How To Keep Fish From Sticking To The Grill

Grilled fish makes for the best elevated and delicious yet light and simple entree. Paired with vegetables and rice or potatoes, the full meal is equally healthy and satisfying. While thinner and more delicate fish can be foil wrapped and placed on the grill, thick and firmer fish filets are the better options for grilling directly on the grates — think salmon, swordfish, tuna, halibut, and mahi mahi. Even still, fish have a tendency to stick to grill grates making it hard to flip in one piece and achieve that desired crispy crust. We spoke to a seafood expert to find out how to prevent stickage when it comes to grilling fish. Sheila Lucero, executive chef at Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar, told us the secret is to, "Make sure your grill is hot, clean, and the grates are oiled."

Grill grates collect burnt debris, which makes an uneven surface for fish skin to stick to. Cleaning the grill well creates a smooth surface. The grill also has to be piping hot to produce enough conductive heat in the metal, otherwise a chemical bond between the proteins in the fish and the grill grates fuses the two together. Oiling the grates — and the fish — creates a barrier between the metal and the food to prevent it from sticking, as well. Lucero's other tip? "I use a fish spatula which is thinner than a large grill spatula. This helps me to turn the fish easily."

As Lucero notes, the key to perfectly grilled fish is in the prep work; cleaning and seasoning your grill. Useful grill-cleaning tools include purpose-shaped pumice stones or sturdy brushes, easily available online: Try this Maryton pumice cleaning brick, or an all-natural Grillbadger brush with a handy scraper attached. When it comes to the fish itself, though, further prep work will also get you the best-tasting finished dish. You can use lemon or pineapple as planks for grilled fish; just lay slices of the fruit on the grill and set the fish atop them. The flavors of the fruit will infuse into the fish as it cooks and prevent sticking.

A pro tip to get that crust on grilled fish if your fish still has scales is to move the scales forward and back to get rid of trapped moisture that prevents a crust from forming; also, make sure your filet is patted completely dry before cooking. Another tip is not to try and move the fish while the crust is forming on the grill. And you could also invest in one of those handy angled fish spatulas Lucerno mentioned (this Zulay stainless steel one would work well), as it will make flipping easier and less likely to tear the hard-earned crust off the fish.