Broiled Panko Halibut with Tropical Salsa

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Need a special dish for date night or a company dinner? This elegant, absolutely delicious Broiled Panko Halibut with Tropical Salsa is sure to impress! A restaurant-worthy meal made at home!

Broiled Panko Halibut with Tropical Salsa – Restaurant Quality Made at Home

During a recent beach trip, my husband and I booked a “splurge” dinner at a fancy restaurant. I ordered one of the specials, Broiled Panko Halibut with Tropical Salsa. The server made it sound so good.

And it was!

The halibut was tender, flaky, and mild with a wonderfully light and crunchy panko topping.  It paired beautifully with a gorgeous salsa of tomatoes, mango, cilantro, coconut, and more. 

Though it might not seem like halibut and tropical salsa go together, believe me, they do. It’s a divine but also somewhat surprising flavor combination. I loved every bite.

However, the bill was a less welcome surprise.

It was my own fault for not asking the price when the server described the special, so I didn’t complain. But I just never imagined that halibut could top $60 a plate! Maybe it’s better that I didn’t ask. If I had, I would never have ordered it. And that would have been a shame because it really was a wonderful meal, one I kept thinking about.

That’s why I decided to recreate that Broiled Panko Halibut with Tropical Salsa at home.

It was a huge success! The Chairman and I loved it. So will your family or guests.

This deliciously elegant entrée is just as good but far less expensive than the restaurant version. Best of all?  You don’t need to be a chef to make it.

Broiled Panko Halibut with Tropical Salsa – Ingredients and Substitutes

This dish has a more extensive list of ingredients than most of my recipes, but don’t let that intimidate you!

Thanks to the variety of ingredients, the flavor profile of this dish is complex, but the technique and preparation aren’t.

When it comes to the salsa, all you need to do is chop and stir. There is literally zero cooking involved.  Making the halibut is a little more work, but not much. Making the topping and cooking the halibut will take less than thirty minutes, probably closer to twenty.

I’m not going to list all the ingredients, but I do want to talk about a few of them and suggest some possible substitutions.

• Halibut – With a mild flavor and tender but firm texture, halibut is a fish that almost everyone enjoys. You could sub cod. Just make sure you’ve got a nice, thick filet.
• Dijon mustard – If you don’t care for the taste of mustard, brush the halibut with olive oil instead. This will help keep it from drying out during cooking.
• Panko breadcrumbs – They’re my light, crisp, and definitely my first choice for this dish. But, in a pinch, you could sub regular breadcrumbs.
• Melted butter – You can sub olive oil.

• Roma tomatoes – Feel free to sub another variety of tomato if you like.
• Mango – I think the mango brings a lot to the salsa, so please stick with it if you possibly can. Look for a mango that gives just a little when you press the skin. If you absolutely hate or can’t find mango, just add an equal amount of pineapple.
• Green onions – Red onions can also be used.
• Shredded coconut – I love the surprising pop of sweetness that coconut brings to the salsa. But if you really dislike coconut, just leave it out.
• Cilantro – Can sub chopped basil or flat Italian parsley
• Lime zest and juice – Fresh lime really fits in well with the tropical flavors, but you could sub lemon.
• Optional spice – this is a savory-sweet salsa. If you’d like more spice, sprinkle some cayenne into the salsa, according to your heat preference.

Grilled Panko Halibut with Tropical Salsa – Cooking Tips

If possible, make the salsa a few hours or even a day ahead of time. You can make and serve immediately if need be; it’ll still taste terrific. But giving the flavors a little time to meld will taste even better.

When it comes to making the halibut, I have a few pointers.

First, I recommend removing the skin from the filet and seasoning the fish with salt on all sides. Halibut is a fairly mild-tasting fish, so it’s important to make sure it’s well-seasoned. 

Second, don’t be afraid to mound the topping on top of the fish, even pressing it on the sides and top with your fingers if you need to.

Third, you’ll turn on the broiler for the final two minutes. Broil the halibut on the middle oven rack and keep an eye on it. It only takes seconds for the topping to go from brown to black.

Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the halibut is cooked through. The internal temperature should be 145 degrees.

My recipe makes a generous amount of salsa. Even if you’re serving four people instead of two, you’ll still have plenty of salsa. Any extra salsa can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. We served ours with tortilla chips the next day. Really good! (Looking for more salsa? Check out my Peach and Avocado recipe!)

However, fish doesn’t keep the way salsa does.

Serve my Grilled Panko Halibut with Tropical Salsa immediately and eat it the same day. It doesn’t lend itself to leftovers, not that I think you’ll have any. We practically licked our plates with this one!

Give it a try soon!

Broiled Panko Halibut with Tropical Salsa

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• Author: Marie Bostwick
• Yield: 2 servings

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Ingredients

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For the salsa:

• 3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 cup diced fresh mango
• ½ cup diced pineapple
• 2-3 green onions, chopped
• ¼ cup shredded sweetened coconut
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• ¼ cup pineapple juice
• 2 T fresh lime juice (zest the lime before juicing, putting the zest aside)
• 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
• Optional – Dash or two of cayenne

Note: this makes a generous amount of salsa. Any leftovers can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

For the panko broiled halibut:

• 2 6oz halibut filets
• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 T fine chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp Kosher salt, divided
• ¼ tsp pepper
• Zest of one lime
• 2 T butter, melted
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Zest the lime and put the zest aside for now.
2. Stir all the salsa ingredients into a medium bowl – tomatoes, mango, pineapple, onions, coconut, cilantro, pineapple juice, lime juice, salt, and optional cayenne, if using. Set aside. If making salsa in advance, cover and store in the refrigerator.
3. Remove the skin from the halibut filets. Rinse with cool water and pat dry with paper towels. Season fish on all sides with ½ teaspoon of Kosher salt. Place filets on prepared baking sheet.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the Panko breadcrumbs, cilantro, remaining salt, pepper, and lime zest. While stirring vigorously with a fork, drizzle the melted butter onto the mixture.
5. Brush a teaspoon of mustard onto the top of each filet. Top each filet with half the Panko mixture, mounding on top and pressing gently with your fingers if necessary.
6. Place the pan with the fish onto the middle rack in the preheated oven. Bake for 10 minutes, until the interior temperature of the fish reaches 145 degrees. Turn on the broiler and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until the Panko topping turns golden brown.
7. Remove the pan from the oven. Place a generous helping of salsa on a plate and top with the broiled halibut. Serve immediately.