Grilled Whole Fish Recipe (Gas Grill / Charcoal Grill)
It's easy to make crispy, flavorful, and tender bbq fish. This recipe will show you how to grill and bbq whole fish at home.
Equipment
- Knife and cutting board
- Toothpicks soaked in water for five minutes
- Tongs or spatula
- Grill (charcoal, gas)
Ingredients
- 2 lb rainbow trout or other whole fish
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 lemon sliced thinly and cut into wedges
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 1 scallion cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 leek sliced into ⅛ inch rounds
- 1 shallot cut into thin slices
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- 4 stalks parsley
- vegetable oil
Instructions
PREPARING FISH
- Pick fresh fish on ice when you are choosing your fish. Fish with cloudy eyes will be less fresh so choose fish that are clear. The fish should smell fresh and not fishy if you can detect it. The fishmonger should clean the fish and remove the tail and gills.
- Use paper towels to dry your fish and a knife for three slits per side. Each slit should be about an inch in depth.
- Salt and pepper should be applied to the entire fish, including the skin, slits and interior of the cavity.
- Put minced garlic in both the cavity and the slits.
- Place the green onions and lemon wedges in the cavities.
- Continue stuffing the fish using leeks, shallots and rosemary.
- To keep the stuffing in the cavity, use the soaked toothpicks
- Sprinkle a generous amount vegetable oil around the fish.
GRILLING
- Your charcoal should be heated. Natural chunk charcoal is my preferred choice and it fills about half to one-half of my chimney starter. This charcoal fills approximately 40-50% of my small charcoal barbecue, about 2 inches from the fish and coals.
- After your coals are coated in a nice white coating from heating up, you can pour them onto the grill. The coals may not heat up enough if they aren't coated in white. Also, if the coals don't get heated up for long enough before being poured out, their lives can be cut short. Let the grill heat up for a while by covering it.
- Use a metal grill cleaner to clean the grates at the top and bottom.
- Grill whole fish right from the bag Place the fish directly on the grill. Don't move it around until the fish is cooked. The lid covers the grill and cooks for 6-8 minutes on each side. You can flip the fish once the first side is crisp and easier to lift. The whole fish is finished when it registers an internal temperature of 145°F or the meat has become opaque and firm.Whole fish in foil Place the fish on the grill by wrapping it in foil. The grill will take 6-8 minutes for each side. Turn it over after about 7 minutes. To check the fish, open the packet slightly and use a thermometer. The whole fish is done when it registers an internal temperature of around 145°F or the meat has become firm and opaque.
- Fresh fish should be served hot off the grill.