Grilled Barramundi recipe. Looking for a delicious, firm white fish to grill that is also sustainably farmed? Seek out Barramundi for your grill. It's a favorite in Australia for a good reason - it tastes great!
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Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
- Olive oil: I prefer cheap vegetable oil for grilling because the interesting flavors in olive oil are cooked out on the grill. If I won't taste the difference, why use expensive olive oil? That said, if you want to use olive oil, it will work fine with this recipe.
- Spicy Salsa: If you want to add some heat to the salsa, add a minced and seeded jalapeno chili (for medium heat) or serrano chili (for high heat).
Why Barramundi?
Barramundi is an example of a good farmed fish. It is a white fish with low fat content, native to waters from Southeast Asia through Australia. It is popular in Australia and Thailand as a sport fish and for eating. Barramundi can survive in a wide range of salt levels; some live in the ocean, others in inland lakes and rivers. Barramundi is farmed in closed inland systems in the United States to protect against escapees and pollution. If you're looking for sustainable seafood, try this grilled barramundi recipe.
*Barry Eastabrook wrote about how good Barramundi is for fish farming in the Atlantic years ago.
Recipe Notes
- Thick vs Thin Fillets: My fillets were smaller—no more than an inch thick. I cut each fillet in half to get my six-ounce portions. I've seen monster-sized barramundi fillets; if you get a thick one, increase the grilling time to about 8 minutes total (3-4 minutes flesh side down, then another 4-5 minutes skin side down; the skin will protect that side from burning).
Variations
- Lemon juice: If you like a simple seafood preparation, skip the salsa and serve with a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Lemon herb dressing: If you like lemon with fish but want more flavor than plain lemon, try my lemon herb dressing instead of the salsa. It has lemon, garlic, and a good hit of herbs.
- Substitute salsas: Use any of my salsa recipes instead of the avocado salsa, or use your favorite salsa. Mango Salsa is an excellent match with seafood.
Fish Grilling Tips
Grilling fish is a sticky situation. I mean that literally - fish will stick to your grill like it was spot-welded if you are not careful. There are four keys to keep fish from sticking:
- Preheat your grill: You want it as hot as possible. For charcoal, this is easy; once the coals are ready, the grill is ready. But for gas grills, you have to preheat for at least 15 minutes to get your grill grates ripping hot.
- Clean your grill grates: If the grates aren't scrupulously clean, fish will stick. Luckily, the easiest time to clean grill grates is after they're preheated. And you already did that for step 1, right? Brush them down, making sure to get all the carbonized bits of food off.
- Oil the grates and the fish: I lightly coat the fish with oil. Then, right before putting the fish on the grill, I rub the grill grates with a folded paper towel dipped in vegetable oil. I have read arguments for one or the other working better; I take the belt and suspenders approach and oil them both.
- Flip once, flip gently: I know that a cross-hatch of grill marks looks great, but it also gives the fish another chance to grab onto the grill. I start the fish flesh side down, sear it until it has a nice brown set of grill marks, then flip it skin side down to finish cooking. Even then, in spite of all my precautions, fish still sticks sometimes. I gently work a spatula underneath it until I can tell it is free of the grill grate. Then I flip quickly.
Brushing the grate
Brush the grill grate thoroughly so the fish won't stick...
Oiling the grate
...then wipe the grate with a paper towel dipped in oil (also so the fish won't stick.)
Fish on the grill skin side up
Start the fish on the grill skin side up, and cook until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes
Skin side down until cooked through
Flip skin side down, then cook until the fish is flaky in the middle - 145°F internal temp. Serve and enjoy!
Grilled Barramundi Recipe
- Total Time: 36 minutes
- Yield: 6 fillets 1x
Description
Grilled Barramundi recipe. Looking for a delicious, firm white fish to grill that is also sustainably farmed? Seek out Barramundi for your grill. It's a favorite in Australia for a good reason - it tastes great!
Ingredients
- 6 (6-ounce Barramundi fillets) (each should be 1 inch thick and 2- to 3 inches wide)
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt (½ teaspoon per fillet)
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil (plus more for oiling the grill grate)
Avocado Salsa
- 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into ½-inch chunks
- Juice of ½ lime
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch chunks
- 1 orange, peeled and cut into sections
- 1 scallion (green onion), diced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black peppe
Instructions
- Prepare the grill for direct high heat (450°F): Start by setting the grill up for cooking with direct high heat.
Gas Grill: I turn all the burners to high on my Weber Summit gas grill and wait fifteen minutes for it to preheat.
Charcoal Grill: In my Weber Kettle, I light a chimney full of charcoal, wait for it to be covered with gray ash, then pour it out in a thick single pile across half of the charcoal grate.
Brush and oil the grill: Once the grill is preheated, I brush the grate thoroughly with my grill brush and oil the grate by wiping it with a paper towel dipped in vegetable oil - Prepare the Barramundi: While the grill is preheating, sprinkle the barramundi filets with salt and pepper, then brush the fillets with vegetable oil.
- Prepare the avocado salsa: Cut the avocado into ½-inch dice and toss in a small bowl with the lime juice. Cut the red bell pepper into ½-inch dice, peel and section the orange - directions here - and dice the scallion. Add all these to the bowl with the avocado, sprinkle with the salt and pepper, and toss to combine.
- Grill the Barramundi: Place the Barramundi on the grill over direct high heat, flesh side down. Grill until the bottom is browned, about three minutes, then gently work a spatula under the Barramundi and flip it skin side down. Grill until the Barramundi is just opaque in the thickest part (with an internal temperature of 145°F), about 3 more minutes. (I check by pushing along the natural seams with a paring knife.) It is OK to let it cook longer with the skin side down if needed; the skin will protect the fish from burning. Once done, gently work a spatula under the Barramundi and move to a platter.
- Serve: Serve each barramundi fillet with a heaping tablespoon of avocado salsa on top. Serve, passing any extra salsa at the table. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Category: Seafood
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: American
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Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
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Looking for something else to grill? Check out My Grilling Recipes Index
Inspired By:
Paul Greenberg Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food
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MikeV @ DadCooksDinner says
@Kelsie:
Thank you for the tips on where to find Barramundi!
Kelsie says
Hi Mike,
Your recipe looks awesome and your photos are great, too! We can't wait to try this preparation out. Thanks for trying barramundi and helping to raise awareness of this healthy, sustainably-raised fish. I know it's a bit harder to come by in your neck of the woods, but I wanted to let your readers know they can find it nationally at most Whole Foods, Safeway, Giant, and Stop & Shop this Fall. We're working to get the word out and hopefully additional retailers will start taking it on soon, as well. Thanks again for posting about barramundi. I hope it was a delicious as it looked here.
To good food & good health!
Kelsie
Marketing Manager
Australis Barramundi
http://www.TheBetterFish.com