6 Recipes That Prove Grilling Seafood Is Much Easier Than You Think
I’m not sure when grilled seafood got a reputation for being difficult-nearing-impossible to cook, but senior food editor Andy Baraghani and I are here to stage some much-needed PR intervention. Before you is a group of all-new simple and extremely delicious grilled seafood recipes. Fish, bivalves, and crustaceans are the stars of the show, and I promise if you can tell shrimp from a clam, you can make these impressive-looking, easy-to-pull-off dishes. There are fat scallops dusted with spices and nori; saucy, briny clams cooked in a cast-iron skillet with some cherry tomatoes, wine, and a knob of butter; and even a whole fish with the crispiest of skin that’s truly not a big deal to make. Better yet, you can manage them all without much advance planning—all you really need is a place to pick up some decent fish and a clean, hot grill. In our book, they’re as good an excuse as any to give your grill grate a much-needed scrub down.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Amy Wilson1/6Clams
You could cook clams directly on the grates, but why would you when you can cook them in a cast-iron skillet set on top of the grill so you don’t lose a drop of that delicious briny liquor? Fire off some extra slices of bread while you’re at it—you’ll want them for sauce-mopping purposes.
Get the recipe: Clams with Spicy Tomato Broth and Garlic Mayo
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Amy Wilson2/6Squid
Squid was practically invented for grilling, as it only needs to cook for a minute (or less!) over high heat to become delicious and tender. We like to preheat a cheap metal rack until it’s screaming hot, then cook the squid directly on the rack so it doesn’t fall through the grate to an untimely end.
Get the recipe: Garlicky Grilled Squid with Marinated Peppers
Buy It: Checkered Chef Half Sheet Cooling Rack, $12 on Amazon
All products featured on Bonappetit.com are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Amy Wilson3/6Whole Black Bass
Once you learn how to cook a whole fish, you’ll have summer’s most impressive dinner in your back pocket. We like to cook two smaller fish as opposed to one hulking five-pounder because they’re easier to flip—and because there’s more crispy skin to go around.
Get the recipe: Grilled Salt-and-Pepper Black Bass with Curry Verde
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Amy Wilson4/6Shrimp
Unlike chicken or steak, shrimp can take on the flavors of a bright marinade in minutes, which makes it a great choice for last-minute grilling. This blender marinade gets its fresh citrus flavor from lime and orange juices, but if you’ve ever had ceviche, you know letting raw seafood sit in the acid for too long will “cook” it. Ten minutes or so is all this shrimp needs to pick up all that turmeric mojo flavor.
Get the recipe: Grilled Shrimp with Turmeric Mojo Sauce
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Amy Wilson5/6Salmon
We like to cook flaky fillets with the skin on for three reasons: 1) It prevents the delicate fish from sticking. 2) It acts as a buffer for the flesh, which helps prevent overcooking. And 3) it provides a natural indicator of when the fish is ready—the skin will easily release from the grate when the salmon is cooked through.
Get the recipe: Grilled Salmon with Lemon-Sesame Sauce
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Amy Wilson6/6Scallops
Meet our new favorite way to cook scallops. Thread the bivalves onto sets of two skewers, not one, so they don’t spin around when you pick them up. Arrange your skewers so a couple of inches hang off the edge of the grill. That way, you can just pick them up with your (gloved) hands—no need for tongs.
Get the recipe: Grilled Scallops with Nori, Ginger, and Lime
