Grilled Amberjack
Grilled amberjack recipe starts with a marinade of red wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, fresh thyme and garlic. The flavor is clean, fresh and delicious.
A few weeks ago, my husband went on a deep-sea fishing trip with a bunch of guys off the coast of Louisiana. He came home reeking of fish, sweat, and beer; with a three-day-old beard and a cooler full of amberjack steaks.
If you don’t like overly fishy-tasting fish, amberjack is the fish for you. It is a firm, white meat fish with a clean, mild flavor but the texture is meaty like a steak. It is low in fat and packs a lot of protein.
This grilled amberjack recipe starts with a vinegar-based marinade. The acid in the marinade gives the fish a sweet flavor and tender texture. I also mixed in fresh lemon juice, a little sugar, fresh thyme, salt and smashed garlic cloves. I like to combine everything in a large resealable plastic bag.
Toss the amberjack filets into the bag and marinate it for about 30 minutes. You really don’t need to let your amberjack fillets marinate much longer than that. The acid in the lemon juice and red wine vinegar will begin to “cook” the meat immediately. If you throw your fillets in a bag with the marinade and come back several hours later, you will have pickled fish. I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t sound too terribly appetizing to me.
While the fish is marinating, fire up your grill. Once the fire is hot, remove the fish from the bag and discard the marinade. Generously salt both sides of the fish with salt and pepper. Grilled for four minutes per side.
If you don’t have amberjack, you can also try this with Mahi-Mahi or Grouper.
You Might Also Like:
- Blackened Catfish with Creole Sauce
- Southern Fried Catfish
- Cornbread and Shrimp Stuffed Catfish Fillets
Grilled Amberjack
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 cloves garlic – pressed
- 4 amberjack steaks (4-oz. each)
- Cracked pepper and salt to taste
Instructions
- In a shallow bowl or large resalable plastic bag, combine first six ingredients.
- Add fish to bag and allow to marinate for 30 minutes, turning occasionally.
- In the meantime, prepare grill for medium heat, approximately 300-350 degrees.
- Remove fish from bag and discard marinade. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
- Place fish on grill rack and cook 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
I don’t have a recipe posted for that just yet! But it’s funny you mention that because I’m working on a succotash recipe for an upcoming post. I will come back and post the link in the comments when it’s posted!
Can you share the succatash recipe that you show as a side in the picture with the grilled amberjack recipe?
I’m so glad to hear that, Alan! Thank you for coming back and leaving a rating and review.
Excellant marinate! I had to leave it overnight in the bag, made it very tasty. Grilled 3.5 minutes on each side. LOVED it Thanks
I love that! I’m so glad your colleagues were impressed by your skills. Thank you for coming back and letting me know how it turned out.
This was my first go at Amberjack and it turned out absolutely perfect. I don’t grill a lot of fish so I was a little nervous but, this recipe along with the tips led my company to believe I was a seasoned pro. Thanks!
Thank you for your review, Gerard. I love your additions. I will have to try them soon!