How to Grill Fish Steak

It’s a great time to make a fish grill meal. By grilling fish outdoors, you won’t have to deal with a lingering smell inside. It’s also fairly easy to make fish if you prepare it properly. Grilled fish steak pairs with anything, and you can serve it for brunch, lunch or dinner. It pairs well with vegetables like green beans, potatoes or corn. You can also serve it with watermelon if you are in the mood for something light. If you’ve never made a fish steak on the grill before, you really don’t need to be apprehensive. Utilize these tips below in our grilling fish for beginner’s guide to make the perfect fish steaks. After making them once, you will see how easy they are to cook and you will wonder why you’ve never made a fish steak on the grill before.

How to Cook Fish Steak on the Grill?

There is some preparation that goes into cooking fish steak on the grill. It is rather delicate, so you really need to make sure that you follow these tips in order to keep your fish from falling apart and for them to have a tasty flavor.

• Preheat your grill. You don’t want to cook your fish steaks over too high or too low of heat. A medium heat is just the right temperature. Keep in mind that you will be cooking them over direct heat. Make sure that the grates of your grill are clean beforehand. Fish steaks can easily take on the flavor of leftover food particles.
• Rinse your fish steaks. You should use cold water to rinse your fish steaks. Use a paper towel to pat each fish steak dry. You don’t want any moisture to remain on them.
• Check for bones. There may be small bones in your fish steaks. This is why you should run your fingers over each one to see if there are any sharp pieces. If you do feel any, you can gently remove them with a small knife or a pair of kitchen tweezers. Just be very careful not to pull your fish steaks apart as they are very delicate.
• Oil each side. You need to put cooking oil on each side of your fish steaks in order to keep them from sticking when you are cooking them. You only need to apply a little bit of oil to keep them from getting stuck to the grates. Just make sure that every part of them is coated thoroughly.
• Add seasoning. While fish steaks do taste great on their own, you can add seasoning as well. It’s best to add seasoning before you cook your fish steaks so that they will absorb the flavor. There are numerous grilled fish seasonings that you can put on your fish steaks, or you can just add a pinch of salt. You may need to experiment a little in order to figure out what you like best.
• Refrigerate until you are ready to grill. It will take a little while for your grill to fully heat up. If it’s not ready by the time you are finished preparing your fish steaks, you should place them in the refrigerator. They will hold up better on the grill if they are cool rather than at room temperature.

Expert Tips Grilling Your Fish with The Skin On or Off

You can grill fish steaks with the skin either on or off. However, it is harder to grill them with the skin off as they are very delicate. If this is your first time grilling fish steaks, you should leave the skin on. As you get the hang of it, you can take the skin off to see which method you prefer better. Here are some tips that you should utilize no matter if you leave the skin on or off.

• Don’t marinate for longer than an hour. If you want to give your fish steaks a very intense flavor, you can marinate them. However, it’s best to only leave them in this liquid for no longer than an hour. You run the risk of them getting mushy if you leave them in the liquid for any longer than that. You can easily make a simple marinade with olive oil, lemon juice and garlic.
• Place lemon or orange slices on the grill for skinless fillets. Once you’re ready to try your hand at grilling fish steaks without the skin on them, you can keep them from sticking by putting orange or lemon slices on the grill. Either of these fruits will give the fish steaks a subtle citrus flavor, and they will keep your fish from burning or being difficult to remove because they are stuck to the grates.
• Use larger fish steaks. While you can use virtually any type of fish you like for fish steaks, you are better off choosing a larger type of fish that is firm and not delicate. Cod, swordfish, tuna and salmon are all great choices. You can also choose cod or pollock if you are looking for a fish that isn’t expensive.
• Flip with a wide spatula. The last thing you want to do is have issues flipping your fish steak or removing it from the grill when the time comes. This is why you need to use a wide spatula. It will allow you to get most of the fish steak on it, and you will have an easier time lifting it off of the grates. Try to avoid using tongues as they can easily crush your fish steaks.
• Let sit for a couple of minutes. You may be tempted to flip your fish steaks or move them around as you don’t want to risk them sticking to the grates. Unfortunately, this can cause you to unintentionally tear them apart. Let your fish steaks sit on the grill for a couple of minutes before flipping them. This will allow them to get a decent sear. You really should only flip your fish steaks one time. Be very careful when you are flipping them as they are still delicate.
• Stay by the grill. It normally doesn’t take fish steaks long to cook. You don’t want to leave them on the grill for too long as they can burn very quickly. This is why you need to stay by the grill. Don’t walk away from it, or you run the risk of coming back to charred fish steaks. Most fish steaks take 10 minutes or less to cook, so you won’t have to devote that much time standing around your grill.

How to Check Fish Steaks for Doneness?

While fish steaks are easy to grill, you may have difficulty trying to figure out when they are finished cooking. Here’s how to check fish steaks for doneness.

1. Use the inch rule. For every inch of width, you should cook your fish steaks for about 10 minutes in total. So basically, if you have a fish steak that’s one inch in thickness, you would only need to cook each side for about five minutes.
2. Look at the color. Many people rely on the color of their fish steaks when they are trying to check for doneness. Thin steaks should be opaque throughout. Thick steaks should look marginally translucent in the middle. Keep in mind that thicker fish steaks will continue to cook internally for several minutes even after you’ve taken them off of the grill.
3. Use a meat thermometer to get perfectly cooked fish steaks. The best way to ensure that your fish steaks are thoroughly cooked is by using the ThermoPro Meat Thermometer. All you have to do is insert it into your fish steaks to make sure that they have reached an internal temperature of 145°F. The ThermoPro Meat Thermometer makes it easy to determine whether or not you have cooked your fish steaks long enough. You can also use it for other food items as well such as meat, poultry, vegetables or even fruit.

Grilling fish steaks doesn’t have to be that difficult. Just make sure you utilize the tips mentioned above so that you can ensure that you grill your fish properly. If you aren’t sure whether or not it’s time to remove your fish steaks or if you should cook them a little bit longer, use the ThermoPro Meat Thermometer. It’s the perfect little kitchen gadget to have on hand no matter what you are cooking or grilling.