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Nashville Hot Black Grouper Fingers

Zachery Dyke

Zachery Dyke

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Not Your Typical Grouper Fingers

For the second recipe in, Frozen In Time: 5 Recipes From My Last Florida Keys Black Grouper, I decided to make something a little spicy. Nashville hot chicken, whether in sandwich or tender form, has always been one of my all time favorite ways to eat chicken. Several years back, I came to the conclusion that this spicy and sweet sauce is just as good on fried fish, and even lobster!

Nashville Hot Spiny Lobster Sandwich
Nashville Hot Florida Spiny Lobster Sandwich

Here’s a list of other species I’ve made this recipe with:

The spiciness of this sauce comes from cayenne pepper, and while it can be really hot, the nice part about this recipe is that you can turn the heat up or down by the amount you put in it. The sauce also has a sweet taste to it that comes from the light brown sugar, so if you want it a little more or less sweet, you can adjust the sugar level accordingly. I love spicy food, and this is a recipe I would say has the perfect balance of spice and flavor. If you’re somebody who likes things more mild, but still want the Nashville Hot flavor, maybe use a little less cayenne pepper.

While this is really just a recipe for the Nashville hot black grouper fingers, you can serve this meal with a variety of things. It goes great with:

  • Waffle Fries
  • Potato Wedges
  • Cole Slaw
  • Put 2 On A Bun With Cole Slaw

There are endless possibilities of what you can do with this recipe, but the main point is to fry the fish so it’s nice and crispy on the outside, but still juicy on the inside. Grouper is undoubtably the best fish to achieve both of those things. I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Nashville Hot Black Grouper Fingers
5 from 3 votes

Nashville Hot Black Grouper Fingers

by zachery dykeZachery Dyke
A spicy, and I mean actually spicy, take on the classic, grouper fingers. If you like things hot, this recipe is for you.
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Total Time: 21 minutes
Servings: 1

Equipment

Ingredients

US Customary | Metric

For The Grouper Fingers

  • 8 oz Black Grouper Fillet
  • ½ cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Black Pepper
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 Splash of Milk or Half and Half
  • 32 oz Peanut Oil

For The Nashville Hot Sauce

  • 3 tbsp Butter
  • 3 tbsp Hot Oil From Frying Fish
  • 1½ tbsp Cayenne Pepper (add more to make it extra spicy!)
  • 2 tsp Light Brown Sugar
  • ½ tsp Paprika
  • ½ tsp Garlic Powder

Instructions 

Grouper Fingers

  • Cut your fillet into 4 even fingers.
    8 oz Black Grouper Fillet
  • Combine your flour, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper and paprika in a mixing bowl and whisk together.
  • Combine your eggs and splash of milk or half and half in a separate mixing bowl and whisk together.
    2 Eggs
    1 Splash of Milk or Half and Half
  • Thoroughly coat your grouper in the egg wash and then the flour mixture.
  • Shake off excess flour and set the grouper aside.
  • Repeat this process again after about a minute.
  • Heat your oil in a medium pot to 375 °F
    32 oz Peanut Oil
  • Fry your grouper fingers for 6 minutes.
    NOTE: The length of cooking time will depend on the exact heat of your oil and thickness of your grouper fingers.
  • Remove from oil and set aside.

Nashville Hot Sauce

  • In a small sauce bowl, combine your butter, cayenne pepper, light brown sugar, paprika, and garlic powder.
  • Add in your hot oil from frying the fish.
    3 tbsp Hot Oil From Frying Fish
  • Stir until all the sugar and butter have melted.

Saucing and Plating

  • While continuing to stir the sauce, brush the sauce onto your grouper fingers, evenly coating them.
  • Plate, serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • Some ideas of what the serve with these or what else to try:
    • This recipe goes great with french fries and coleslaw!
    • I’ve made this recipe with several different species:
    • These make great sandwiches and sliders too!
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