This easy grilled red snapper fillets recipe is ready in about 15 minutes, making it a great choice for summer cookouts, weeknight dinners, or simple outdoor meals.
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- Mild, flaky white fish with simple seasoning
- Ready in about 15 minutes
- Great with grilled vegetables or made into fish tacos the next day
Red Snapper Dinner
Grilled red snapper fillets are a simple high-protein seafood dinner with mild flavor and big, flaky pieces of white fish. They cook quickly on a hot grill and do not need much more than olive oil and a good seafood seasoning.
For this recipe, brush the fillets with olive oil and season them with Old Bay or Cajun Blackened Seasoning. Grill over high heat until the outside is lightly charred and the fish flakes easily with a fork.
A marinade is not necessary. Red snapper tastes best when you keep the seasonings simple and let the fish stand on its own.
For another easy snapper dinner, try my Pan Seared Snapper Fillets.
Tips for Grilling Red Snapper
Before adding the fish, crumple a few paper towels, dip them lightly in oil, and use tongs to rub the grill grates. This helps prevent sticking.
Place the fish skin-side down first and let it cook until the flesh firms up before flipping. If it seems hard to flip, wait another minute and try again. The fish will release from the grill when it's ready.
And if the fish falls apart a little? Keep going. Grilled fish can be delicate, and even experienced cooks break a fillet once in a while. It still tastes great.
Ingredients
- Red snapper fillets, skin on or off
- Olive oil
- Old Bay seasoning or blackened seasoning
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Lemons
See the recipe card below for exact amounts.
How To Grill Red Snapper
- Defrost the fish if frozen.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
- Oil the grill grates well before adding the fish. Use long tongs and a folded paper towel dipped lightly in oil, or brush the grates with oil.
- Pat the snapper dry with paper towels.
- Brush both sides of the fish and the cut side of the lemon with olive oil.
- Season very lightly with salt and pepper.
- Lightly sprinkle the fish on both sides with Old Bay seasoning or blackened seasoning.
- Place the fish on the hot grill skin-side down first.
- Grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side depending on thickness. The fish should release easily from the grates when ready to flip. If it sticks, give it another minute.
- The snapper is done when it flakes easily with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
- Serve immediately with grilled lemon.
For fish nights when you do not want to use the grill, make Lemon Butter Fish in a skillet or try this Blackened Grouper recipe.
What to Serve With Grilled Red Snapper
I made this fish with grilled corn and grilled baby broccoli. They cooked on the grill right along with the fish.
For a sauce, you can try Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce or creamy Mayo Ketchup Sauce.
Here are a few more summer recipes that go well with grilled red snapper:
- Sweet coleslaw or deli potato salad
- Roasted baby gold potatoes Make them ahead in the oven, then wrap in foil and warm them on the grill.
- Mango pico de gallo or peach mango salsa make great toppings for grilled fish.
- Twice Fried Plantains with Mayo Ketchup is a Cuban-style side dish that goes perfectly with seafood dinners.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover grilled snapper in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat or flake the fish into tacos, rice bowls, or salads.
You can even roll the leftover fish into a fish omelet for breakfast the next morning. Fresh snapper, eggs, and a little cilantro or hot sauce make a great combo.
FAQ
Start with dry fish and a hot grill. Brush the skin lightly with oil and place it skin-side down first. Let the fish cook without moving it too early so the skin has time to crisp and release naturally from the grill grates.
Yes. Grilled asparagus is one of the best side dishes for red snapper because it cooks quickly alongside the fish. Toss it with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then grill until lightly charred and tender.
A grill basket can help if you are worried about the fish sticking or falling apart, especially with thinner fillets. Skin-on snapper usually grills well directly on clean, oiled grates.
Red snapper is commonly caught in the Gulf of Mexico and along the southeastern Atlantic coast. In Florida, fresh snapper is popular in seafood markets and restaurants throughout the Keys.
Yes. Red snapper is a lean source of protein and contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to support heart and brain health. It's a great choice for easy high-protein seafood dinners.
Grilled Red Snapper
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds red snapper fillets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons Old Bay seasoning or blackened seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 lemons, halved
Instructions
- Defrost the fish if frozen.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
- Bring fish to room temperature. Pat the snapper dry with paper towels.
- Brush both sides of the fish and the cut side of the lemon with olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle both sides of the fish lightly with Old Bay seasoning or blackened seasoning.
- Oil the grill grates well before adding the fish. Use long tongs and a folded paper towel dipped lightly in oil, or brush the grates with oil.
- Place the fish and lemon halves on the hot grill skin-side down first.
- Grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side. The fish should release easily from the grates when ready to flip. If it sticks, give it another minute.
- Grill the lemon halves cut-side down until lightly charred.
- The snapper is done when it flakes easily with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
- Serve immediately with grilled lemon.
Jeanie says
My family loved this! The fish is moist and it was so easy.