When shopping for fresh fish in a seafood market or grocery store, you’ve probably come across fillets and steaks. Many people wrongly assume these meat cuts are the same and can be used interchangeably in recipes. To help you make the right choice, you'll need to know how they differ from one another.

What Is Fish Fillet?

The term "fillet" refers to a fleshy, boneless slice of meat cut from near the ribs of an animal, such as a cow or fish. A fish fillet is cut lengthwise and parallel to the backbone, making it boneless except for certain varieties with smaller, intramuscular bones. It may come with or without skin. 

Because it has no bones, fish fillet cooks relatively fast, containing most of the fish’s edible portions. Filleting is a common way to prepare fresh fish like flounder, snapper, mahi-mahi, grouper, and amberjack. 

In general, large fish are easier to fillet and cut into a practical serving size. Fish fillet tastes best when baked, pan-seared, or lightly covered in sauce.

What Is Fish Steak?

A steak is a fresh fish cut that is sliced across and through the bone. The resulting cut retains the bone, unlike in a fillet. The skin is usually left on the fish, but in large pieces, they may be skinless and boneless. 

Steak is generally made from fish heavier than 10 lbs, with tuna and mahi-mahi being the most commonly used. Sometimes, a cross-cut may be too large for a single serving. In such cases, the steaks is cut into smaller, uniform rectangular pieces resembling fillets.

Because a fish steak is thicker than a fillet, it is less likely to fall apart but takes longer to cook. It is the ideal cut for grilling, steaming, and braising.  

Whatever cut you choose, source your fresh fish from Billy’s Seafood. This seafood market in Bon Secour, AL, has everything from shrimp and crab to tuna and red snappers, making it popular among locals. Call (251) 949-6288 to order, or visit the website to learn more about their offerings.