Grilled Cedar Plank Halibut with Salsa Verde and Citrus

There’s a dinner trick I’ve been perfecting lately: Put something delicious on the grill, pour a glass of rosé, and do nothing for the next 10 minutes while dinner takes care of itself. Cedar Plank Halibut is that dinner.

We’ve definitely entered our grilling era recently – partly because the weather has been beautiful and we’ve been spending every possible evening outside, and partly because I’ve become obsessed with planning our outdoor kitchen at the beach house. We’re building something that looks like it will change the way we cook and entertain as a family, and all that planning is making me think about what kind of food I want to cook. Recipes that feel seasonal and special, but don’t require me to be tied to the stove. Meals that look (and taste!) impressive, but are mostly just good ingredients that get the job done. Case in point: this grilled halibut, cooked solely on a cedar plank.

What Makes Cedar Plank-Grilled Halibut So Good

Here’s the thing about cedar plank cooking: It sounds more technical than it is. Soak a plank, heat your grill, and let the fish cook on the wood with the lid closed. What you get is a light smoke that permeates the fish from below – not overwhelming, but present – ​​as well as fish that remains impossibly tender because the plank acts like a buffer between the direct heat and your halibut. No overturning, no risk of fish falling out of the net. It’s a technique that does a lot of the heavy lifting for you.

The salsa verde that brings it all together

This salsa verde is one of those things I’ve started making in big batches and putting on everything. When friends taste it, their eyes get big and they say – what magic is this? Parsley, cilantro, mint, jalapeño, capers, lemon juice and a good amount of olive oil. Grind it all together, and what comes out is a spicy, herbaceous, slightly briny sauce that elevates everything it touches.

I’ve drizzled it over roasted veggies, added it to grain bowls, and spooned it over scrambled eggs. On this halibut, it’s especially good because it needs something bright and assertive to balance out the richness of the fish and the cedary smoke. This salsa verde does exactly that.

Why do cara cara oranges work so well here

The Cara Cara oranges are the final touch that pulls the whole thing together. I’ve been loving Cara Caras lately (we’re also planning a citrus grove for the beach house, so orange and lemon dishes are very much in mind). They’re sweeter and less acidic than regular navels, with this gorgeous blush-pink flesh, and when you add the pieces around the fish right before serving, it adds a sweetness that you’d otherwise need a different sauce to achieve. It’s one of those combinations that seems a little unexpected and then makes complete sense once you get to the fork.

How to Make Grilled Halibut (Tips Before You Start)

The full method is in the recipe card below, but there are a few things to know before you get started:

• Let the cedar plank remain solid for an hour and soak in water—long is fine, short is not. This is the step that people skip and then wonder why their frame caught fire. (Actually: plan ahead on this.)
• Let the fish come to room temperature for 15-20 minutes before going on the grill. Season it generously. Halibut is mild, which makes it great, but it needs salt to really bring it alive.
• Once it’s assembled on a plate – fish, salsa dripping down the sides, orange segments strung around, torn herbs, flaky salt – it really does look like something you’d order at a nice restaurant. This is the whole matter. A simple green salad on the side and you’re done.

This is already on my list of what to make as one of the first dinners in my outdoor kitchen, and I think it’s going to be a regular throughout the summer.

Some notes before making it

If you can’t find Cara Cara oranges, blood oranges are fantastic here, and navel oranges work too. You’ll lose a little of the color drama, but the flavor combination is still really good. Salsa verde keeps for a few days in the fridge and gets better as it sits, so make extra. And if grilling isn’t an option, you can absolutely roast the halibut in a 400°F oven—the salsa works so well that the dish holds up either way.

I’d love to hear from you guys if you try it!

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