15 Grilled Seafood Recipes to Cook All Summer Long

Lobster, Shrimp, Fish Kebabs, and More

By
Cathy Jacobs
Cathy Jacobs
Cathy Jacobs
A freelance journalist and avid home cook, Cathy Jacobs has more than 10 years of food writing experience, with a focus on curating approachable menus and recipe collections.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 06/20/21
Grilled Tandoori Cod

The Spruce / Crystal Hughes

Want to wow guests at your summer cookout parties? Seafood—from shrimp, scallops, and lobster tails to your favorite fish —is the perfect way to show off your grilling skills with little extra effort. Amp up your seafood of choice with flavorful marinades, cook them quickly over a hot, well-oiled grill, and you simply can't go wrong.

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  • 01 of 15

    Grilled Shrimp With Garlic Butter Dipping Sauce Recipe

    Grilled Shrimp With Garlic Butter Dipping Sauce Recipe

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

    Get the grilling party started with buttery shrimp kebabs made with garlic, lemon, and a touch of hot sauce. They only need three or four minutes on the grill and make a great hand-held party appetizer.

  • 02 of 15

    Grilled Onion-Butter Cod

    Grilled butter onion cod recipe

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

    Cod fillets are flavored with a gorgeous butter and wine sauce that gets tons of flavor from lightly-poached onions. The fish is cooked quickly on a well-oiled grill to create a sophisticated summer entrée. Serve with steamed baby potatoes and wilted spinach greens as a complete meal.

  • 03 of 15

    Easy Thai Grilled Fish Fillets

    Easy Thai Grilled Fish Fillets on a white plate, lime wedges

    The Spruce / Loren Runion

    Creating amazing-tasting grilled fish is easier than you think. All you need are a few expert tips, and you'll be eating perfectly grilled fish in less than 30 minutes. This recipe starts with a superb garlicky barbecue sauce that's delicious with all types of fish, whether fillet or steak, salmon or sole.

  • 04 of 15

    Grilled Lobster Tails

    Grilled lobster tails recipe

    The Spruce Eats / Victoria Heydt

    What could be more elegant than succulent grilled lobster tails? Learn to cook them 'til just tender with a simple recipe that calls for a little olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and fresh dill.

    Continue to 5 of 15 below.
  • 05 of 15

    Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Scallops With Lemon Aioli

    Easy Bacon-Wrapped Scallops

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

    Bacon-wrapped scallops are a cocktail party standby. Here, meaty scallops are wrapped in bacon and grilled on skewers to form a cookout dish that guests will fight over. The addition of creamy, zingy homemade lemon aioli takes this app over the top.

  • 06 of 15

    Grilled Shrimp Tacos

    Grilled Shrimp Tacos

    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

    Cooking over hot coals adds just the right flavor to these grilled shrimp tacos. They are coated with spices, grilled, and served on warm corn or flour tortillas and topped with spicy aioli, cotija cheese, and spicy slaw.

  • 07 of 15

    Grilled Tuna Steaks With Asian Sesame Crust

    Grilled tuna steaks with Asian sesame crust recipe

    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

    Tuna steaks have a satisfying texture that makes them a great alternative to red meat. Marinated in a soy-ginger sauce, these tuna steaks have lots of flavor. The meaty, tender fish pairs perfectly with the salty, tangy sauce made of soy sauce, scallions, lemon juice, sesame oil, and ginger. 

  • 08 of 15

    Grilled Crab

    crab

    The Spruce / Armando Rafael

    Grilled crab makes an impressive statement as a cookout party main. This recipe walks you through the process of using an outdoor grill and just a few other simple ingredients to make the most of crab's natural sweetness. You can use fresh or thawed frozen shellfish depending on what's available.

    Continue to 9 of 15 below.
  • 09 of 15

    Grilled Jumbo Shrimp With Lemon-Herb Marinade

    Grilling jumbo shrimp.

     The Spruce

    Jumbo shrimp take a quick dip in an herbaceous marinade before a brief turn on the grill. They are ready to eat when they're bright pink, in just two to three minutes. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.

  • 10 of 15

    Grilled Sea Bass With Garlic Butter

    Grilled Sea Bass With Garlic Butter

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

    Sea bass is a popular restaurant fish that's easy to prepare and cooks in a flash. The fish is first lightly seasoned and then grilled on one side; once it's flipped, it is basted with a garlic butter sauce as it finishes cooking. The combination of butter, lemon, garlic, and parsley blends nicely with the mild flavor of this tender fish.

  • 11 of 15

    Grilled Oysters

    How to grill oysters at home

    The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

    The grill is a great way to cook oysters and this tasty recipe is a great introduction for beginners to the briny shellfish. Just keep a close eye on the oysters and remove them from the grill as soon as they open. Serve with a squeeze of lemon or hot sauce.

  • 12 of 15

    Lime and Basil Tilapia

    Lime and Basil Tilapia Recipe

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

    Fresh basil and zesty lime juice infuse mild tilapia fillets with plenty of flavors in a recipe that cooks on your grill in under five minutes. Use them for fish tacos or as a health-conscious summer dinner with steamed rice and green vegetables.

    Continue to 13 of 15 below.
  • 13 of 15

    Thai Grilled Whole Fish With Coriander-Chili Sauce

    Thai Grilled Whole Fish With Coriander-Chili Sauce

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

    This traditional Thai fish recipe can be made outdoors on the barbecue, or you can pan-fry the fish indoors - it is made both ways in Thailand. You'll love the tenderness of the fish combined with a fantastic coriander-chili sauce, which can be made from mild to extra spicy to suit your taste. Nearly any whole "white-fleshed" fish can be used for this recipe.

  • 14 of 15

    Cilantro Lime Halibut

    Cilantro Lime Halibut

    Rita Maas / Getty Images

    Thick halibut fillets are basted with a rich butter sauce flavored with cilantro and lime in this fabulous grilled fish recipe. Enjoy it solo as an entrée or use it for fish tacos — it'll blend beautifully with classic Mexican seasonings.

  • 15 of 15

    Marinated Grilled Tuna With Dijon Honey Mustard

    Marinated Grilled Tuna With Dijon Honey Mustard

    The Spruce / Danielle Moore

    Serve this delicious grilled tuna with rice or slice it and top a tossed salad or fresh spring greens (e.g., baby kale, arugula, spinach, etc.). Take care, however, that you don't overcook by grilling too long—unfortunately, a well-done tuna steak is not a well-cooked tuna steak. Cooking more than medium rare will result in dried-out fish that has texture and flavor more like canned tuna.