Grilled Fish Recipes

Great grilled fish recipes start with quality fresh fish.

Smell Test: If it smells fishy don't buy it.

Flesh Test: The flesh should look solid and firm, not feathered or mealy. When pressed upon it should bounce back without leaving an indentation. The skin should be clean and shiny, not slimy, with scales intact (not falling off).

Whole Fish: The cavity should be clean and free from any fluid (i.e. blood). Fish eyes should be clean and well rounded not sunken in or cloudy.

When it comes to grilled fish recipes it is the type of fish and ingredients that vary not usually the grilling times.

Here are some quick grilling tips to make sure your grilled fish turns out great every time:

1. Clean and preheat your grill for high heat (500 degrees F). If your using charcoal, the grill is ready when you can hold the palm of your hand two inches above the grate for only 1 -2 seconds before pulling away.

2. Grill fish with the skin on and skin-side down first. This will prevent your fish from drying out and the skin usually comes off easily during the grilling process.

3. Fish tends to stick to the grill so liberally wipe the grill grate with olive oil, using a rag or paper towel, to keep it from sticking. Cooking spray works well for this.

Grilling Tip:
Don't use cooking spray on the grill while it is on high or it will flare up. Turn it down, spray the grill, then turn it up again.

Grilling baskets work great for fish because you avoid the sticking problem and baskets create nice grill marks on your fish for presentation.

4. Most white fish only takes 4 -5 minutes per inch, per side, to cook through on the grill.

Grilling Tip:
Your fish will tell you when its ready to flip because it will release "relatively" easy from the grill.

Don't mess with it. Just leave it until it's ready to flip. Then flip it only once.

5. To flip fish, thin grilling spatulas work the best. They can easily get under the fish which helps to keep things from falling apart or sticking to the grill.

6. Any grilled fish recipe can be enhanced with garlic, lemon, and parsley. These flavors go particularly well with white fish.

Grilling Tip:
If you are using a citrus based marinade (lemon, lime, orange, etc.), use it just before you grill because the acid will breakdown your fish if you marinate for too long.

7. Your fish is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 130 degrees F and it flakes easily with a fork.

For specific fish grilling instructions, times, and how to videos: see our recipes column.