4 Must-Try Seafood Recipes for Grilling Season

Recipes by Charlotte Langley. Follow her on Instagram.

BBQ Salmon Burgers

Chef’s note: This is my gateway dish for anyone nervous about cooking fish. The tin does all the heavy lifting, and the patty is forgiving on the grill — honestly impressive for how little it costs.

Ingredients

For the burgers:

• 2 tins (about 213g each) wild salmon, drained well
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 green onions, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• Zest of 1 lemon, plus a squeeze of juice
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt + freshly cracked pepper
• Neutral oil, for the grill
• 4 brioche or potato buns

Quick mango-herb sauce (the juicy hack):

• 1/2 ripe mango, finely diced (or 1/3 cup frozen mango, thawed)
• 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro or mint
• 1 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp olive oil
• Pinch of chili flakes, salt to taste

To top:

• Quick pickled red onion or a cilantro-lime slaw — whatever’s in the fridge

Directions

1. In a bowl, gently flake the drained salmon. Add egg, panko, green onion, Dijon, mayo, lemon zest + juice, salt and pepper. Mix with your hands just until it holds — don’t overwork it.
2. Form into 4 patties about 3/4 inch thick. Chill 10 minutes if you can — helps them hold.
3. Heat the grill to medium-high. Oil the grates well. Brush the patties with a little oil and grill 3–4 minutes per side, until just cooked through and you’ve got good grill marks. Flip once.
4. Stir the mango-herb sauce together while the burgers cook.
5. Toast the buns on the grill for the last 30 seconds.
6. Build: bun, slaw or greens, patty, big spoon of mango sauce, top bun.

Grilled Cod Skewers

Chef’s note: Cod over haddock every time for the grill — it’s firmer and won’t flake through the grates. This is a four-minute fish; the whole dish is just about not walking away from it.

Ingredients

For the skewers:

• 600g frozen cod, thawed overnight in the fridge

Pantry dipping sauce:

• 1/3 cup Greek yogurt or mayo
• 1 tbsp Dijon, 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp chopped dill or parsley (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1 small garlic clove, grated
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Zest of 1 lemon, juice of half
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt + pepper
• 1 lemon, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 small red onion, cut into wedges
• 8 wooden or metal skewers (soak wooden ones for 30 mins)

Directions

1. Pat the thawed cod dry and cut into 2-inch chunks — don’t go smaller, they’ll cook too fast.
2. Whisk oil, lemon zest + juice, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper. Add in the cod pieces and toss gently. Marinate 20 minutes — not longer, citrus will start to “cook” the fish.
3. Thread skewers: cod, lemon round, onion, cod, repeat. Lemon between the cod protects it and flavours as it grills.
4. Heat the grill to medium-high and oil the grates. Grill skewers 2–3 minutes per side, turning once, until just opaque through. That’s it — 4 to 6 minutes total.
5. Stir the dipping sauce together. Serve skewers over rice, greens, or tucked into a wrap with the sauce drizzled across.

Grilled Halibut Steaks

Chef’s note: Halibut is dense enough to treat like a steak — oil, salt, flip once. It’s forgiving because that density gives you a wider window before it overcooks. Perfect for the cook who panics.

Ingredients

• 4 halibut steaks (about 150–180g each), about 1 inch thick
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 1 tbsp chopped chives or parsley
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Lemon wedges, to serve

Directions

1. Take halibut out of the fridge 15 minutes before cooking — you want it closer to room temp so it cooks evenly.
2. Pat the steaks very dry (the dryer the surface, the better the sear). Brush both sides with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
3. Mash the soft butter with chives or parsley and lemon zest. Set aside.
4. Heat the grill to high and oil the grates well. Place steaks on the grill and DON’T touch them for 4 minutes — you’re building a crust.
5. Flip once. Grill another 3–4 minutes, until the centre is just opaque and flakes when nudged with a fork. Pull at 130°F internal if you have a thermometer — it carries to 135°F off the grill.
6. Top each steak with a knob of the herb butter while still hot. Serve with lemon wedges.

Tinned Sardines, Dressed Up

Chef’s note: This is my no-cook hero. A great tin of sardines IS dinner, and it costs a fraction of a fresh fillet. The Portuguese have known this forever.

Ingredients

• 2 tins wild sardines in olive oil (about 120g each)
• 1 small sourdough loaf, sliced thick (or 8 thick baguette slices)
• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for finishing
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1 lemon (zest and wedges)
• Small handful fresh parsley, dill or chives, chopped
• Pinch chili flakes
• Flaky salt and cracked pepper
• Optional: thinly sliced radish, quick-pickled onion, or a smear of soft cheese

Directions

1. Heat the grill to medium-high. Brush sourdough slices with olive oil on both sides.
2. Grill bread 1–2 minutes per side, until you’ve got proper char marks. Pull off the grill and immediately rub one side with the raw garlic clove — it melts into the warm bread.
3. Open the tins. Lay 2–3 sardines on each piece of grilled bread — keep them whole, they look stunning.
4. Squeeze a little lemon over each, drizzle with the oil from the tin (don’t waste it), and scatter with herbs, chili flakes, lemon zest, flaky salt and pepper.
5. Optional toppings: thinly sliced radish for crunch, a pickled onion for bite, or a smear of soft cheese under the fish. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.