Easy Grilled Barramundi Recipe

If you've ever been to Australia, then you may have heard of barramundi fish. In fact, barramundi is popular across regions in South Asia, Papua New Guinea, and northern Australia, according to The Spruce Eats. Barramundi is actually a type of Asian sea bass, but its name comes from the Australian Aboriginal language, which is why many people associate the fish with that region. If you're not yet familiar with barramundi, you're in luck now. Recipe developer and food photographer, Susan Olayinka, who blogs about family-friendly cooking at The Flexible Fridge, is here to introduce you to it in the most delicious possible way: grilled over an open fire, with just the right hint of Mediterranean seasoning. 

Barramundi is a mild white fish, which is sort of like cod, except more meaty and more flavorful, according to Olayinka, and it takes superbly to grilling. "I love grilling fish," Olayinka tells Tasting Table, and you will too after giving this simple recipe for grilled barramundi a try.

To make Olayinka's recipe for grilled barramundi, the first thing you're going to need to do is shop for some fresh barramundi. You'll need two fillets, which should include the skin, and which should total around 13 ounces altogether. Olayinka recommends looking for fish whose flesh looks clean and unbruised, noting that she had to go to a local fishmonger for hers because her supermarket did not have barramundi in stock at the time. 

For seasoning the barramundi before you grill it, you'll need 1 tablespoon of olive oil ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ a lemon, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, and a ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. 

Begin the recipe by starting up your grill. Olayinka recommends grilling your barramundi at what may be a considerably lower temperature than you might expect. However, at the outset, you'll want to turn the grill all the way up to the highest setting and leave it there until you place the fish on the grill. At that point, you'll want to turn the heat down to 325 F. This flash-sear method will encourage your fish to come off the grill grates more easily, but the lower cooking temperature thereafter allows the fish to cook slowly enough so that it won't scorch or dry out. 

While you're waiting for the grill to heat up (and you should feel free to use an oven thermometer), take the barramundi out of your refrigerator and place it on a large plate, as shown. Brush it with the olive oil to coat it completely, and move immediately to the next step.

Since your grill is going to take at least 15 or so minutes to preheat, you can use the time to finish prepping your fish. Squeeze the half-lemon over your fish fillets, making sure to turn the fish over to address both sides. Then, grab a small bowl, and stir together the salt, the dried oregano, and the black pepper. Sprinkle this dried seasoning mixture all over the fish fillets, again, making sure to turn the fish over to coat it on all sides with flavor.

Place the fish fillets on the grill, skin-side down. Close the grill top, and turn the heat down to medium, which should be about 325 F. If your grill does not give precise temperature readings, then the first time you make this recipe, you may want to use an oven thermometer to play around with your grill's heat settings to get it just right. Allow the barramundi fillets to cook for 15 minutes total. Halfway through those 15 minutes, open up the grill top and flip the fish. "It burns within a couple of minutes," Olayinka warns, so be sure to keep a watchful eye on the fish. Carefully work your heat-proof spatula under the fish once more, and remove from the grill. Serve your barramundi immediately and enjoy the flavor of freshly grilled fish!