This easy Triggerfish recipe is baked with a fresh lemon juice and butter sauce, topped with thin sliced lemon, and garnished with chopped parsley.
We are lucky to find triggerfish locally through our CSF (Community Supported Fishery) in Charleston named Abundant Seafood. We pay a set price at the beginning of the season and pick up a choice of whatever fish they brought in from their catch.
Can't find triggerfish? Any thin white fish will work (literally - any fish that cooks white and flaky). Examples of white fish include tilapia, sea bass, cod, haddock, or even catfish.
What is Triggerfish?
Triggerfish is a small thin white fish from the tropical and subtropical oceans.
It cooks relatively fast (8-12 minutes). Cook it until it is opaque and flaky.
Triggerfish has a sweet clean taste. Most people that don't like fish still like it. It's comparable to the taste of crab.
How To Cook Triggerfish
Triggerfish is easy to cook but it cooks fast because it's generally thin. There are two fast ways to cook it.
- Use the triggerfish recipe below and bake it covered or uncovered for ~ 10 minutes at 375F.
- Pan sear triggerfish with a little butter, oil, salt, and pepper for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until flaky.
This Triggerfish Recipe is Versatile
This is a basic and easy triggerfish recipe. Dress it up if you like and throw in a bit of your favorite ingredients. Some examples might be:
- hot sauce
- dijon mustard
- chili pepper flakes
- capers
- rosemary, thyme, parsley, and fresh or dried herb.
- sliced green olives, sun dried tomatoes
Things In My Kitchen:
- Fish spatula for gently flipping delicate fish.
- 9 x 6 baking dish - I don't have this exact one but the size and style are similar.
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Lemon Butter Triggerfish
EatSimpleFood.com
This Triggerfish dish is baked in a fresh lemon juice and butter sauce, topped with thin sliced lemon and garnished with chopped parsley.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Coastal
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 2 fillets (~ 1 lb) Triggerfish
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoon parsley, chopped and divided
- salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F
- Place fish in a baking dish and lightly salt and pepper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon parsley, pinch of salt, and a pinch black pepper.
- Drizzle butter mixture over fish and top with sliced lemon.
- Bake ~ 10 minutes or until fish is light and flaky. Add salt to taste, garnish with remaining parsley, and add a squeeze of lemon if desired.
Notes
Can't find triggerfish? Any thin white fish will work (literally - any fish that cooks white and flaky). Examples include tilapia, sea bass, cod, haddock, or even catfish.
You May Also Like
If you like coastal fish caught off the Atlantic, then these fish are right up your alley - amberjack or jack fish, local grouper, little tunny (tuna or false albacore) and whole Red Snapper.
Serving Suggestion
Stay with a light theme for triggerfish and serve it with some complementary side dishes like an in season salad, a cold salad with feta and dill, easy green beans and tomatoes, or sautéed greens.
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