This buttery, flaky pan-seared sablefish is sweet, savory and garlicky in a good way. It’s an easy sablefish recipe that’s ready in minutes. Pair it with broccoli for a restaurant quality meal that’s ready in.
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This post was originally sponsored by Alaska Seafood.
This easy sablefish recipe is ready in about 20 minutes. And that’s even if you forget to thaw the fish (because you can cook it from frozen).
If you are not familiar, sablefish (Black Cod) it’s a fatty, flaky fish with an irresistibly silky, succulent texture when cooked. It’s mild in flavor and pairs perfectly with sweet and savory marinades and glazes. This is an elegant fish recipe that would be ideal for date night and anytime you want to impress your family and friends.
Here’s what you’ll need
Alaska sablefish (also known as black cod)
Fresh or frozen broccoli
Grapeseed other neutral-tasting oil
Coconut aminos, reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari
Honey
Toasted sesame oil
Fresh garlic
Fresh ginger
Crushed red pepper flakes
The list seems a little long. But once you gather the sauce ingredients, it goes quickly. Promise!
Best way to cook sablefish
I love sablefish for its rich, buttery texture when cooked. I like to bake, broil or pan-sear it. I think it works especially well broiled with a glaze or pan-seared like this recipe. This succulent fish is quite forgiving making it a great one to start with if you are new to cooking seafood.
You can swap in other fish. Though it has a stronger flavor profile, salmon would pair well with the honey garlic glaze and offer a similar fatty content. Cod, halibut and pollock will also work in this recipe and are all available fresh or frozen year-round.
For this recipe, salmon would work great but also halibut with a few adjustments to the cooking time since it has a drier texture.
Nutrition
Sablefish is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids but with a mild flavor that most people will enjoy. And as a registered dietitian, I recommend getting eating sources of these important fats such as salmon, sardines, and sablefish.
Omega-3s are essential and provide immune and heart-health benefits and are especially important for children’s brain and development. In fact, the US Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating seafood 2-3 times per week for everyone 12 months and older.
Is frozen fish ok?
YES! In fact, I often prefer it. If you live in an area without easy access to the ocean, fresh seafood may not be easily accessible, abundant or affordable. Here’s the thing…
Frozen wild seafood makes buying, meal planning and cooking seafood easy; Alaska freezes its seafood just after it leaves the water to ensure freshness and it can be prepared in as little as 15 minutes – no thawing required.
That means I can keep frozen fish on hand to make a meal in minutes at any time. No thawing required and no running out to find fresh fish at a seafood counter the day of!
Let’s make this recipe
Whisk the sauce ingredients together (or shake in a jar)
Sauce the vegetables.
Slice, season, sear and baste the fish. Sauce and serve the fish!
Be sure to watch me make this Honey Garlic Sablefish on Instagram where I shared it as part of #AskForAlaska #SeafoodSunday.
Tips for success
Pat the fish dry. I made this recipe using thawed black sablefish (thawed overnight in the refrigerator). Removing excess water from the fish will allow for maximum contact and a good sear.
Don’t overcrowd the pan. Keeping the skillet hot is a key to creating a nice sear and enhanced flavor. Overcrowding can cool the pan and also affect that browning process leaving you with steamed fish instead.
Leave the fish alone. One of the biggest mistakes people make when cooking fish is moving it around too much. To avoid rips and tears, let the fish cook for at least 3-5 minutes before trying to move it.
Don’t overcook the fish. This one is hard. I know. Cooking a thick versus thin fillet will drastically affect cook times. And with practice you will get used to the indicators.
You’ll know when the fish is done by touch and timing. But I recommend using a meat thermometer to cook fish to a safe internal temperature of 145°F, or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
Substitutions
Soy sauce. Reduced sodium soy sauce adds rich, deep flavor to the honey garlic sauce. To make this a gluten-free recipe, use tamari. To make this a soy- and gluten-free recipe use coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce. You can swap these in equal amounts. You might find that coconut aminos adds a bit more sweetness and less rich flavor to the sauce however.
Don’t have fresh ginger? I prefer fresh for the punch of flavor but ground ginger can work in a pinch. Try 1 teaspoon ground ginger for the 1 inch fresh ginger root.
Don’t have any broccoli? Change it up. Though you might need to adjust the cooking time a bit, you can absolutely swap in Brussels sprouts green beans or cauliflower. Or serve the fish with a green salad.
How to serve this recipe
This recipe goes well with rice or other grains on the side. The first time I made it, I flaked the fish over brown rice and added the broccoli to make a bowl.
It’s also perfect for date night!
Plate the sablefish with an extra drizzle of honey garlic sauce, your date’s favorite roasted vegetables and a glass of white wine.
Why I prefer Alaska Seafood
It’s always wild and sustainable. Alaskan fishermen harvest only as much fish as science tells them the environment can handle. This allows the marine ecosystem and seafood species to continue to replenish year after year.
Alaska is the nation’s largest source of domestic wild-caught seafood. In fact, nearly 60 percent of all wild seafood and 95 percent of wild salmon harvested in the U.S. comes from Alaska.
If you haven’t noticed before, look for “Alaska” on packaging and on restaurant and food delivery menus to guarantee that you are getting wild and sustainably harvested seafood.
Honey Garlic Sablefish (Black Cod)
Ingredients
- 1 pound Alaska sablefish (black cod), cut into 4 fillets
- 12 ounces fresh broccoli florets
- 3 tablespoon grapeseed other neutral-tasting oil, divided
- 3 tablespoon coconut aminos, reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 5 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, grated
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Coarse salt and pepper to taste
- Cooked rice for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spritz a baking sheet with oil or line with parchment. Set aside.
- Whisk 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil, coconut aminos, honey, toasted sesame oil, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl until well combined. Or shake all ingredients in a jar with a lid.
- Add ⅓ cup of honey garlic sauce to the broccoli florets in a large bowl. Toss to coat. Place on a prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Roast 15 minutes, or until the broccoli is caramelized.
- Pat the fish dry. Season with coarse salt and cracked black pepper.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the sablefish with the skin side up. Cook about until seared and golden, about 4 minutes. Flip.
- Add the remaining honey garlic sauce to the skillet. Cook about 5 minutes, until the sauce is reduced by about half and the fish is cooked to 145°F. Baste the cod with the sauce generously. Serve warm with a side of warm broccoli and rice, if desired.
Notes
- This recipe works best when using thawed fish. Simply thaw overnight in the refrigerator or under cool water for 30 minutes on the day of prep.
- Be sure to pat the fish dry before adding to the skillet. This will help create a good sear and also reduce splatter.
- Adjust the cook time based on the thickness of the fish.
Joanne
This was so delicious and so easy. I’ve only had black cod out at restaurants, but it happened to be at our local market and decided to try it, never having cooked it before. This recipe is absolutely a winner!!!! Had most of the ingredients at home, though we grilled asparagus instead of making the broccoli- because we had it already. Didn’t have fresh ginger but did have a refrigerated jar of ginger and used that instead of dry.
The notes and directions were very helpful. This is definitely a repeat and could absolutely be a company dinner! Thank you
Dushyanthi
The sauce burned on this in the pan. I used a cast iron and seared for three minutes on one side and then flipped and added the sauce. Took about another three minutes on the other side based on the thickness of the fish, but the sauce burned and was a bit better. Medium to medium high heat. Any reasons why this would’ve happened? If it’s not meant for a cast-iron pan?
Marisa Moore
Sorry to hear that. The honey makes this a rather sticky sauce. Unless your cast iron is very well-seasoned, I’m afraid it would stick and burn. I prefer ceramic or stainless steel for this one and wouldn’t personally use a cast iron unless it’s enameled.
Thomas
So good the wife wanted me to make it again the next night definitely will make it again keeper recipe. Thank you.
Susanne
This was fabulous!! I will definitely make again! Easy and great flavor!!
Ann P.
A keeper!!! Delicious!! Winner/Gagnant! Eating now as I type. Modifications: Omitted sesame oil (don’t like it). Didn’t have red pepper flakes. Substituted with 1/4 tsp frozen grated habanero pepper.
Audra
Just wanted to say thank you so much for this recipe, it was incredible! Even my 4 year old are a full portion 🙂 made it just as you said and added a little orange juice & zest to sauce, with sable fish from butcher box. Thank you!!
Cindy
Delicious! So easy to put together and so good. I have prepared sablefish with a marinade for hours…and this was more delicious and so much easier. The sauce would be good on salmon or another white fish. Will be making this again. Thank you!
Jessica DeLillo
Hi Marisa!
Fellow ATLien here 🙂
Can I use regular sesame oil in place of toasted sesame oil?
Thanks!
Marisa
Hi Jessica! The toasted sesame oil adds an essential flavor element to the glaze. Regular sesame oil will technically work amd the fish will cook the same but the flavor will be lacking.
Katie
This was great! We have made it 3x over the past 2 weeks and used sea bass and another white fish. I was able to make it AIP compliant which is even more amazing!
Marisa
So glad you enjoyed it!
Jolanta
We love black cod and normally cook it using a recipe that calls for days of marinating. This recipe is excellent but we found it a tad too sweet. Next time I would reduce the honey.
Judy Kettlewell
Made this tonight with Sitka Shares Sablefish. Fabulous! Thanks for this easy and delicious recipe. Definitely a keeper.
Hannah Riley
Hi! Excited to try this recipe. Cooking from frozen are the cook times the same? You would just place the frozen fish skin side up in the pan?
Marisa
Hi! For the best results, I recommend thawing the fish first.
Ron
I like you recipe but I find the 10 minute cooking time at medium high usually overcooks the fish (1.5″ to 2″ in thickness). Your comment?
Marisa
Hi Ron! Cook time will definitely make a difference with the thickness of the fish. Though I’ve provided approximate cook times, I suggest using a meat thermometer to test for doneness. I found that doing so produced perfectly cooked results. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Rosalie
this is a “restaurant quality” recipe that is very similar to a favorite Japanese restaurant of mine. The sauce is so flavorful with just the right blend of ingredients. It does help to monitor the temperature of fish so it flakes – good job. I lived in Alaska for 35 years and ate just about every seafood there was in the lakes and oceans with black cod (sablefish) being one of my favorites. I also appreciate the nutritional information on the recipe. Thank you.
Brian Belden
Made this recipe tonight for our introduction to sablefish. I followed the directions as presented and substituted reduced sodium soy sauce for coconut aminos. The outcome was some of the best fish we have ever eaten. The garlic honey sauce was excellent and I could see using it in other dishes. The black cod lived up to its reputation of being silky, flakey, and mild. This will definitely go into our favorite recipes file.
Sandy Holeman
I didn’t have time to do my normal preparation of Black Cod, which calls for a miso based marinade for 2-3 days. So I tried this recipe. It was quick and easy and delicious. I followed the recipe exactly. Served it over Trader Joe’s frozen mixed rice, and with Saki. Yum!