A Quick Guide to Cooking Fish

There are literally endless ways to enjoy fish and any method below can be adjusted to include your favorite flavors and ingredients. This is a guide, most fish is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 145°F. Of course, there are many delicious raw fish preparations too! 

Instant Pot. A no-fuss way to prepare dinner and adds a ton of that pressure-cooker-magic-flavor. Add water into your pressure cooker, place your seasoned fillet on steam rack, and set to high pressure for 2-3 minutes for thin fresh fish.

Air fryer. The air fryer works MAGIC on fish! Toss it thin marinated fillets and cook at 400°F for 10-15 mins.

Oven baked. Place butter on top of each fillet, squirt lemon juice over the top and bake on a sheet pan at 375°F for 20-25 minutes. 

Oven baked in foil pouches. To ensure your fish is moist, top fillets with desired flavors and wrap up in a foil pouch. Bake on a sheet pan. 

Oven Broil. Set oven to low broil. Cover both sides of fish with butter and salt and pepper. Any herbs or toppings will be obliterated by the heat, so keep it simple.  Place on rack in broiler pan and broil 4 inches from heat for 5 minutes. Carefully turn fish. ... Broil 4 to 6 minutes longer or until fish flakes easily with fork.

Pan-fried. There is nothing more delicious than a pan-fried piece of fish, with crispy bits on the outside. Heat oil in a pan, add fish fillets and cook for 3-5 minutes per side. Add butter after the turn for more flavor and crispiness. 

Grill Pan burgers. Fish, especially salmon, make great burger patties. Chop raw fish into chunks then combine with a binder (panko, breadcrumbs, almond meal, cooked quinoa). Add chopped firm veggies (onion, pepper, corn) and spices. Heat oil in a pan and cook patties for 4 minutes per side. Will seel firm when done. 

Poaching. Poaching isn’t the same as boiling. Be sure not to let the liquid boil, as this will make your fish tough. You want to heat your poaching liquid to a slight simmer. Make sure you have enough liquid in your pan to fully cover the fish. 

Poaching in soup. For thin, white fish fillets or shrimp, gently place on top of simmering soup. Let it cook a few minutes before mixing into soup. 

Grilled. Best for thicker "steak fish." Cook skin-side down over indirect medium heat for 6-12 minutes depending on how thick the fillet is. The fish will easily peal away from skin when cooked. You may need a fish grilling basket or to lay tin foil over the grates for thinner, flakier fish. 

Microwave. Yes, it can be done. fillets to a microwave-safe dish and cover. Cook for 3 minutes per pound, until fully cooked through.