If you’ve already tried this increasingly popular fish, you know how mild, tender, sweet, and delicious it is. If you haven’t tried cobia fish yet, then you’re in for a real treat. I really enjoy cooking this fish and serving it to guests, so I thought I’d share some of my favorite cobia recipes with you. I’ll also share some other information you may want to know, including exactly what cobia is, what cobia fish taste like, and whether cobia is a healthy fish to add to your diet. Continue reading!
Table of Contents
- What Is Cobia Fish?
- Can You Eat Cobia Fish?
- How Can You Cook Cobia Fish?
- Favorite Cobia Fish Recipes
- Ready to Try Delicious Cobia Fish?
- FAQs
What Is Cobia Fish?
Before I get into sharing tips for cooking cobia, let’s talk a little bit about what cobias are. If you’re not familiar with this type of fish, you may have questions like, “what does a cobia fish look like” or “how big are cobia fish?”
Cobia fish are a type of saltwater fish. They are also referred to as black kingfish and can grow to be large, weighing more than 150 pounds and measuring over 6 feet long.
Cobias are often mistaken for sharks. This is because, like sharks, they have a prominent and large pectoral fin that can poke out of the warm waters when they’re swimming or mating.
Cobia fish are either brown or dark grayish white in color. They have a white belly, a wide and flattened head, and two darker stripes on their sides.
A cobia’s diet includes crabs, baitfish, and smaller crustaceans. Cobia also often follows rays or sharks around, hoping to find a few scraps after these large sea creatures catch and eat a meal.
Can You Eat Cobia Fish?
Can you eat raw fish like cobia? Yes, you can certainly eat cobia. As I’ll share below, it has a very enjoyable taste. However, with cobia, you will want to make sure it has been cleaned and properly handled. Bacteria can grow if cobia isn’t put on ice shortly after chilling.
This shouldn’t be a concern if you’re purchasing your cobia from a reputable source. If you plan to catch and eat your own cobia, just brush up on proper cleaning and chilling safety information.
What Does Cobia Fish Taste Like?
Ok, so now that we know that you can actually eat cobia, you may be curious to learn about the cobia taste profile.
I think the taste of cobia is one of the things that really makes it stand out when compared with other fish. It has a milder taste that isn’t too fishy, with a bit of sweetness.
While cobia is a lower-fat fish, it has enough fat to help it stay juicy and tender. Properly cooked cobia will have a nice and enjoyable flaky texture.
If you’ve eaten white meat fish like mahi-mahi, you may find that the cobia taste is similar. As a more mild fish, cobia goes well with a variety of recipes and seasonings. It won’t overpower your meal, but you’ll still be able to distinguish and enjoy its taste.
Is Cobia Fish Healthy?
Yes, cobia is a healthy fish. Adding cobia meat to your diet will supply your body with essential vitamins and nutrients. Cobia is high in omega-3 fatty acids that can contribute to healthy brain and eye development and lessen your chances of suffering from heart disease.
Some of the other essential vitamins and nutrients cobia offers include vitamin B6, magnesium, riboflavin, potassium, and niacin.
However, one downside to cobia is that it has a higher mercury content than some other fish. Cobia’s mercury rating is 3.24 ppm, which puts it on the higher end of the spectrum. You should limit how often you eat cobia and should avoid cobia if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Additionally, children should not eat cobia due to its higher mercury content.
How Can You Cook Cobia Fish?
One of the best things about cobia is that there are many different ways to prepare it. As I mentioned above, it has a milder flavor and can taste great with different dishes and seasonings.
Cobia will be finished cooking when it has an opaque color and begins to have a flakier texture. The internal temperature should read 155°F.
If you’re looking for the best way to prepare your cobia, here are some of the top choices to consider:
Grilling
Grilled cobia takes about 5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fillets.
With grilling cobia, you’ll have flexibility with the seasonings you choose and can easily customize the flavor to match your preferences.
Sautéing
Sautéing cobia is one of the fastest and easiest ways to prepare this fish.
- Just heat your skillet over high heat and add in a few tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add some fresh garlic and turn the heat down to medium.
- Sauté the garlic for about two minutes.
- As the garlic cooks, season the cobia fillets with salt, pepper, and your favorite seasonings.
- Sauté each side for about 3 minutes, depending on the thickness.
Broiling
Broiled cobia is tender, juicy, and flaky on the inside, with a nice and crispy outside. Broiling cobia doesn’t take long, either. Expect it to take about 5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fillet.
Baking
You can also bake your cobia fillets in the oven if you’d prefer. As with most of the other cooking methods, you’ll want to start by seasoning your fillets with your favorite spices and some olive oil. Baked cobia will generally take 10 to 15 minutes.
Another way you can consider cooking and using your cobia is to make fish tacos. Many people love how their fish tacos taste when made with cobia.
Favorite Cobia Fish Recipes
Looking for some delicious fish cobia recipes to try? Here are a few of my favorites!
Grilled Cobia
Ingredients
- 4 cobia fillets
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon paprika
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, paprika, garlic, salt, and pepper to a gallon-sized zip lock bag. Close the bag and use your fingers to make sure all the ingredients are mixed together.
- Add the cobia fillets to the bag and ensure that they are coated with the marinade.
- Refrigerate the bag for a minimum of 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
- After marinating, cook the fillets on a hot grill for about 5 to 7 minutes per side.
- Once finished, the cobia fillets should have a flaky texture and an opaque color. Cobia is done when the internal temperature reaches 155 °F.
- Serve and enjoy.
Easy Broiled Cobia
Ingredients
- 4 cobia fillets
- Olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler
- Brush a broiler-safe baking pan with a little bit of olive oil.
- Put the cobia fillets on the pan.
- Brush them with olive oil and add the other seasonings.
- Place the pan under the broiler for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and flip the fillets over to the other side.
- Return and broil for an additional 4 to 5 minutes until the cobia is opaque in color and the internal temperature reaches 155 °F.
Ready to Try Delicious Cobia Fish?
Is your mouth watering after reading through all those delicious recipes? Cobia certainly is a tasty fish, and I think you’ll enjoy working it into your meal rotations.
Which recipe are you excited to try?
FAQs
Is cobia a good eating fish?
Yes, cobia is a good fish to eat. It has a pretty mild and sweet taste with a tender and flaky texture. Colby fish is also less expensive than the other fish, such as salmon or tuna.
Is cobia shark?
While some may call it cobia shark, a cobia is not really a shark. They do have a similar appearance to a shark though, with their darker color and top dorsal fin.
Is cobia high in mercury?
Yes, cobia can soak up more mercury than many other types of fish. It has an average mercury rating of 3.24 ppm, which is considerably higher than something like salmon, with a rating of 0.014 ppm. Older and large fish like cobia will likely have absorbed more mercury over the course of their life than smaller and younger cobia.
Is cobia expensive?
No, cobia fish is not very expensive. In most cases, purchasing cobia will be cheaper than purchasing salmon or many other types of fish.
