Lionfish recipes

Ok, I have a few loves in life. Obviously diving, but I also love to cook and drink. I love the experience and enjoy a glass of wine and a 3 or 4 course meal. Check back often as I compile a huge section for recipes that you can use to help eradicate this pesky fish.

First here is a video showing you how to fillet them from REEF. I particularly liked the way they used the spines for picks for the panko tidbits.

Grilled Lionfish:

Place butter, Lionfish filet, sliced onion, squash, zuccini , and carrot with a squeeze of lime in a piece of aluminum foil and place over a fire for around 6 to 8 minutes. Serve with a roll, bread, mashed potatoes or rice to soak up the sauce.

Lionfish poppers:

Lightly grill Lionfish filets in olive oil and your choice of spice. Slice a pickled cherry pepper half way through and take out the seeds. Stuff with shredded jack cheese and grilled Lionfish and precooked bacon bits. Sprinkle the stuffed pepper with flour and dip it in pancake batter. Deep fry until golden brown. Serve it with a curry remoulade. See below as I add this sauce.

Jerky ala Lionfish:

Whisk 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and put on low heat until sugar melts. Cut Lionfish fillets into 1-inch wide strips lengthwise soak in soy mixture in the fridge for 4 hrs. Remove, pat dry, and place in dehydrator or oven on lowest temp for the desired dryness level

Steamed Lionfish on the grill:

I love cooking on the grill! Coat aluminum foil wrap with a bit of olive oil. Gently place lionfish on bottom. I think the vegies ontop steam into the fish. You can use onion, tomato slices, broccoli, bell pepper, carrot, pineapple, squash, zuccini, orange slices. For seasoning I like a squuze of lime, salt, pepper, thyme. Place on grill for 6 to 10 minutes. Serve this one with something to soak up the drippings like yellow rice with a dash of coconut and pineapple in it.

Lionfish Ceviche:

Marinate filet Lionfish, sliced onion, sliced green pepper, chopped tomatie, cilantro, salt & pepper in fresh squeezed lime juice. Eat with crackers. You can do this one right out on the boat!

Lionfish Kabobs:

This is another easy one to do out on the boat if you have a little hibachi grill. Soak your skewers while you do the dive in water. Take chunks of lionfish and alternate them with cherry tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, zuchini, broccoli and even mango (or pineapple)! Yes the mango adds a sweetness that soaks into the fish. You can prinkle the kabobs with whatever season you like. Try a dash of curry or a little crushed red pepper. Mojo sauce is nice as well.

Lionfish Fingers:

This is like grouper fingers and taste about the same. Soak Lionfish in beer for 5 minutes, dip in milk then dip in egg, dust in mixture of flour, salt, pepper nutmeg, and basil. Deep fry until golden brown. Serve with sauce of your choice for dipping. Also fabulous on top of a tropical salad.

Coconut Macadamia Grilled Lionfish:

I have a fish thingy, a square pan that has holes in the bootom for use on a grill. This recipe works better with larger filets of lionfish. Place the lionfish on the bottom, seasoned to taste. Cover with sprinkled sweetened coconut, macadamia nuts and sliced mango. Cook gently over hot flames until fish flakes with fork. Serve with a pineapple, mango chutney. Again see recipe below.

Panfried Lionfish:

Prepare the lionfish by removing its poisonous fins and then heading, gutting, scaling it. Score the skin with a sharp knife on both sides. Season the fish inside and out with salt & pepper and then generously dust it with flour. Bring a mixture of half peanut oil and half butter to 350 degrees over medium high heat in a cast iron or other heavy, oven ready skillet. Pan fry the lionfish, turning once until the skin on both sides is brown and crisp. Remove fish from pan and drain excess oil from pan. Then return fish to pan and place in a 350 degree oven to cook to completion. Lionfish vary greatly in size; accordingly, the oven time will vary from about 5 minutes for smaller fish to as many as 15 minutes if the fish is quite large.

Hawaiian Lionfish:

This is an easy kabob recipe cooked on the grill. Skewer chunks of Lionfish with pineapple or peaches, onion, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and shrimp. Rub a mixture of honey, garlic and teriyaki on the skewer as it is over the grill.

Stay tuned for Lionfish taco
Creamy Dijon Lionfish Breadbowl
Lionfish Burrito
Lionfish Quesadiila
Lionfish Alfredo
Stuffed Florida Lobster tail with Lionfish cream sauce
Stuffed Breaded Lionfish Shrimp
Beer Battered Lionfish
Lionfish sandwiches served like cold tunafish
Lionfish Dip
Southern Cracked Lionfish