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    Home » Kitchen Laughter Recipes Blog » Seafood

    Grilled Sweet and Sour Shark Steaks {15 Minutes}

    Published: Nov 4, 2021 by Ginny C · This post may contain affiliate links ·

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    This simple Grilled Shark Steak recipe is a fun way to try something new on the BBQ. With a few tips and tricks, you will have an amazing seafood dinner!

    brushing on a homemade sweet and sour sauce on the grilled shark steak.
    Grilled Shark Steak with a Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce
    Contents hide
    1 🍽️ Why This Works
    2 🦈 Ingredients
    3 🔥 Instructions
    4 🥡 Storage
    5 🧅 Meal Prep
    6 🤔 Variations
    7 🥕 Serving Suggestions
    8 ❗ Expert Tips
    9 Recipe FAQ
    10 Grilled Shark Steaks with Sweet and Sour Sauce

    🍽️ Why This Works

    Small Shark Steak | Baby shark! No, not the baby shark song! 😀 These are small shark steaks that are just the perfect size for grilling. They can be found at your local grocery store, fish markets, meat markets, international grocery stores and ordering online from places like Pikes Place Market and Gold Belly. We picked ours up at the international grocery store.

    Fast | While it does take a little bit of planning to let the shark soak in milk, the actual grilling is done in just a few minutes.

    Make Ahead Sauce | This sauce can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for a few days. Use that to your advantage when planning your next meal.

    🦈 Ingredients

    ingredients on a sheet pan with labels.
    Simple Sweet and Sour Sauce Ingredients

    Shark | I found this at my local Hispanic market. I don’t see it too often at the grocery shops we usually use, so I had to grab some. It is a cross-cut shark steak. There is no need to remove the skin as it will be very easy to remove when it is fully cooked.

    Sweet and Sour Sauce | This simple marinade provides the tanginess from the apple cider vinegar and the Worcestershire. The sweet comes from the brown sugar and ketchup. Make a bit extra and use it on chicken or pork next time you grill.

    Milk | This is the key to a delicious grilled fish. Soak the shark meat in milk for about 3-4 hours. It will eliminate a lot of the overly-gamey taste and virtually remove any ammonia overtones. Don’t skip this ingredient.

    🔥 Instructions

    You are treating the fish like this because shark urine is absorbed through their flesh and releases through the skin which causes the ammonia smell. Do you still want to eat it?

    instruction photos showing how to soak the shark in milk, make the sauce and then grill the shark steak.
    Simple Instructions for an Amazing Meal

    Depending on where you buy it, it may have already been treated and you can skip this milk treatment step. You can tell as the ammonia smell that many fresh catches have. It is 100% safe to eat, you are just getting rid of that smell/flavor.

    Step One: Rinse the shark steak off with fresh, cool water and place it in a large, glass bowl. Pour milk to cover and let it soak for about four hours in the refrigerator.

    Tip: It doesn’t matter what kind of milk you use. This is a critical step to temper the flavor. Without it, I find the gamey flavor too much to handle.

    Step Two: Prepare the Sweet and Sour Sauce by melting butter in a small sauce pan over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion, sauté for 7-8 minutes, or until it starts to brown. Then add the garlic and cook for one more minute.

    Step Three: Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for ten minutes. It will start to thicken.

    Step Four: Remove the shark from the milk and pat it dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on and place it on a well-oiled grill grate at 375 degrees.

    Step Five: Grill the shark for 8-9 minutes on each side. Use a wireless meat thermometer to make sure the interior temperature reaches 145 degrees. Right before you are ready to remove it, brush it with your sweet and sour sauce.

    🥡 Storage

    Use a good quality refrigerator storage container.

    These will stay good in the fridge for 2 – 3 days. They can be frozen, but I recommend freezing before adding the sweet and sour sauce. Wrap in Saran and then place it in a freezer safe Ziploc bag.

    🧅 Meal Prep

    Make the sweet and sour sauce a day or two ahead of time. This stores well in a glass jar in the refrigerator and definitely cuts down on your preparation time.

    🤔 Variations

    This fish is so flexible that you can make it a dozen different ways and never get bored. After you tried the sweet and sour version, start thinking out of the box for other ideas.

    • Blackened
    • Chipotle Lime
    • Lemon Pepper
    • Jerk
    • Smoked Paprika
    • Soy sauce, Dijon mustard and chili
    • Breadcrumbs with parmesan cheese + add in herbs depending on taste.

    🥕 Serving Suggestions

    The sweet and sour sauce is very flavorful, so you’ll want to pair this with a starch or mild vegetable. Try some of the following:

    Smoked Fingerling Potatoes

    Grilled Whole Sweet Potato

    Grilled Carrots

    ❗ Expert Tips

    Never skip soaking the shark in milk. Some high end butchers will do it for you, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

    To those distinctive sear marks, use a GrillGrate. These are extruded aluminum and the fins heat up much hotter than the grill itself. That allows the meat to sear almost instantly.


    Make the Sweet and Sour Sauce ahead of time. I like to have as much prepared as possible before my friends come over. That way, I can spend more time with them and less time in the kitchen.

    shark steak on the grill grate with gorgeous sear marks.
    Super Easy Grilling

    Recipe FAQ

    How long do you grill shark steaks?

    On a 375 degree grill, it should only take about eight minutes per side. Check that it reaches 145 degrees with a thermometer, though. You always cook to temperature, not time for meat and fish.

    What is the most common type of grilled shark?

    Mako and Blacktip are the most common species of shark you will see at the butcher. This is highly dependent on your location and the availability of shark.

    Why should I soak the shark in milk?

    Shark meat will have an ammonia and extreme gamey smell. Most people find the flavor to be too powerful without soaking it in milk to neutralize the flavors. It should take about four hours of soaking to tame down the flavors.
    Depending on certain markets, this step might already be done for you. If it smells of ammonia or game, soak it.

    What does it taste like?

    Similar to a mild chicken.

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    brushing on a homemade sweet and sour sauce on the grilled shark steak.

    Grilled Shark Steaks with Sweet and Sour Sauce

    These thick and tender Grilled Shark Steaks are super simple to make. Whether you choose to leave these plain with your favorite rub or add on the sweet and sour sauce, you are going to love this healthy, protein packed dinner.
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Grilling Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 2 people
    Calories: 151kcal
    Author: Jason

    Equipment

    • Grill
    • Bowl for soaking

    Ingredients

    Shark Preparation

    • 4 cups Milk
    • 1 lb Shark Steak

    Sweet and Sour Sauce

    • 2 tbsp Butter
    • ¼ cup Onion chopped
    • 1 clove Garlic minced
    • 3 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
    • 1 tsp Ginger
    • ½ tsp Worcestershire Sauce
    • ¼ cup Ketchup

    Instructions

    Sweet and Sour Sauce

    • Add butter to a small sauce pan over medium high heat.
    • Add the chopped onion and sauté for about 7-8 minutes until they start to turn brown. Add in garlic and cook for one additional minute.
    • Stir in remaining ingredients and bring it to a boil. Reduce the temperature and let it simmer for ten minutes to thicken slightly.

    Shark Marinade

    • Rinse the shark steak and marinate in milk for about four hours to temper the gamey smell.
    • Remove the shark from the marinade and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
    • Cook it over a medium high grill with well-oiled grates for 4-6 minutes on each side. It is done when it flakes easily and the temperature reaches 145 degrees.
    • Right before you remove the shark, brush it with the Sweet and Sour Sauce. Make sure to cover both sides.
    • Serve it over a bed of rice.

    Notes

    Cooking Time: On a 375 degree grill, it should only take about eight minutes per side.
    Internal Temperature: Check that it reaches 145 degrees with a thermometer, though. You always cook to temperature, not time for meat and fish. 
    Storing: If you have any leftovers, place them in a covered container and refrigerate for up the three days.
    Soaking in Milk: Unless your butcher told you that they presoaked the shark, make sure you do.  This will cut down on the overly-gamey flavor.
    Make Ahead: Make the sweet and sour sauce up to three days ahead of time.  That will let you spend more time with friends and family while you are grilling.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 389mg | Potassium: 164mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 505IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @kitchenlaughter or tag #kitchenlaughter!
    Grilled Sweet and Sour Shark Steaks {15 Minutes}Grilled Sweet and Sour Shark Steaks {15 Minutes}
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rom says

      June 01, 2021 at 7:31 pm

      If you need to soak that long in milk, you need a new fish monger. We get fresh mako here in NJ and never have I soaked it in anything. Right to the grill with s&p and evoo. More mild than swordfish! Are you eating the bloodline or something?

      • Jason C says

        June 02, 2021 at 5:12 am

        Thanks for the note! Mako and Blacktip shark are definitely on the more mild side. I may just need to go find another fish market! 🙂

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