The Best Fish To Grill For Beginners, According To Bobby Flay

Bobby Flay with his hand up to his head wearing blue-tinted sunglasses and a face microphone

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While grilling is often considered one of the easiest methods of cooking in existence, making seafood on the grill that is juicy, satisfying, and doesn’t fall apart can be quite hard. Luckily, Bobby Flay gave out some words of advice for new grillmasters looking to do so. According to him, picking the correct type of fish for the job while you’re still learning how to grill the protein is vital for your success.

During an appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” Flay discussed a few pointers for summertime grilling, one of which was about the optimal kind of fish to use. “If you want to grill a piece of fish and you’re not very experienced with grilling fish, it kind of breaks up,” Flay warned before advising, “pick a steak fish — tuna or swordfish — so it won’t break up on the grill. It will stay nice and firm.”

Tuna steaks are already fairly common among novice chefs looking to add seafood to their menus, but swordfish is slightly more polarizing. While some chefs love the seafood’s meaty taste and tenderness, others have always been wary of swordfish, like Anthony Bourdain, as a result of the species containing high amounts of mercury and its ability to host over 40 different kinds of parasites. However, considering these parasites die at 145 degrees Fahrenheit, the species is considered perfect for the grill if handled with care.

How Bobby Flay cooks tuna and swordfish steaks on the grill

Two grilled swordfish steaks with rosemary on them

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Bobby Flay didn’t offer any additional advice for grilling seafood during his “Tonight Show” appearance, but the chef has published countless recipes for both tuna steak and swordfish steak over the years to pull from for some further guidance. In the case of swordfish, Flay sometimes uses basil as a rub, alongside a coating of canola oil, salt, and pepper, all of which are applied to the fish before it is grilled. While Flay has also used olive oil for swordfish steak, canola oil is widely considered more ideal for swordfish due to the oil’s high smoke point, a metric that is super important to keep in mind when cooking with oil.

As for tuna, while Flay tends to prepare the fish similarly to swordfish — using canola oil, salt, and pepper – it differs in the level of doneness it needs to reach. While swordfish needs to reach the aforementioned 145 degrees Fahrenheit mark to be safe for consumption, Flay grills tuna steak medium rare, which lies around 130 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. So, to avoid overcooking your tuna steak, being conscious of its internal temperature is absolutely vital.