This easy grilled red snapper is ready in about 15 minutes and works great for summer cookouts, weeknight dinners, or easy outdoor meals in the Florida Keys.
Jump to:
- Fresh red snapper is perfect for the grill
- Season with Old Bay or blackened seasoning
- Ready in about 15 minutes
- Big flaky pieces of mild white fish
- Great with grilled corn, asparagus, or baby broccoli
- Leftovers make excellent fish tacos the next day
Red Snapper Dinner
Grilled red snapper is one of Florida's best seafood dinners. We love red snapper in the Keys. The fish has big flaky pieces of white meat and a mild flavor that's perfect for the grill. Talk about local wild-caught seafood.
Honestly, fresh local red snapper can be hard to find. Yellowtail snapper is everywhere in the Florida Keys fish markets, but finding fresh red snapper usually means driving up to Whole Foods in Miami where my fish guy sells most of it.
For this recipe, I brush the fish with olive oil and season it with Old Bay or blackened seasoning before grilling over high heat until lightly charred outside and flaky inside. A marinade really is not necessary here. Fresh snapper tastes best when kept simple.
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.
- Crumple a few paper towels, dip them lightly in oil, and use tongs to rub the grill grates well. This helps prevent the fish from sticking.
- 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.
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 Mayo Ketchup Sauce if you want something creamier.
Here are a few more summer recipes that go well with grilled red snapper:
- Sweet deli-style 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.
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.
- Crumple a few paper towels, dip them lightly in oil, and use tongs to rub the grill grates well. This helps prevent the fish from sticking.
- 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.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.