Seared Grouper in Lemon Thyme Sauce with Arugula Avocado Salad
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Grouper in Lemon Thyme Sauce is an ideal recipe for healthy summertime dinners. Grouper is a fish with a mild taste, similar to seabass. This subtle flavor means the fish can easily absorb dressings and marinades allowing you to really manipulate it to suit your desired result. The grouper blends beautifully with lemon juice, thyme, and butter, and we recommend you serve it with arugula and avocado salad!
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Grouper in Lemon Thyme Sauce
The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading all the way through for any tips or substitute suggestions, to ensure that you have any specialized ingredients and equipment required and that you understand the steps and timings involved.
This recipe for grouper in lemon thyme sauce is made in a cast-iron skillet, and is super fast to make – just 15 minutes from start to finish!
Dishes like this are perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal and a great way to get fish into your weekly meal rotation.
You could also try other grouper recipes such as blackened grouper coated in butter and a blend of spices and herbs.
The seared grouper is cooked in a lemon thyme sauce, which adds the perfect amount of fresh flavor to an otherwise bland fish – it is probably one of the mildest-tasting fish there is!
The fish is served with a simple arugula and Feta salad but for a more substantial meal pair it with mashed or sautéed potatoes.
What is Grouper?
Grouper fish are members of the sea bass family and are found in tropical and warm temperate waters worldwide. Australians call them Coral Trout and Rock Cod.
There are 159 species of grouper, and the black or red grouper is the most common for eating. Grouper is one of Florida’s most valuable commercial fisheries and as such it is very popular in that part of the world.
Grouper has no intramuscular bones, so if one of the reasons for not eating fish is because of the small bones, this isn’t something to worry about in this recipe! The fish has large, chunky flakes, almost like lobster or crab, and is lean and firm and has a sweet mild flavor. Make sure to remove the skin before cooking as it is strongly flavored and tough.
You can buy grouper in the UK, but you may have to buy it online or from a fishmonger. The Marine Conservation Society in the UK has it listed as a fish to avoid due to overfishing. However, the NOAA (USA) says their stock of red grouper in waters along their coasts is not overfished.
If you don’t want to use grouper, you can substitute for any other mild but firm, white fish such as snapper, monkfish, mahi-mahi, amberjack, cod, black sea bass, shark, or haddock.
Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
While most ingredients can be bought in grocery stores, for your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients (and equipment) needed for this recipe have been listed below and linked to Amazon or other stores if available online.
It does not include staple ingredients such as oil, salt, and pepper, as you’re likely to have those in your kitchen already. The complete list of ingredients with measurements is found in the recipe card.
- Protein – Grouper or other white fish such as
- Fresh Produce – Arugula (Rocket, Avocado, Cherry Tomatoes, Lemons, Thyme
- Dairy – Unsalted Butter, Feta Cheese
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Dry White Wine – use a wine you enjoy drinking
Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog use both cup measurements and/or weighted measurements. American cups and kitchen food scales are handy pieces of equipment to have in your kitchen as it means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog. I try to give American, imperial, and metric measurements in my recipes. Please note, you can mix cup measurements with weighted measurements, but never mix imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.,) with metric (kilograms, grams, litres, etc.,).
More Recipes Using Grouper
The hero ingredient in this dish is grouper (or any other white fish), so here are some more recipes using the same:
- Mediterranean Grouper with Tomato-Cucumber Salad
- Mediterranean Pan-Fried White Fish with Sun-Dried Tomato Tapenade
- One-Pan Coconut Fish Curry Recipe Using Mild White Fish
Even More Fish Recipes
Looking for more fish dishes to make? Check these recipes out next:
- Grilled Pineapple and Swordfish Kebabs with Cilantro-Lime Rice
- Super Easy Atlantic Cod with Garlic-Herb Butter
- Blackened Fish Tacos (Mahi-Mahi) with Coleslaw & Avocado Dressing
How Do I Make Grouper in Lemon Thyme Sauce?
Check out the printable recipe card below with full ingredients and instructions. Any demonstration photos do not print out to save your ink.
Seared Grouper with Lemon Thyme Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 cups baby arugula
- 1 large avocado chopped
- 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- 2-3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 lbs 450g grouper or other white fish, cut into 4 pieces
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 4-6 fresh thyme sprigs
- ½ cup Feta cheese crumbled, optional
Instructions
- Combine the baby arugula, avocado, tomatoes, and balsamic vinegar to a large salad bowl. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and toss to combine. Set aside.
- Place a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the skillet. Add the fish and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until it releases easily from the bottom of the skillet.
- Turn the heat down to medium and flip each fillet. Cook for another 4-5 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. Transfer to a platter and set aside.
- Deglaze the skillet by adding the white wine and gently scraping the bottom with a plastic spatula to release the browned bits. Add the butter, lemon juice, zest, and thyme sprigs. Generously season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until heated through. Remove from heat and discard the thyme stems in the sauce.
- Briefly return the fish to the skillet to absorb some of the warm butter sauce. Transfer to individual serving plates and spoon some the pan sauce on top. Serve immediately with the avocado tomato salad topped with some crumbled Feta cheese, if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Make It A Full Meal
You’ve made the main dish, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to make a full meal for a dinner party or special occasion:
- Appetizer: Strawberry Caprese Skewers
- Soup: Instant Pot Garden Vegetable Soup for Spring & Summer
- Salad: Roasted Artichoke and White Bean Salad with Swiss Chard
- Side Dish: Greek-Style Lemon Potatoes
- Beverage: Jalapeño Cucumber Vodka Lemonade
- Dessert: Rustic Fresh Blueberry Crisp Served with Greek Yogurt (Gluten-Free)
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too.