favorite pantry staple whole grains. I always have some in the cabinet.
- Lime juice, garlic, and cilantro: Simple, yet bright flavors are added to the brown rice. I love using lime zest in the stock the rice cooks in as it gives it so much flavor.
- Cabbage: I love using a mix of green and red cabbage for its brilliant color, but you can also use only one type of cabbage if you prefer.
- Veggies and marinade for cabbage: Red onions, lime juice, cilantro, and jalapenos.
For the full list of ingredients, check the recipe card further down on the page.
How to Make
Making blackened halibut with cilantro lime rice and marinated cabbage goes together quickly in just a few simple steps.
- Start with the rice as it will take the longest to cook. Heat the veggie stock in a medium-sized pan. I used a homemade veggie stock for the liquid which you will find below or you can rely on storebought broth to save some time.
- Bring it all to a boil and add rice. Reduce heat, cover, and allow to simmer until all liquid is absorbed.
While your rice is cooking, start on the rest of your bowl.
- Chop your cabbage into thin strips. Slice it as thinly as you are able for me, it's not possible to be too thin.
- Squeeze lime juice over the cabbage. Add in chopped cilantro and set aside to marinate while you finish the bowl.
- Prepare the blackening seasoning. It's a simple mix of dry spices. You can always buy a spice mix, but I promise this is so easy, that you don't need to.
- Cut your halibut into even chunks. We were serving the 4 of us, so I cut it into 4 sections.
- Sprinkle the halibut liberally with blackening seasoning. I like to do top, bottom, and even get a bit on the sides. If you don't like things very spicy, just sprinkle the top.
- Place in the oven for a quick broil.
TOP TIP: Remember fish cooks really fast! You don't want to overdo it. I see a lot of people really excited about their flaky fish, but quite often it is really overbaked. So be mindful when you are broiling. It goes fast.
- By this time, your rice should be done. Fluff it up with a fork and test taste. Add in lime juice and any salt and pepper you will need. Last is cilantro. You can either chop it up or cut it with scissors as shown in the picture below! Mix and fluff.
- Assemble your blackened halibut bowl. Layer the cilantro rice, black beans, sliced bell pepper, tomatoes, marinated cabbage, and halibut.
Expert Tips and FAQs
- Don't overcook. Fish cooks quickly and when it's cooked too much it loses flavor and texture becoming quite dry.
- Spicy flavor. This blackened halibut recipe is quite spicy so if you aren't a fan of spicy foods you can adjust the amount of cayenne in the blackening spices, only add a light sprinkle of the spice on the fish, and cut back on the jalapeno in the marinated cabbage.
- Cook the rice first and the fish last. That way the fish is perfectly and freshly cooked for the best flavor.
- Serve rice immediately. But if you need to reheat, add it to a microwaveable dish with a little water. Cover with a microwave-safe plate and heat for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Fluff and serve.
Meal Prep Tip: This is a great meal for meal prep as everything can be made in advance. I do NOT recommend reheating the halibut though. It just is not the same and always gets dried out.
How can you tell when halibut is done?
The most accurate method is to check the internal temperature with a digital thermometer. It should register 130-135° F. If you don't have a thermometer, the fish should easily flake with a fork and the flesh should be opaque white, not glassy or pink in color.
Should the skin be removed from halibut before cooking?
You definitely won't want to eat the skin of halibut. You can remove it before cooking or leave it on one side while cooking. If you leave one side of the skin on the halibut, cook the fish with this side down in the pan. When it's done cooking, the skin should easily slide off the fish and be perfect for serving.
Need some other ideas for simple bowls to make? Check out more of my favorite bowl recipes for inspiration!
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Blackened Halibut Rice Bowl
Ingredients
Cilantro Lime Rice
- 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 ¼ cup long grain brown rice
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ¾ cup cilantro
- salt and pepper to taste
Blackened Halibut
- 1 halibut fillet Choose one large enough for the number of people you are planning on feeding, or the number of meals you are making.
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2-4 teaspoons cayenne pepper This variable will depend on how spicy you like it.
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Marinated Cabbage
- 4 cups thinly sliced cabbage
- ½ cup thinly sliced red onions
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup chopped jalapenos
Instructions
Cilantro Lime Rice
- Heat stock in medium size stock pan over high heat until boiling. Add in rice, garlic, and lime zest. Cover the pan, and turn heat to low. Allow the rice to simmer for about 25-30 minutes. Once all the liquid is absorbed, turn off heat and allow the rice to sit for about 5 minutes.
- When the rice is ready, remove lid, add in lime juice and cilantro. Add salt and pepper as needed. Fluff rice with a fork.
Lime Cabbage
- Combine all ingredients, starting with ¼ cup lime juice. Taste. If you want more lime juice, salt, or pepper, add more. Set aside and allow it to marinate at least 5 minutes, up to 5 hours.
Blackened Halibut
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Now, in small bowl combine all spices. Trim the halibut and place them on the baking sheet. Sprinkle each piece of halibut liberally with blackened seasoning. I like to do both sides, but that will be up to you. Drizzle all the pieces with olive oil.
- Place in oven and bake for 5-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the halibut. This is best served immediately or right after it cools.
Notes
- Don't overcook. Fish cooks quickly and when it's cooked too much it loses flavor and texture becoming quite dry.
- Spicy flavor. This blackened halibut recipe is quite spicy so if you aren't a fan of spicy foods you can adjust the amount of cayenne in the blackening spices, only add a light sprinkle of the spice on the fish, and cut back on the jalapeno in the marinated cabbage.
- Cook the rice first and the fish last. That way the fish is perfectly and freshly cooked for the best flavor.
- Serve rice immediately. But if you need to reheat, add it to a microwaveable dish with a little water. Cover with a microwave-safe plate and heat for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Fluff and serve.
Brooke says
Beautifully Done Amy!!!
admin says
Thank you so much Brooke!