This easy and impressive Grilled Whole Tilapia can be prepared on the stove top or outdoor grill. And the Mediterranean olive herb sauce makes this gorgeous dish unforgettable - perfect for a weekend dinner party but quick enough for busy weeknights at home.
Making a whole, pan-grilled fish recipe can feel intimidating, but it's easier than you think! The market where you buy your fish can help identify what is fresh, and they can clean and scale the fish, so it's ready to season and cook when you get home.
Tilapia is a common whole fish to use for this recipe in the United States, as is red snapper or whole branzino. Here in Europe, sea bream (dourado) or sea bass (robalo / branzino) are my favorite options. I used sea bream for this recipe and the fresh fish was the perfect size and flavor.
Pan-searing is a quick and easy method for cooking whole fish. If you're looking for an oven-roasted recipe, check out Roasted Branzino with Tomato Butter.
Ingredients needed for recipe:
Before we get to the step by step instructions, a few notes about the ingredients:
Whole fish: this recipe is perfect for several types of fish, including whole tilapia, red snapper, golden sea bream (dourado) or branzino. Just be sure the fish is cleaned and scaled, then follow the recipe instructions to dry and season before stove top grilling begins. The size of your fish should be around 1 ¼ to 1 ½ pounds. If significantly larger or smaller, adjust cooking times accordingly.
Anchovies: all the umami in the world...none of the fishiness you fear. Worth it to track down a few anchovies (or anchovy paste) to get the perfect flavor profile in the olive and herb sauce. Substitute a tablespoon of capers, if you must.
Full instructions and measurements included in the printable recipe card below.
Step-by-step instructions:
1. Make sauce
In a small bowl, combine chopped olives, diced artichoke hearts, flat leaf parsley, basil and toasted walnuts, along with lemon zest and a pinch of chili flakes (if using). I prefer to hand chop these ingredients to keep the texture of the sauce chunky.
Next, in the bowl of a small chopper or food processor, combine scallions, garlic cloves and anchovies. Pulse until fine. Add the fine mixture to the bowl of olives, along with ½ cup extra virgin olive oil. Stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and black pepper. Set aside.
2. Prep fish
Next, prepare the fish. Dry very well using paper towels. Place the fish on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to make diagonal cuts through the sides all the way to the bones. This will help the fish cook more evenly, from the thickest part of the body all the way to the tail.
Drizzle with olive oil, then salt and pepper the fish inside and out generously. Add a few thin lemon slices to the cavity of the fish.
3. Cook fish
Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, place fish into the pan. Leave untouched for 7-9 minutes, allowing the fish to cook through to the center. Then use a fish spatula to move the fish and test that the skin is not sticking to the pan.
Lift the fish slightly to check for a golden brown skin. If the fish is crispy and golden, gently flip it to the second side. Again, leave the fish undisturbed for about 8 minutes, checking periodically to ensure the heat is appropriate and not cooking the skin too quickly.
Add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan, if needed. Add a halved lemon to the pan (cut side down) to grill for 3-4 minutes.
4. Garnish and serve
Once fish is cooked through and crispy on both sides, remove fish to a serving platter with grilled lemons. Top with Mediterranean herb and olive tapenade and serve with grilled bread.
Looking for more easy tilapia recipes? Try these delicious dishes next!
FAQ's and Serving Suggestions:
Look for tilapia with clear, bright eyes, shiny scales, and a mild sea-like aroma. The flesh should feel firm to the touch.
Aside from pan-grilling, you can also bake, steam or grill a whole fish outdoors. Each method will yield slightly different results, and require different levels of involvement, so choose the one that suits your preference and the amount of time you have for cooking. I'm a big fan of crispy skin on whole fish, so pan-searing a whole fish is the easiest way to get that charred goodness.
The flesh of the tilapia should turn opaque and easily flake with a fork when it's cooked. I like to check inside the fish (where we added lemons) to see if the fish has turned white from the inside. The USDA recommends the internal temperature should reach 145°F for safe consumption. I have found that if I pull the whole fish off the grill or stove top around 140°F, carry-over cooking takes it to 145℉ without drying out the fish at all.
Pan-grilled whole fish pairs well with a variety of sides. I usually finish off the can or jar of artichokes I used in the sauce by grilling them in the same pan, along with fresh green beans and potatoes. Roasted Baby Potatoes with Whipped Feta is another great option, or Mediterranean Basmati Rice with Lemon and Dill. Check out my article on Tilapia Side Dishes for 28 of my favorite sides for fish.
If you're looking for another sauce option, Italian Salsa Verde is an olive-free herb sauce with huge flavor that I often serve with simple grilled fish dishes for an easy weeknight dinner.
First, let your fish come up to room temperature. Very cold fish on a very hot pan will create steam, which will make the skin stick. Second, be sure the cooking surface, whether it's an outdoor grill, grill pan or a skillet, is properly preheated and either the pan or the fish has been lightly oiled before placing the fish in the pan. Then wait until the fish is fully cooked on the first side before attempting to turn. The skin will release easily once it is fully cooked on one side.
Yes, you can cook a whole tilapia, snapper or sea bream with the head-on, like we did in this recipe.
To store leftover fish, transfer to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days maximum. To reheat, warm gently in a covered skillet with olive oil until just heated through.
Whole Pan Grilled Fish with Olive Herb Sauce
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2-3
Ingredients
2 whole fish, cleaned and scaled (tilapia, sea bream, branzino or similar)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, halved, plus 4 lemon slices
For Herb and Olive Sauce:
¼ cup Spanish olives, rough chopped
¼ cup artichoke hearts, diced
¼ cup flat leaf parsley, diced
¼ cup fresh basil, diced
¼ cup toasted walnuts
¼ cup scallions
2 garlic cloves
2 anchovies
Zest of 1 lemon
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Chili flakes, optional
Instructions
- To begin, make the herb sauce so it can marinate while the fish is grilling. Combine diced olives, artichoke hearts, parsley, basil and toasted walnuts in a bowl, along with lemon zest and a pinch of chili flakes (if using). In the bowl of a small chopper or food processor, combine scallions, garlic cloves and anchovies. Pulse until fine. Add to the bowl of olives, along with ½ cup extra virgin olive oil. Stir to combine. Taste and add salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Next, prepare the fish. Dry fish well using paper towels. Use a sharp knife to make diagonal cuts in the fish all the way to the bones. Drizzle with olive oil, then season the fish generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Add a few thin lemon slices to the cavity of the fish.
- Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, place oiled and seasoned fish into the pan. Leave untouched for 7-9 minutes, allowing the fish to cook through to the center. Use a fork or spatula to life open the cavity to see if the fish is white from the inside, indicating it is cooked through on the first side. You can also use a fish spatula to move the fish and test that the skin is not sticking to the pan. Then gently flip the fish to the second side.
- Again, leave the fish undisturbed for about 8 minutes, checking periodically to ensure the heat is appropriate and not cooking the skin too quickly. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan, if needed. Add halved lemon to the pan (cut side down) to grill for 3-4 minutes.
- Once fish is cooked through and crispy on both sides, remove to a serving platter with grilled lemons. Top with Mediterranean herb and olive tapenade and serve with grilled bread.
Notes
Whole tilapia, branzino or red snapper are great options for this recipe in the United States. In Portugal, sea bream, sea bass or red snapper will do the trick!
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Easy Recipes
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Jennifer
Turned out great! Never made a whole fish, but the instructions were easy to follow. And the SAUCE! To die for. Great recipe! Can't wait to try it on the grill this summer.
Christina Jolam
Love to hear this, Jennifer! Cooking whole fish really is shockingly easy...so glad you gave it a go. Thanks for coming back to leave a helpful review!