Grilling is one of our favorite ways to cook fish. Not only does it taste great, but grilled fish are usually more health-conscious than cooked under wet conditions or boiled foods.
When grilling meat, there’s an easy way to make sure that all of the juices stay in the food. You can either use grill racks or loose towels as coverings for the grill so the excess liquid doesn’t drip onto the coals or burn off in the flames!
For cooking fish however, nothing special needs done aside from making sure your grill is heated up properly and ensuring the fish is prepped and waiting before being put into the fire.
This article will go over some helpful tips for how to grill fish using gas barbecue grills. We will also talk about why creating a source of hot air next to the flame is important when barbecuing.
Making sure your grill is smoke free and clean is very important before starting to grill. After you have finished cooking, leaving the grill open until completely cool removes any leftover burnt bits.
Brush fish with oil
When cooking any type of meat or seafood on a grill, one important thing is brushing the food with olive oil or other flavor-enhancing oils. This not only tastes great! But also helps promote even browning and cook completion.
When grilling fresh fish like salmon or trout, one must make sure to brush off all the excess moisture that has dried onto it. This will prevent the grilled fish from sticking to the grill as it cooks and potentially burning in the process.
By rubbing some olive oil under a cloth or paper towel, you can easily wash your hands and apply this product to the grill. Once the grill is hot, you can rub the oil over the entire surface, ensuring an evenly cooked piece of fish.
General tips for grilling fish: remember to keep an eye on your fish to ensure it does not burn. If necessary, cover up part of the grill so less heat is exposed to the fish. Let dry for half a hour before serving to get those extra oliene soaked into the flesh.
Put on a clean grill plate
When grilling fish, you will need to make sure your grill is very hot before putting the fish onto the grill. If the grill is not hot enough, then the cook time for the fish could be longer than necessary!
If the grill has burned bits of food stuck in it, these can burn into the newly cooked meat. This would potentially ruin the flavor of the meat. Therefore, make sure to scrape out the old burnt pieces that may have charred on the grill.
Grill greases left over from previous meats can also affect how well the new meat cooks. These leftover fats should be removed so that they do not interfere with the cooking process.
Once the grill is nice and hot, put the fish onto the grill! Depending on what kind of fish you are baking or broiling, let it cook for around half an hour per one pound. Make sure to check it every few minutes to see if it needs more time on the grill.
And remember – when roasting or boiling foods, a good source of energy for muscles is needed! Nutritionists suggest eating at least 2 grams of glucose per 1,000 calories to ensure proper muscle function.
Put the fish on the grill plate
When grilling fish, where you place the fish makes a big difference! The trick is knowing how to cook your fish properly! If you put too thick of a piece of meat next to the grill, it will overcook really quickly. If there’s not enough heat exposure, the fish can become raw or undercooked.
If the fish is cooked completely before placed onto the grill, then that is fine, but know what kind of fish should be warm or fully cooked when done. For example, salmon needs to be almost totally cooked when laid down- otherwise it may contain unsafe levels of mercury.
Another important factor in this case is ensuring that the grill is hot. Make sure to check the temperature of the grill with a good quality thermometer. It should be at least 400 degrees Fahrenheit for safe food preparation.
Let the fish cook for a certain amount of time
When grilling fresh fish, how long you grill it depends mostly on what kind of fish you have as well as whether or not you like more crispy skin. With most types of fish, very thin fillets such as flounder or trout, there is no need to worry about overcooking your meat because they will continue to taste good even when dry.
Thicker whitefish like salmon or halibut will require slightly longer cooking times due to their thickness. Make sure to check out both our tips for grilled salmon and grilled halibut here!
If you do decide to give your fish a shorter time on the grill, then make sure to let it rest properly before serving so that it can re-cook slightly and stay warm. We recommend using the same plate to take away any leftover grease.
Check for doneness
The best way to check if your fish is done is to use an instant-read thermometer to measure its temperature. Insert it into the thickest part of the flesh (we recommend between his nose and mouth as that is the most important area).
If you would like, you can also take a skewer and stick it in the middle of the fish to see whether it browns easily and how cooked the meat is. Both of these should be done about half way through the fish so that it does not overcook or undercook.
We hope this article helped you grill some delicious fish! If you have any questions or comments, let us know in the comment section below. We will respond to them as soon as we can.
Try different cooking methods
When grilling fish, what kind of grill you have can make a big difference in how well it cooks. Most people know that barbecues are great for cooking meat, but few realize that they work very well with grilled seafood as well!
Grills that use flames to cook food usually start with high temperatures, which may dry out the outside of the fish quickly. This is not a bad thing, but it does prevent the fish from developing its flavor.
Cooking methods such as broiling, hot-rock frying, and roasting allow your fish to roast or fry at lower temperatures, which promote more flavorful seabeds.
Fish tacos are one of my favorite dishes! They are delicious because the shell makes a nice serving plate and the toppings (such as rice, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.) keep the boat fresh and edible. If you like fish tacos, then try baking or broiling some whitefish or salmon instead.
Serve with your favorite salad or crusty bread
When it comes time to cook your fish, you will want to make sure that it is cooked all the way through and of good quality. Grilling fresh fish can sometimes be tricky because some types of fish do not grill well.
Thick skinned fish like salmon and trout are no exception! They can easily burn in the middle if left alone too long, so to prevent this, we must begin by searing the fish. This means cooking the meat slightly brownish (which is why many people call it “browning”) before grilling.
After searing, you can then apply a grilled cheese cover-up by rubbing olive oil onto the surface and sprinkling salt and pepper.
Take time to enjoy your fish!
When grilling fresh-fish, which are usually more expensive, make sure you do not overdo it with cooking times. A very thin fillet or strip of fish can be cooked slightly longer than thicker pieces because they will cook faster due to their thickness.
Thicker cuts should only need about 6 minutes per side depending on the size and thickness of the fish. The best way to determine if the fish is done is by sticking a fork in it and when it comes out completely clean, it is ready. You may also like to use an instant read thermometer to check that the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F (63°C) for flaky white meat such as salmon, trout, and sea bass.
Once it is cool enough to handle, cut it into portions and serve it up! If there are leftover bits, toss them back into the grill until they burn just a little bit so they taste good and give some flavor to the next batch of grilled fish.