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Pescado Zarandeado is a tasty fish dish marinated in a savory mayo and mustard sauce. When grilled to perfection, this makes a great summer meal.

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We visit the famous Mercado Negro in Ensenada, Baja California on a regular basis and stock up on shrimp to make Coctel de Camarones and more.

On our last trip, I also bought an Ocean Whitefish that had just been caught that day. The fishmonger and I started swapping recipes and somewhere in my memory I remembered Pescado Zarandeado.

Easy, flavorful, and perfect for grilling season.

Traditionally, people will use red snapper for Pescado Zarandeado, but any white fish will do.

The fishmonger fileted it open just as you see above. This Mexican fish recipe is typically made like this. However, you can also use fish filets as I did in the final picture.

What type of fish is best to grill?

Snapper
Cod
Bass
Grouper
Haddock
Mahi Mahi
Tilapia

Although they are good for grilling, I do not recommend salmon, tuna, or swordfish for this recipe.

Note: The bones are still in. That means you have to use extra precaution when you eat it.

Also check out these Mexican Fish Recipes: Caldo de Pescado (Mexican Fish Soup), Ceviche de Pescado (Fish Ceviche), Pescado Empapelado (Mexican Fish in Foil Packet).

How to Make Pescado Zarandeado

These are the ingredients needed to make the sauce.

The recipe for the sauce varies, depending on who you talk to. I’ve seen recipes for Pescado Zarandeado that include a combination of the ingredients above.

However, the two main ingredients to the sauce: mayonnaise and mustard.

Add all the ingredients in a bowl.
Whisk to combine.
Make the sauce and set it inside the fridge while you prepare the fish.

The sauce has mayo, and you don’t want it to go bad. You can make the sauce ahead of time. It will last in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Do not freeze the sauce. It will become watery.

Note: If you have leftover sauce, try it on grilled shrimp or grilled lobster. Yummy!

How to Prevent Fish from Getting Mushy:

Too much moisture can cause the fish to steam and not sear. This is what causes fish to get mushy when cooked.

To fix this problem, pat the fish dry with paper towels before cooking.

Wash the fish well on both sides.
Then, with a paper towel, pat it to dry.

Tip From The Fishmonger: Insert the knife in the flesh of the fish several times. This will help the fish absorb the sauce more.

Do this several times. Be sure not to go through the skin. We’re just after the fleshy part.

Brush the sauce all over the fleshy part of the fish.
Do not brush sauce on the skin side.
You can add this later on the grill.

Do not brush the sauce hours before cooking. The marinade will absorb and begin the cooking process.

FYI: Pescado Zarandeado comes from the state of Nayarit. Some people also refer to this recipe as Puerto Vallarta Fish or Nayarit-Style Fish.

Also know: There are people who call this dish “Pescado Sarandeado.”

Heat the grill.
Add the fish.

I placed the fish on a large piece of well-oiled foil paper. Then transferred the foil paper to the grill. It makes for EASY clean up.

Traditionally, this is done in a grill basket. {AFFILIATE} There are restaurants on the beaches of Nayarit that have fire pits. Imagine smoky air and fish grilling next to crashing waves. It’s really quite impressive.

You can also do this on a grill pan on the stove. However, in the oven, you can make this recipe all year long.