How to Grill Grouper Over Indirect Heat

two river fish fried in grill outdoors

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Grouper is low in fat, an excellent high-protein source, and high in vitamin B-6 and B-12, potassium and selenium. Grouper also is high in omega-3 fatty acids that can help reduce inflammation and improve your blood lipid profile. Grilling brings out the flavor in the grouper, but you overcook it quickly if you don't watch it carefully through the grilling process. Using an indirect grilling method avoids overcooking the outside of the grouper and leaving the inside raw.

Charcoal Grill Preparation

Light the charcoal in your grill by filling a chimney starter with charcoal and placing crumpled newspapers beneath it. Light the newspapers with a barbecue lighter to set the coals on fire.

Allow the charcoal to burn in the chimney starter until all the coals have an orange glow. Turn the chimney over and dump the coals into the bottom of the grill.

Shut the lid on the charcoal grill until the temperature reaches 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Divide the hot coals into two piles using a garden shovel or old spatula to. Push each pile to the outside edges of the grill, leaving a gap between the two piles of coals.

Gas Grill Preparation

Light a gas grill and set the burners to medium-high.

Shut the lid on a gas grill until the internal temperature reaches 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Turn off the middle burners on a gas grill, leaving the exterior burners burning at medium-high.

Grilling Grouper

Apply a generous coat of olive oil onto a fish grate with a pastry brush or paper towel. A fish grate is either a metal tray with a perforated bottom or made of wire mesh. The design of the fish grate allows you to have more surface to support the fillets on the grill rather than just the metal grill grate bars that could let the fish fall into the bottom of the grill, or make it difficult to slide a spatula beneath the fillets.

Set the oiled fish grate into the grill and on top of the grill grate. Shut the lid of the grill and preheat the fish grate for 15 minutes.

Wash the grouper fillets and pat the fillets dry with paper towels. Salt and pepper both sides of the fillets to taste.

Place the grouper fillets onto the hot fish grate. Let the grouper grill for three to four minutes. Slide a spatula beneath the grouper fillets to turn them and grill for an additional three to four minutes, or until the internal temperature of the grouper reaches 125 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.