Crispy Halibut Cake Slider Recipe with Lemon Aioli

Halibut cake sliders are a delicious way to prepare this fish that screams summer and is perfect for your next backyard entertaining occasion. Serve them for dinner with a side salad and grilled potatoes, as a stand-alone appetizer, or as a lunch entrée with a side of your favorite potato chips and freshly sliced watermelon. 

Recipe Variations: 

Halibut works well for this recipe because of its firm texture and mild flavor, but most other types of fish will also work. Salmon, Pacific cod, or pollock fillets would also be great. 

The topping options are endless for these tasty sliders. Stick with the classics like sliced tomato, sliced shallot or red onion, and lettuce leaves, or kick it up a notch with microgreens. Consider adding sliced avocado, creamy coleslaw, or sliced dill pickles too. 

Serving Suggestions: 

Halibut sliders are similar to classic crab cakes. As an alternative way to serve them, skip the brioche rolls and toppings, and serve them on top of a mixed green garden salad with lemon aioli spooned over the top. 

Small brioche slider buns make these the perfect size for an appetizer and to share with a group. If you prefer, form the fish mixture into four full-size burgers instead of the 8 sliders. If done this way, they will take an extra few minutes to cook. 

If you have any sliders left over, store them on their own without buns or toppings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. 

Equipment 

Food processor: A food processor is used to mix the slider mixture and chop the halibut. If you don't have a food processor available, the halibut and green onions can be finely chopped with a sharp chef's knife and the remaining ingredients can be mixed together in a large bowl. 

Large skillet: A large 12-inch frying pan is used to fry the fish patties. Cast iron is an excellent choice due to its good heat retention, though stainless steel or nonstick skillets will also work.

Sheet pan: A rimmed sheet pan is used to broil the slider buns. If you are grilling other food outside, consider throwing the buns on the grill for a few minutes instead. 

Microplane grater: A microplane grater is helpful to grate the garlic clove into a very fine paste so it disappears into the aioli and no large pieces remain. If you don't have one, use a chef's knife to finely chop the garlic clove, and then use the side of the blade to firmly scrape the garlic across the cutting board until it is made into a paste. 

Ingredients 

Wild for Salmon Halibut: Halibut is perfect for this recipe and comes without skin

and bones, making the prep for the recipe effortless! 

Breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs help add some structure to the fish cakes, and are used to make the crispy coating before frying. Look for panko-style breadcrumbs for maximum crispiness.

Mayonnaise: Mayonnaise is the binder of the halibut cakes and the base of the aioli sauce. Green onions: Green onions add some savory flavor and a touch of color to the fish cakes.

Dijon mustard: Dijon mustard adds a touch of heat and acts as part of the binder of the fish cakes and adds additional flavor to the aioli. 

Old Bay seasoning: Old Bay seasoning is a classic addition to many seafood dishes and adds all the spices needed to this recipe. 

Lemon: Lemon zest is used to add a bright flavor to the halibut cakes, and lemon juice is used to flavor the aioli. You will need the zest from almost a full lemon and juice from half of a lemon. Avocado oil: Avocado oil is a neutral oil with a very high smoking point which makes it perfect for frying these fish sliders. Another neutral high heat vegetable oil such as safflower, canola, or grapeseed oil can also be used. 

Brioche slider buns: Brioche rolls are perfectly buttery and soft with just a bit of subtle sweetness that compliments the fish sliders wonderfully. If they can't be found, another style of slider rolls or burger buns will also work. 

Garlic: Fresh garlic is used to add the classic savory flavor to the aioli. 

Toppings: The toppings for the sliders are flexible, but sliced tomato, shallot, or red onion, and microgreens are a great place to start!

[[ recipeID=recipe-8lhuoowrn, title=Crispy Halibut Cake Slider Recipe with Lemon Aioli ]]

AUTHOR PROFILE

Marisa Kerkvliet of Lemon Thyme Kitchen is a freelance recipe developer and food photographer with a Master’s degree in Nutrition. She was raised on her family’s farm in Northwest Washington and her appreciation for good food developed at a very early age. She is passionate about creating recipes and beautiful imagery that highlight high-quality seasonal ingredients. Marisa loves all types of seafood, but her favorites are salmon and scallops!