Grilled Fish with Garlic, Basil, and Lemon uses an easy and delicious fish marinade that’s good on Halibut, Mahi Mahi, or any firm white fish. This grilled fish is a great main dish that’s low-carb, Keto, gluten-free, Paleo, and South Beach Diet friendly! Use Grilling Recipes for more ideas like this one.
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It’s a big holiday weekend in the U.S., and tonight I’m going to a birthday party for Nick, the charming 85 year old dad of my good friend Mary. Nick and Mary’s husband Ken were both born on July 3, so my memories of the Fourth of July involve lots of birthday parties for them. No doubt July 4th is one of the biggest grilling days of the year for most Americans, and while most people probably grill burgers for the birthday of our nation, around here you’re much more likely to find fish or chicken in my grilling recipes.
This easy recipe for Grilled Fish with Garlic, Basil, and Lemon is something I made for years when I was catering houseboat trips at Lake Powell, and this recipe is long overdue for some photos. I did get a little overly-enthusiastic with the grill marks, which is what will happen if you forget to turn your grill down to medium-high when you put the fish on, but the halibut in this photo was still lip-smackingly good!
The idea of garlic and basil with fish may seem unusual, but please trust me on this marinade. You could use fresh basil, but for a marinade like this I almost prefer dried herbs, and I’ve made this one many times with dried basil with great results. I’ve also cooked this indoors using the broiler in my toaster oven, and that turned out great too.
Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, black pepper, Spike Seasoning (if using), garlic puree, and dried basil. Put the fish in a Ziploc bag with the marinade and marinate in the fridge for 2-3 hours.
When you’re ready to cook, take fish out and let it come to room temperature while you preheat the grill, which you have generously oiled or sprayed with non-stick spray made for the grill. I start heating on high and then turn the grill down to medium-high when I put the fish on. (If you forget to turn it down for a few minutes you’ll get over-enthusiastic grill marks like I did, but just cook the fish a slightly shorter time and it will still be good.) The best way to tell when fish is done is by gently pressing down with your finger; the fish should feel firm, but not hard to the touch. As a general rule, grill fish about 10 minutes per inch of thickness.
For a delicious low-carb meal, serve with something like Low-Carb Cauliflower Rice with Fried Onions and Sumac or Spicy Tomato-Cucumber Salad with Peperoncini.
Grilled Halibut with Southwestern Rub and Tomatillo Salsa from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Fish and Shrimp on the Grill from The Kitchn
Grilled Salmon with Asian Dipping Sauce from Kalyn’s Kitchen
This grilled fish makes a great main dish and is easy and delicious.
You can cut the marinade recipe in half if you’re cooking less fish.
I made this recipe for years at Lake Powell but I don’t remember if I created it or saw the recipe somewhere; if anyone recognizes it please let me know so I can give proper credit.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Grilled Fish with Garlic, Basil, and Lemon is a great recipe for any phase of the South Beach Diet, or any other type of low-carb diet, including Paleo if you replace Spike with an approved seasoning (or just omit it).
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use the Recipes by Diet Type photo index pages to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
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