Bluegill Recipes
Delicious Fresh Fish Dishes

What to do with all of those bluegills you've been catching!?...

Here's some bluegill recipes to treat your family and friends with. So take those fresh slabs of sweet panfish and fire them up. It's time to eat!

As most anglers know, it's no secret that freshwater fishing for bluegills is awesome fun for kids, especially since they are quite easy to catch.

And my wife is well aware of how easy it can be to fill up an ice chest full of bluegill. So when my fishing buddies and I go fishing for bluegill, she already knows what to expect to see when we come back home... Hmm, what's on the menu tonight!?

• Parmesan Crusted Sauté Bluegill
• Spiced Thyme Grilled Bluegill
• Simple Pan Seared Bluegill

Go ahead and have a crack at these recipes for bluegill.

Parmesan Crusted Sauté Bluegill

Ingredients:

• 2 bluegill fillets
• all-purpose flour
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• salt and pepper
• Parmesan cheese, about 1 oz. grated
• ¼ cup buttermilk
• ⅓ cup cornmeal
• vegetable oil

Preparation and Cooking Directions:

Combine the buttermilk and Parmesan cheese into a small bowl. In a separate bowl, add and mix together 2 tablespoons of flour, a dash each of the onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Spread the dry cornmeal onto a plate.

Pre-heat a frying pan skillet with a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Coat each bluegill fillet with the flour mixture, dip into the buttermilk mixture, then coat with the cornmeal. Add the fish fillets to the pan and cook for about 3 minutes per side until golden brown and down. Remove, serve with lemon wedges and your favorite fish sauce, and enjoy.

Spiced Thyme Grilled Bluegill

Ingredients:

• 2 bluegill fillets
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 1 grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
• crushed red pepper flakes
• salt
• extra virgin olive oil

Preparation and Cooking Directions:

In a small bowl, mix together 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the garlic, lemon zest, thyme, a dash each of salt and red pepper flakes. Rub both sides of the bluegill fillets with the mixture and allow it to marinade in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.

Lay out 2 pieces of aluminum foil just larger than the size of the fish fillets, one on top of the other. Lightly drizzle the aluminum foil with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Place the foil on a medium hot charcoal of gas barbecue grill. Place the fish on top of the foil, cover the grill and allow it to cook for about 8 minutes or until done by testing with a fork for flakiness. Remove immediately and serve with lemon wedges.

Check out some tips and techniques for grilling fish here.

Simple Pan Seared Bluegill Recipes

Ingredients:

• 2 bluegill fillets
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 lemon

Prepping and Pan Searing Directions:

Add the butter and olive oil to a medium hot frying pan skillet. Heat until the butter turns brown and bubbly hot. Season with a dash of salt and pepper to desired taste, add the fillets and allow it to cook for about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown or when done. Remove and serve with lemon wedges.

Go here to check out some cool tips and techniques for searing and pan frying fish.

Cooking Tip: These bluegill recipes may also be substituted for other types of panfish and sunfish.