How To Grill Fish With Foil

When it comes to grilling, there are two main ways to cook most fish- either directly over hot flames or under a broiler. The first is more common than the second, but what if you don’t have access to an oven?

That doesn’t mean you can’t grill your fish though! Grilling vegetables and meat in a pan or a skillet using oil as a medium is a great way to make sure all of the nutrients get cooked into the food.

But what about fish?

Luckily, there is another way to grill almost any kind of fresh water fish: foil. This article will teach you how to easily grill fish with foil! Read on for some tips and tricks.

Disclaimer

The content in this article should not be used as a substitute for formal culinary training nor as medical advice for acute symptoms or serious health conditions. There may also be risk involved in attempting these recipes so do exercise caution before starting. If you experience pain or discomfort during or after experimentation, stop immediately and consult a doctor.

Grill Thin Fillets Using Paper As A Cover

We will start off by making our grilled fish thinner pieces such as salmon or trout. For these types of fish, we will use paper as a cover.

To begin, cut a piece of parchment or heavy duty aluminum baking/cooking sheet that covers the entire length of the fillet.

Brush the foil with oil

When cooking fish under foil, it is important to brush the grill surface of the foil that will contact the meat or fish with olive or vegetable oil so that they do not stick when basting or brushing them during cook time.

This would also help in producing more flavor as the oils seep into the flesh. You can either use a paper towel to soak up any excess oil or simply wash the grill surface of the foil with some water and then dry with a paper towel.

Once the meat or fish is cooked through, you can then slide the foil back and continue grilling the next piece.

Put the fish on the foil

The next step is to put the whole thing in the grill. Now, remember that there are two main types of grills? Either gas or charcoal. If you have never grilled with either type of fuel before, know that each has their advantages and disadvantages!

With respect to cooking thin pieces of meat like fish, people usually recommend using plain old aluminum foil as the surface to cook on because it melts down slightly when heated which helps promote even heating. When baking with an oven-type burner, having a glass pan can help see how well your food cooks while also helping regulate temperature changes.

This article will use both tips together however! Since we now have an electric stove, we will simply take advantage of that by preheating the burners for a few minutes first.

Put the foil with the fish on the grill

When grilling fresh fish like salmon or tuna, it is very important to have either aluminum-foil lined or heavy duty plastic wrap as an underlying layer to keep the meat from sticking to the grill.

This would not only be gross for you to see but could also result in raw pieces of fish that may contain bacteria or even parasites!

To avoid this, make sure to start off by putting some kind of cover item over your grill before cooking the fish on top of it. This can be plain old parchment paper, or if you have them, heavier weight plastic sheets.

Once the fish is cooked through, take the plastic sheet away and let it cool down completely before using it for another purpose. If left on the grill, the melted fat will stick to the foil which does not cleanse the grease well. It also cannot be recycled easily.

We recommend always using either metal baking racks or greaseless grill pads when broiling or barbecuing so that you do not need the extra step of cleaning later.

Cook the fish until the flesh turns opaque

When cooking any kind of meat or seafood with parchment paper, grill covers, or foil, make sure that you are completely cooked before taking them off the stove! If not, your food will continue to cook in the leftover heat, which can sometimes take longer than you want!

Grilling raw foods is definitely an acquired taste, so if you are new to it we recommend starting out baking the meat/fish first and then moving onto grilling. The two main reasons why people do not like grilled meats is because they say their mouth is wet or too much smoke smells bad for them.

When cooking fish either floured or wrapped in plastic wrap, lay the finished product on top of the grill pan or plate and flip once done.

Check the fish for doneness

The best way to check if your grill-ready fish is done is with an easy trick: Take a fork and stab it into the thickest part of the flesh. If it comes out slightly pink, then the fish is not fully cooked yet.

If it is completely white, that means the bone in the meat broke down when it was cooking which causes the color to change. This does not mean the meat is raw though, as it may be overcooked at this stage!

Once you have checked one side, turn the other side and do the same thing to see how close you are to having perfect grilled fish every time.

Serve with your favorite salad and bread

When cooking fish using foil, there are two main things you must remember. The first is timing! You want to make sure that you have enough time to let the grill heat soak into the fish before you put it in the oven or under the broiler.

The second important thing to know about grilling fish using foil is what kind of fish to use. Most people agree that white-fleshed fish such as trout, flounder, and cod work best when grilled alone. This is because they cook more quickly than oily fish like tuna and salmon, so they do not need extra time to roast.

When baking or broiling fish, try to find an internal temperature gauge. This will help determine if the fish is cooked all the way through or if it needs to be done again next day.

Take the foil off the grill when the fish is done

When grilling most fishes, whether it be trout or salmon or cod or any kind of white meat fish like chicken, you will need to make sure that they are cooked all the way through. If you start to see some browning outside the foil, put the cover back on!

The tricky part with cooking thick cut fish such as steaks or fillets is keeping them from drying out while also making sure that they are fully cook. This can be done by either leaving the cover on longer or using a warmer temperature.

If you have ever seen people grill thin fish like flounder or blue gill then this article has tips for you! They twist the whole fish up in the air and cook it that way so it cooks more quickly and thinner than if it was flat on the grill.

Let the fish rest for a few minutes before serving

When grilling any meat, including fish, it is important to wait until it is cooked all the way through before you plate it. This is particularly true with thinner cuts of meat or thin fillets of fish such as flounder or trout.

When cooking thicker pieces of meat, like tuna loins or salmon, this is not an issue. However, when baking or broiling meat, there are times when raw parts remain after cooking. For these types of foods, we recommend letting the food sit for a couple of minutes after taking it out of the grill or oven before slicing or picking up each piece individually.