Spice Rubbed Grilled Fish Fillets for Summertime on the Grill

Summer time is a time to heat up the grill and keep your house from becoming an oven, don’t you agree? And, I’m in favor of maximizing flavor while minimizing time spent sweating over a grill. Solution? Fish fillets – they cook so quickly and are a perfect canvas for flavorful spice rubs, which add flavor and heat pronto. This year I bought one of those grill baskets. I’m not big on cooking gadgets, generally, but this one is worth its weight in gold. It’s the Williams Sonoma Quesadilla grill basket – you can put four fillets in at once!

Spice rubs are so very handy and healthy, whether you just use them as a shortcut to spice up a dish or as a rub.  I use rubs pretty frequently and try to keep them mixed up and on hand. These rubs will make you feel like you are backyard barbecue genius.

Fish is always on my “I Should Eat More of” List. Even in the summer. White fish fillets are perfect as a canvas for spice rubs. Here’s an easy, budget-friendly fish recipe to do just that – and only takes just 20 minutes total time.  Using small fish that are lower on the food chain is an environmentally friendly thing to do – they are sustainable fish, AND – more good news: they’re less expensive than larger varieties. For this technique, you could use tilapia, snapper, trout, cod or any other firm white fish fillets.  (Pictured above is tilapia.)  This technique is one that can be used with most any spice rub. I like to mix up this  Southwest Chile Cumin Spice Rub and keep it on hand – it will keep for at least a year in a cool, dry cabinet.

Happy Grilling, Everyone!

— posted by Donna

SPICE RUBBED FISH FILLETS

Serves 4
Prep and cook time – 20 minutes

3 tablespoons Spice Rub (below)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
4 white fish fillets, 5 to 6 ounces each
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

Mix spice rub with cornstarch and then coat one side of each fish fillet with 2 teaspoons of spice mixture, pressing down with fingers to adhere spices to fish. Place in an oiled grill basket and cook until lightly browned and cooked through.

SOUTHWEST CHILE CUMIN SPICE RUB
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Other bloggers do grilled fish:

Check out Kalyn’s grill marks on her fish at Kalyn’s Kitchen: she is a master!
Get your family to eat fish at Food for my Family’s fish tacos
Or by trying Jeanette’s Kid Friendly fish tacos
Or the Naptime Chef’s flavorful grilled fish