Grilled Black Cod (Sablefish): Soy-Lemon Recipe and Video
Grilled sablefish, also called black cod, makes a rich fish dinner with a simple soy-lemon seasoning. This recipe focuses on handling tender fillets over grill heat. For oven cooking, use our separate baked sablefish recipe with lemon, garlic, and herbs.
Black cod cooking video
Which sablefish product to choose
Use sablefish fillets, thawed and portioned as needed. Fresh headless-and-gutted black cod requires filleting before it can be used as the portions below. Compare the formats in our Sablefish collection.
Ingredients
Serves 4.
- 4 sablefish fillet portions, about 6 oz each, skin-on if available
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus a little for the cooking surface
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Black pepper, to taste
- Fresh herbs and lemon wedges, for serving
How to grill sablefish
- Thaw frozen fillets using our fish thawing instructions. Pat dry and keep chilled while preparing the grill.
- Mix the oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, and pepper. Coat the fish and refrigerate for about 20–30 minutes. This is a short seasoning step; the marinade does not make raw fish safe to eat.
- Prepare a clean grill at medium-high heat with a cooler area available. Lightly oil the cooking surface using your grill's recommended method. A lightly oiled fish basket can make delicate portions easier to turn.
- Lift the fish from the marinade and let excess drip off. Discard the used marinade. Begin skin-side down when using skin-on portions. Cook about 4–5 minutes before checking whether the fish releases; do not force a stuck portion loose.
- Turn carefully with a wide fish spatula, or turn the basket. Continue cooking and check the thickest part with a thermometer. Move to the cooler area if flare-ups or rapid browning occur.
- Cook to 145°F (63°C), following the FoodSafety.gov fish temperature guidance. Thickness and grill conditions determine the total time. Serve with herbs and lemon.
Keep the fillets intact
Choose portions of similar thickness so they cook at a similar pace. Support the full piece when lifting, and avoid repeated turning. A basket helps handling but does not guarantee that fish will never stick. For general grill setup and technique, see our fish grilling guide.
What to serve alongside
Try rice, grilled zucchini, potatoes, or a salad with lemon dressing. See our seafood side dish guide for more ideas.
Explore the full Fish collection, or compare Fresh Fish and Frozen Fish for your next order.
More ways to cook sablefish
Try the sablefish cooking-method guide for a different preparation.
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