Dining and Cooking
Seafood Dishes

How to Grill and Eat a Whole Fish (Branzino)



How to Grill and Eat a Whole Fish (Branzino)

The same technique works with any whole fish (red snapper, sea bream, scup, black bass, striped bass, etc). Fish that are less than 2.5 Lb are easiest to grill.

1 whole branzino (1-1.5 Lb), scaled, gutted, gills removed, fins trimmed
Herb Mustard Grilling Glaze (see below) or Standard Grilling Glaze https://youtu.be/pjxoKWI5zPI
Salt and pepper

Preheat the grill to high following the procedure in the video. Dry the fish thoroughly inside and out with paper towels. Right before grilling, season inside and out with salt and pepper, coat with a thin layer of glaze and wrap the tail in foil.

Oil the grill grate 8 times with a paper towel (only the part where you’ll be placing the fish). Place the fish on the grill and cook for 4 minutes per side or until brown and crispy. Check for doneness in the thickest part. It’s done when you can get to the bone, but the meat near the bone is still a bit raw. If the fish is brown, but not done, turn down the heat and continue on low heat. Rest for 7-10 min and serve.

Herb Mustard Grilling Glaze
1 garlic clove, grated on a microplane zester
1 Tbsp chopped herbs, such as thyme, oregano, rosemary, savory
10g (2 tsp) Dijon Mustard
15g (1 Tbsp) olive oil

Whisk garlic, herbs, and mustard together with a fork. Slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking until smooth.

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44 Comments

  3. mior faizul sabki

    That how we do it in my country. We never fillet a fish because the flavour is better cooking with bone and reduce waste. We serve it with bone and eat everything what is edible and we eat with fingers.

  4. Greg in Toronto

    pay no attention tho that "useless thermometer on the lid" you are the queen, People do not realize how useless it is and pay extra for grills that have them, money well wasted. Your recipes are amazing very well explained step by step in a very calming reassuring voice. A++++++++++

  5. dandeleona

    "color" and "collar" are very close pronunciations in English but we understood you perfectly. Your English is fine. 🙂

  8. danpcr1

    I liked your presentation. You made me so hungry for Branzino. I am looking forward to eating it next week. Keep on cooking and making videos.

  12. anyutka19

    I have never heard of letting a fish rest so it finishes cooking. These are not eggs! You have to practice good food safety!

  14. Allan Thunder

    Bien después de este video tengo que ver como tener una platica con un capitan de policia durante la cena

  16. MrTjcomedy

    I’m sitting here less than 10 minutes with my fish out of the oven , following you and I’ve already decided it’s too much work. 🤷

  18. Ingrid

    Only just discovered you today. I found this video thoroughly informative.
    I've recently bought a both a whole Orata and a Sea Bass. I 've forgotten the variety ( not stripped).
    I don't get to a really good fish monger very often.
    I look forward to cooking and eating them with confidence and great enjoyment, thanks to you.

    ps By the way I'm still cutting my own hair; a remnant of the pandemic.
    Your hair style in this video is what I've sorrowfully been trying to achieve.
    Now I know what to ask for/show that I want, when I'm on holiday next month.
    Also, I thought all cooking shows had become just so much fluff.
    Thanks for proving me wrong.
    I've missed the whole YouTube thing until recently.
    Your the best thing I've seen seen since New Years fireworks in Italy, or was it Vienna?
    No I haven't just come out of a comma.
    Thank you so much Helen.-

  20. Theresa Elle

    She is adorable!!! Uses every last scrap…even the bones. I watched another video and the guy threw away like 50%.

  23. None

    Hello Helen, how can we get the fishy smell out of the fish. I have noticed when ungutted and uncleaned fish is frozen and then thawed, it has a stronger smell than if the fish was cleaned and then frozen.

  25. Ryan Seely

    Made my first whole fish today, great video, enjoy picking out the tender bits, who would of thunk!!

  27. mysterybat35

    This is one of most thoroughly explained videos I have ever seen on YouTube.. not just cooking videos but I mean period. I don't own a grill but whenever I am blessed with one at least I'll know how to clean it . And as a guy who has never cooked or eaten a fish whole I think this video is a great help. I will say though that I may have to train my mind to get out of my comfort zone. I'm so used to the fried fish that was fileted beforehand. Even then I get annoyed with pin bones that were overlooked and even worse when you swallow it. I also like the instant gratification of just eating a piece of meat and then going to the next one. Having to sit and pick apart the meat and removing bones the whole time seems very tedious for my impatient self but I've heard how much more flavorful fish can be when you cook it whole…so im willing to try

  28. biffy7

    I just baked 3 Branzino and had trouble deboning. Wish I saw this before. Excellent technique. Thank you.

  30. Angel G

    Awesome. Like the way you present this. And the Branzino looks so delicious. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

  34. Noah T

    In China I learned to eat whole fish with chop sticks. You can remove pieces of meat right off the bone with chopsticks just like with your fingers. Of course, in the Philippines, I eat with my fingers.

    Of course, in Asia we do not disassemble the fish before eating, we just eat it right off the bone. I think this style reflects the European mentality…to make all things in conform to one's own sense of order rather than to adapt oneself to the thing one is engaging with. Perhaps how we eat says something about our cultural mentalities.

  43. Dmitri Popov

    Yummy recipe, great tips! Thank you!
    Could you please show your take on a whole fish Maafe with peanut sauce – or, any kind of your favorite Maafe?

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