Top 22 Grilled Fish Recipes

Enjoy Fish on the Grill With These Top Recipes

Grilled Sea Bass

The Spruce

When it is warm out, there's nothing quite like cooking fish on the grill—it's fresh-tasting, doesn't stink up your kitchen, and just seems like summer. And with so many fish varieties and flavor combinations to choose from, the options may seem endless. This list of grilled fish recipes offers one delicious choice after another including grilled trout Florentine and soy halibut steaks.

  • 01 of 22

    Ginger-Lime Swordfish

    Close-Up Of Grilled Swordfish In Plate
    Sergei Talykov / EyeEm / Getty Images

    Swordfish is wonderful when prepared on the grill. The firm meat holds together well and it grills a lot like a good steak. This recipe includes a sweet and sour, Asian-inspired marinade that brings out the flavors of the fish and creates the perfect crust on the grill. 

  • 02 of 22

    Salmon With Lemon and Thyme

    Grilled Salmon with Dill and Lemon

    Sabrina S. Baksh

    The combination of lemon and thyme is made for salmon, and this grilled salmon recipe is sure to become a dinnertime standby. If you have trouble flipping fish without it falling apart, purchase salmon steaks versus salmon fillets since they are easier to deal with on the grill. 

  • 03 of 22

    Sea Bass With Garlic Butter

    Grilled sea bass

    The Spruce

    Sea bass can be something of a blank canvas when it comes to flavor. This recipe features a rich garlic butter that is used to baste the fish after it is flipped on the grill, making for a fish dish that is quick and easy, and one that everyone will love.

  • 04 of 22

    Blackened Red Snapper

    Blackened red snapper recipe

    ​The Spruce Eats / Victoria Heydt

    Blackened fish typically comes out of a flaming hot skillet, but this version reduces the oil and puts it on an equally hot grill. It is the intense fire that makes this recipe work, allowing the herbs and spices to create a crispy surface on this red snapper. This is also a fantastic recipe for fish tacos. 

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  • 05 of 22

    Firecracker Salmon

    Firecracker Salmon
    Regarding BBQ Inc.

    The spicy Asian-inspired marinade for this salmon loads it up with flavor. The marinade combines Sambal chili paste with soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar, and garlic. You will want to let those flavors sink in before this salmon takes a quick trip over a hot grill.  

  • 06 of 22

    Lime and Basil Tilapia

    Raw tilapia on cutting board
    Mike Kemp / Getty Images

    Let's be honest—tilapia is a type of fish that can really use a flavor boost. This recipe infuses a good dose of lime and basil to this grilled fish after a short time in the marinade. The secret ingredient? A touch of bourbon.  

  • 07 of 22

    Onion Butter Cod

    Pacific cod

    Thomas Barwick / Digital Vision / Getty Images

    Cod is a great fish for the grill. It may need a gentle touch, but the buttery texture is fantastic. In this recipe, the butter flavored with white wine and onion is basted on the cod as it grills, creating layers of flavors on the fish as it cooks.  

  • 08 of 22

    Basil-Rosemary Grilled Trout

    Basil-Rosemary Grilled Trout

    Ned Frisk Photography / Photodisc / Getty Images

    Trout is a popular fish that is lovely when it is freshly caught and cooked over a campfire. Although it is more likely we'll be cooking on a grill in our backyard, this fish will still be delicious, especially on a charcoal grill. In this recipe, the whole trout is stuffed with herbs and lemon slices, then put over a hot flame.  

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  • 09 of 22

    Grilled Walleye With Orange-Chive Butter and Pecans

    Grilled walleye

     peredniankina / Getty Images

    This walleye fish is cooked on a piece of aluminum foil making it easy to grill, quick to cook, and simple to clean up. Just place the fillets on the foil, brush with oil, and grill. When close to done you top with an orange-chive butter studded with pecans, which give the fish a bit of a crunch and a nutty sweetness.  

  • 10 of 22

    Honey Mustard Sea Bass

    Grilled Honey-Mustard Sea Bass

    NighAndDayImages / Getty Images

    This sea bass only needs a few minutes in the honey-mustard marinade before placing on the grill, so you can put this meal together in less than 30 minutes. Basting with the marinade creates a caramelized outer surface on the fish that is fantastic. 

  • 11 of 22

    Chili-Tequila Salmon Steaks With Grilled Salsa

    Chili-Tequila Salmon Steaks with Grilled Salsa
    Regarding BBQ, Inc.

    Salmon steaks are one of the most popular types of fish to grill as they are easier to manage than fillets. The natural sweetness of this salmon is enhanced by a tequila-chili marinade; then the fish gets topped with a fresh tomato and chili salsa. This is an impressive meal that is quick and easy to prepare, perfect for an al fresco dinner party.  

  • 12 of 22

    Sea Bass Marinated in Sake

    Grilled Sea Bass Marinated in Sake

    Juanmonino / Getty Images

    Sake is perfect when combined with fish—it acts as a mild acid to keep the meat fresh and tender while adding a slight tartness to the finished dish. The marinade for this sea bass, including soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and garlic, is loaded with flavor, making for a delicious Asian-inspired fish dish that is also simple to make. 

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  • 13 of 22

    Lemon-Basil Halibut

    Grilled Lemon-Basil Halibut

    Stacie Peterson / Getty Images

    This fish is simply elegant, and just might be the ultimate light and refreshing meal perfect for a hot summer night. The halibut gets a gentle seasoning before being cooked on a hot grill; the second it comes off, it is drizzled with a delicious lemon, caper, and basil sauce. 

  • 14 of 22

    Soy Halibut Steaks

    Soy Halibut Steaks
    Regarding BBQ Inc.

    This is the perfect halibut recipe for an Asian-inspired meal. Try doubling up the marinade and reserve half for pouring over the fish and some rice; the combination of butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, and garlic makes for a rich and delicious sauce.

  • 15 of 22

    Chilean Sea Bass With Garlic Butter and Oregano Pesto

    Chilean Sea Bass with Garlic Butter and Oregano Pesto

     Trinette Reed / Getty Images

    Chilean sea bass is expensive, but it is also one of the best fish you can buy. The meat has a naturally ​sweet, buttery flavor and an amazing texture. This recipe takes that into account and doesn't mask those natural flavors with the oregano pesto and garlic butter; instead, the sauces are spooned onto the plate and then the fish is placed on top.  

  • 16 of 22

    Cedar Plank Halibut

    Cedar Plank Salmon
    mphillips007 / Getty Images

    You've probably heard of cedar plank salmon, but what about halibut? Plank cooking is a great way to grill fish—not only does it make it easier to handle, but it adds a light, smoky flavor. In addition, the light seasoning of this recipe lets the halibut shine through.

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  • 17 of 22

    Tandoori Cod

    Tandoori Cod

    Cultura RM / Brett Stevens / Getty Images

    Talk about flavor! These cod fillets get a classic tandoori marinade before hitting the grill, making for a ​richly colored and deep flavored dish. Tandoori is a traditional Indian dish where food is marinated in a yogurt mixture and then cooked in a tandoor (a clay oven). But you don't need this special piece of equipment—the grill works beautifully.

  • 18 of 22

    Honey-Dijon Arctic Char

    Honey-Dijon Arctic Char

    Foodcollection RF / Getty Images

    Arctic char is a great cold-water fish. The honey mustard paste that flavors these fillets is loaded with herbs and only needs​ to sit on the fish for a short amount of time before placing the fish on the grill. This is a great recipe for a weeknight meal since it can be prepared quickly and is truly delicious.

  • 19 of 22

    Halibut Tacos With Spicy Radicchio-Avocado Slaw

    Halibut Tacos with Spicy Radicchio-Avocado Slaw
    Regarding BBQ Inc.

    These tacos make wonderful appetizers for parties as well as an exciting weeknight meal. They are loaded with flavor and the radicchio-avocado slaw is amazing, not to mention the halibut seasoned with honey, cumin, and chili powder.  

  • 20 of 22

    Blackened Fish

    Blackened Fish on the Grill

    The Spruce

    Blackened fish is a great method of cooking, but it can create a lot of smoke and odor in the house. This recipe takes the process out to the grill with just three ingredients and a heavy skillet so you can get this fantastic fish, without smelling it for the next week.  

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  • 21 of 22

    Grilled Lemon and Balsamic Sole Fillets

    High angle view of raw lemon sole fillet and lemon wedge on baking paper and slate
    Diana Miller / Getty Images

    Sole fillets are one of the more delicate types of fish, but if you oil your grill well or use a grilling basket you should be able to accomplish this dish without a problem. The sole is first marinated in a mixture of balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, fresh parsley, chopped onion, and dried mustard and then placed on the grill for only 4 to 6 minutes until cooked through. Serve with lemon wedges for a light dinner on a warm summer night.

  • 22 of 22

    Halibut Packets

    halibut cooked in foil packets

     Leah Maroney

    Packet cooking is not only a simple way to cook a whole meal in an aluminum foil pouch but also ideal for including ingredients that may be challenging to grill. Onions and bell peppers help to flavor this halibut recipe, and the packet can simply be opened upright on each plate.