Grilled Haddock
So growing up in New England one of the most popular and prevalent fish has been haddock.
It’s a little bit tricky to grill because of how delicate the fish is but I have a great grilled haddock recipe that’s going to be great!
I add lemon at the end, it brings out the flavor of the fish after it is cooked in a tin foil oven that is put on the grill.
Fish is always a healthy choice for a weeknight meal.
How to Grill Haddock 4 Simple Steps
This recipe is quick and simple and it’s going to let you cook this delicate fish on the grill. This grilled haddock in foil recipe keeps the fish juicy and does not dry it out.
You typically can not grill white fish seeing the fish would just fall through the grill grates. This is a great alternative to deep frying. We are going to cook it in tinfoil.
1. Prepare the Grill
Clean the grill
It’s so important to have a clean grill. You don’t want any leftovers from your last grilling session to smoke up and add unwanted flavors to your food.
This will cause flare-ups that could put too much heat on the tinfoil.
I use a wood scraper instead of a traditional metal wire brush. Using a wood scraper might change the way you think about cleaning your grill!
The benefit of the wood brush is that you will not have a chance of getting one of those metal pieces stuck from the brush when you swallow.
Preheat the grill
Let’s get that grill up to temperature and ready for the haddock. I like to set it around 350 degrees.
Could you cook the haddock hotter? Yes, you can but I don’t like getting tinfoil too hot.
You’re actually using the grill as an oven. That’s what I love about the grill, it’s so versatile, you can use it for everything.
2. How to Prepare Grilled Haddock
Following these simple steps will make a really tasty haddock. Haddock typically has a very mild flavor, but with the correct seasoning it can stand out!
Smell the fish
One thing you want to make sure of is that you’re not eating fish that has gone bad.
Take a quick whiff of the fish and if it has any fishy smell then you want to chuck it. Bad fish will also have an ammonia smell to it.
Fresh fish should really have no smell to it at all. Personally, if I’m buying it from the supermarket I smell it right there.
Being on the East Coast we have access to fresh fish seeing that the local fishing boats are so close.
Wash the Haddock
Clean your haddock with some cool water. I do this right from my kitchen faucet. While it’s in your hands, make sure it isn’t slimy at all.
If it is slimy this could also be an indication that it’s gone bad.
Dry the Haddock
Take the clean haddock and put it on some paper towels. You want to pat it dry but you don’t want to damage the fish, so pat gently.
Create a tin foil oven
Take a piece of tin foil about twice the length of the fish. Double up the layer of tin foil to give you a little extra assurance that you won’t get a hole in the tin foil.
You don’t want all those juices to run out of the foil because it will dry out your haddock. Place the haddock in the center of your foil.
Not all tinfoil is created equal so look for the heavy-duty foil. This can stand up to a lot higher heat.
3. Season the Grilled Haddock
I like to keep my seasoning simple when I’m grilling haddock.
Ingedients for Grilled Haddock
- pinch of salt
- pinch of pepper
- 1/2 stick of butter
- lemon wedges (after its cooked)
Go ahead and add the salt and fresh ground pepper but make sure not to go too crazy. The salt and pepper are not going to burn off on the grill because it’s going to be in the oven of tinfoil.
Next, add 3 tsp or so of butter. Slice the butter into ¼ in wedges and lay on top of the haddock. I would use about half a stick with 1lb of haddock.
If your butter has salt then I would not also add salt. You do not want to over-salt the haddock.
After you have it seasoned, seal up the tin foil oven that you created.
The big reason that I am only using salt and pepper is that you don’t want to overpower the delicate flavor of white fish haddock.
Make sure that the foil has no seams on the bottom or sides. You don’t want the butter and seasoning to come out while it’s cooking.
4. Grill the Haddock
This is the easy part! Place your foil-sealed haddock on the grill that you’ve preheated. Go ahed and close the cover to your grill.
This can be done on a gas grill or a grill with charcoal. Just be careful with the charcoal because it can be hard to regulate the heat.
There is no reason to have to flip the haddock. Just keep it the way it is for the duration. After about 5 minutes take a peek inside the foil oven.
You are looking for the haddock to get white and flakey. It should lose its translucent color.
When you see that it will flake off easily with a fork then it’s time to remove it from the grill.
Looking for another Healthy Recipe? Check out my grilled chicken sandwich.
I like to check my haddock for doneness with a fork. You are looking for the fish to be somewhat flaky and to not be an opaque color.
Also, check the temperature with your thermometer. For white fish, you want to cook it to 145 degrees.
Time to Eat
Next squeeze some lemon over the top of the haddock. This is going to add some acid to the dish and help balance it. Now that it is done, sit and ENJOY!
If you would like something a little more with your haddock go ahead and make some tartar sauce!
What to serve with grilled haddock
If you are like me, I enjoy eating my grilled haddock with a little bit of some tartar sauce. Not all tartar sauce recipes are created equal, Check out my tartar sauce recipe.
The best side dish that pairs well with grilled haddock is rice pilaf and broccoli. You want to keep this healthy white fish dish light.
Grilled Haddock (Healthy Easy Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 lb Atlantic Haddock
- salt
- pepper
- 1/2 stick of butter
- lemon
Instructions
- Prepare the Haddock – You want to smell the fish to make sure it is not bad and then you want to rinse it under cold water. Pat the fish dry with a paper towel and put it on top of 2 sheets of tinfoil.
- Season the Haddock – Add salt and fresh ground pepper to the haddock. You want to go somewhat light so you don’t over power the entire fish filet. Add slice of the butter and lay it on top of the fish.
- Preheat the grill to 350 degrees or so
- Wrap the haddock in tinfoil and put it on the preheated grill. Check on the haddock about 5 minutes in and then check it every 2 minutes after until its done.
- When the fish is no longer translucent and it is flaky its ready.
- Time to eat – Squeeze the lemon over the fish and enjoy.
Can you cook flounder the same way? Or would you need to flip it?
Absolutely. You would not need to flip it seeing that flounder is typically thin.