Coffee-Rubbed Grilled Fish
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 2whole fish (1 to 1½ pounds each) such as branzino, gutted and scaled (see Notes)
- 2teaspoons medium-ground coffee
- 2teaspoons onion powder
- 2teaspoons garlic powder
- 2teaspoons ground cayenne (see Notes)
- 1teaspoon ancho chile powder
- 1teaspoon ground cumin
- 1teaspoon packed brown sugar
- 1teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 3tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for greasing the grill
- Lime wedges, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
389 calories; 17 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 53 grams protein; 708 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Prepare an outdoor grill or heat an indoor grill pan to medium-high, ensuring the grates are very clean. Using a sharp knife, score the fish with four diagonal slashes through the skin on both sides.
- Step 2
Mix the coffee, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, ancho, cumin, brown sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Pat the fish very dry with paper towels, then drizzle with the oil and rub over the skin. Sprinkle the coffee rub all over the exterior and cavity of the fish and massage the seasoning into nooks and crannies.
- Step 3
Oil the grill grates or pan. Place the fish on the hot, greased grates, and cover, if using a gas grill. Grill, turning once, until skin is browned and crisp and the flesh is opaque, 5 to 6 minutes per side. The crisped skin should naturally release from the grate when turning and removing the fish. If it doesn’t, let it sit until it does. If it’s still stuck, carefully pry the skin off the grate with a spatula. Season to taste with salt, and serve right away with lime wedges.
Tips
- Other whole fish, such as rockfish, snapper and bass, work here too, as do other varieties and cuts, such as catfish or salmon fillets or tuna steaks. Increase the cooking time for bigger fish and decrease for fillets and steaks. The fish is done when the outsides are browned and the flesh opaque.
- For less heat, reduce the cayenne to 1 teaspoon.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
scarpet
Made as directed and wow! So flavorful! Next time, I’ll make a lime dressing, following a trick from Melissa Clark’s whole grilled fish: squeeze lime in a bowl and season with salt until tastes balanced between salty and tart. Whisk in really good oil olive, not too much - just enough where it’s almost drinkable, lighter and less oily than a salad dressing, and severely limey. I’ll pour that over the fish and serve it with some thinly sliced red onions.
Amy
This was excellent - made with Mediterranean sea bass and done under the broiler. Took less than 12 minutes of cooking and received rave reviews (and whoever thinks these flavors cover up a good fish doesn't understand either good fish or good flavor!).
Tamara
Fabulous. I used chunks of ocean-going white fish fillet--cod I think. I substituted ground dried ginger for ancho chili powder. I cooked it on medium-high on a non-stick stove-top grill. Five minutes per side was about right. I served it with lots of lime wedges. Elegant. Irresistible.
Bree
In a fit of exhaustion after the kind of day where it was either skip cooking or cheat big time, I used the Trader Joe's seasonal coffee BBQ rub that my husband loves on instant pot ribs. Rubbed that on wild sockeye filets that needed using, put them on an oiled grill pan, and popped them in the oven at 425 for 8 min. The smell woke me up enough to make a quick avocado salad while it baked. Not saying it did justice to this recipe, but sure beat pizza delivery.
kmpSF
Make a sea forager folder for this and other fish recipes
Mia
It's cold and rainy here so we moved indoors and cooked the fish on a rack in a 450 degree oven. It took a few minutes longer but the result was excellent. I reduced the amount of cayenne, as suggested in the notes. Otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Will definitely make again.
scarpet
I served it with Ali Slagle’s Lemony Ozro with Asparagus. Really good, but next time I'll go even more basic.... White rice, mashed or roasted potatoes... Actually, I bet quinoa with green peas would be perfect!
Alex
I used mahi fillets under the broiler (they were done in 4 mins without turning). I ran out of garlic powder after 1 tsp, so I upped the onion powder and cayenne to 1 Tbsp each. Delicious! I put broccoli on the side and seasoned it with more salt and lime juice, but I think sweet potatoes would be even better. This is going in the rotation.
Penni
If you don’t like heat, you better cut down on it. the cayenne and chilies can be very hot The rest delicious
Deb Bernardini
Absolutely delicious. I cut the recipe in half and did one branzino for 2 ppl. I forgot it said to oil the fish first - I applied the rub on the dried fish and drizzled with olive oil just before cooking. Cooked on a hot charcoal grill on direct heat for 5 mins per side (any longer would have been too much). Make sure to cut the slits thru the skin and get the rub in there, and on the gutted inside as well. This rub flavor is so good but does not overpower the mild fish.
corleoja.
Absolutely delicious!!! I didn’t grill my branzinos. I baked them at 475 for 18 to 20 minutes. It came out perfect. I think grilling would had tasted better. Next time I will do it. 5 stars!!!
corleoja.
Baked the branzinos at 375 for 18 to 20 minutes. If not using a grill.
LBiggie
Delicious and easy, and the flavors get even better over time.
Mary
Absolutely a 5 star. Used a whole trout . Roasted for 15 min at 450. One of the best fish recipes I have ever made. Did make the lime EVO sauce.
Tim
Delicious on hake fillets, rubbed on both sides and broiled skin-side up for five or six minutes. Next time I make it, I might double the amount of coffee - it had a subtle presence but didn’t announce itself.
Laurie
Oh boy was this tasty! Made as directed, but didn’t have access to the grill, so pan seared in a cast iron pan on the stove top…let’s just say the doors and windows were open to help get rid of the smoke. Will make this again and again…on the grill!
Laurie
Oh Boy! Very tasty!! We did not have access to the grill, so did this in a cast iron pan….the smoke was significant, and with the spices, quite irritating to the lungs. That being said, will make this again and again…on the grill!
Penni
Used peanut oil fried it up in a pan couldn’t find Branzino used trout ~ delicious One person didn’t like fish so I used a New York steak and put the same seasonings on it
Chickenfog
I'm confused, are the coffee grounds edible? It seems the skin would be covered w/ a grit-like substance after seasoning. ???
Mariam
Excellent cookies! Made exactly as instructed. Don’t be tempted to skip the freezing step, it’s crucial so the cookies don’t become too thin. The batch I used a silicon mat for turned out superior.
Bobbo
This was excellent. I didn't have ancho chili powder but I did have chipotle powder, so I used this instead and left out the cayenne because the chipotle had quite a bit of heat and I was sharing with someone who does not prefer the same level of heat that I like.
Laura
I tripled this and used sea bass filets (lots of them - crowd for dinner) and it was excellent. I also took the suggestion of the lime/olive oil dressing that another poster made and that was delicious (thank you!). The dressing also cut the heat for my one guest who is more pepper-sensitive.
Alex
I used mahi fillets under the broiler (they were done in 4 mins without turning). I ran out of garlic powder after 1 tsp, so I upped the onion powder and cayenne to 1 Tbsp each. Delicious! I put broccoli on the side and seasoned it with more salt and lime juice, but I think sweet potatoes would be even better. This is going in the rotation.
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