Lao-American Chef Warns Against Grilling Fish Fillets

Fish fillets may not be the best choice for grilling, despite their popularity among home cooks, according to a Lao-American chef.

Saeng Douangdara, a chef and food content creator, told The Takeout that fillets are rather delicate and will most likely fall apart in the process. Fillets are boneless cuts of fish, typically sliced lengthwise. Home cooks often choose them to avoid bones or breaking down a whole fish.

Douangdara described his method for grilling a whole fish. He starts by pat-drying and gutting it. Then he covers it generously with coarse salt and stuffs the mouth with makrut lime leaves and lemongrass, a Lao touch.

He stresses preheating the grill as the main factor in preventing sticking. For beginners wary of losing their dinner to a disintegrating fish, he suggests grilling baskets that flip and remove easily.

Thick fillets can work on the grill if conditions are right. In scenarios where the fillet is thick, you could get away with grilling as long as the grill is very hot and oiled up, cooking the oiled skin side-down first, he said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Douangdara for further comment.

Cooking method affects nutritional value, and it's worth calling out, said Whitney Stuart, a Texas-based dietitian and diabetes educator at Whitness Nutrition.

Grilling fish at high heat on the grate causes omega-3 degradation and charring that introduces heterocyclic amines, she told Fox News Digital. When the fillet breaks apart and falls through, it leads to significant protein and moisture loss.

The type of fish matters too. Wild salmon, sardines and mackerel offer the highest levels of anti-inflammatory omega-3s, she said.

Stuart recommends a foil packet, grill basket or cedar plank to preserve both the structural integrity of the fillet and its nutritional profile. Lower and slower wins here, she advised.

Poaching and steaming are technically the gentlest methods for omega-3 retention, but properly executed grilling with a barrier still outperforms deep-frying, which adds oxidized fats and significantly changes the overall nutritional picture.