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    Home » Recipes » Fish Recipes

    Roasted Yellowtail Snapper with Old Bay

    Published: Feb 20, 2023 · Modified: Mar 18, 2023 by Felice Kaufman · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Yellowtail snapper cooked in oven.

    Today I am sharing my recipe for an easy and healthy Oven Roasted Yellowtail Snapper recipe that will have the whole family coming back to the dinner table again and again.

    The yellowtail snapper is flavored with Old Bay seasoning and packs a flavorful punch. Give it a shot - you'll love the delicious results, we promise!

    Yellowtail fish with Old Bay seasoning.
    Jump to:
    • Why We Love This Recipe
    • What You Need
    • What Can I Substitute for Yellowtail?
    • How to Thaw Frozen Fish
    • How to Roast Yellowtail
    • What is Old Bay?
    • What Goes with Roasted Yellowtail Snapper?
    • Where To Get Yellowtail in the Florida Keys
    • Learn More about Yellowtail Fishing in the Keys
    • "📖 Recipe"
    • FAQ
    • What to Serve with Roasted Yellowtail Snapper

    Why We Love This Recipe

    Whether it's yellowtail or hogfish, your taste buds are sure to thank you for this one-pan wonder! Fresh fish is a treat.

    With 2 minutes of prep and ten brief minutes of roasting time, you'll have a super healthy meal. Steam some veggies on the side or eat with a big salad.

    What You Need

    Yellowtail snapper with lemon and butter for roasting.
    • Yellowtail Snapper, available all over Florida. Wild-caught thin fillets of your favorite fish will work well too.
    • Unsalted butter
    • Salt & Pepper, just a bit.
    • Seafood Seasoning. I used Old Bay seasoning to make this fish. It is available in all U.S. grocery stores. I also like Southernmost Blend from Key West Spice Co. You can pick them both up at Publix and Winn Dixie throughout Florida.
    • Lemons
    • Fresh parsley, either flat leaf or curly.

    What Can I Substitute for Yellowtail?

    You can substitute any thin white fish fillet for Yellowtail in this recipe. Hogfish, Mutton Snapper, Mango Snapper, Red Snapper, Mangrove Snapper, or Catfish would be great.

    If you have a thicker fillet, such as Triple Tail, Grouper, or even Mahi, roast these for 15-20 minutes , or until fish flakes easily with a fork, and you'll have an excellent meal.

    If you're outside of Florida, look for wild-caught Flounder, Sole, Cod or Red Snapper.

    How to Thaw Frozen Fish

    If your snapper is frozen, place the frozen fish in the refrigerator to thaw. It shouldn't take more than an hour. Yellowtail is very thin.

    Or you can place the fish in a colander in the sink and run cold water over it until it softens. Be careful not to rip or break the fillets when you're aggressively defrosting.

    How to Roast Yellowtail

    Roasting yellowtail in the oven is a simple process.

    • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F with oven rack set in lower half of oven.
    • Spray a 13 x 9-inch pan with cooking spray or brush with oil. I use a Pyrex glass pan.
    • Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels.
    Baked yellowtail fillet with pepper.

    Lightly season the fish and both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place fish in pan.

    Basked Yellowtail with Old Bay Seasoning.

    Season top of fish with Old Bay seasoning, or other seafood seasoning.

    Basked Yellowtail with Butter Sauce

    Scatter butter over and around fish. Bake 10-15 minutes or until fish easily flakes with a fork.

    Baked yellowtail in pan.

    Remove from oven. Scatter parsley over all.

    What is Old Bay?

    Do you love seafood? Have you ever come across mild spicy seasoning with herbs and hints of citrus that adds a whole new flavor to your meals? If so, you were probably tasting Old Bay Seasoning.

    Oven roasted yellowtail snapper with rice on white plate.
    Yellowtail with Asparagus Rice

    According to the Baltimore Sun, Old Bay was the brainchild of Gustav Brunn, a German immigrant. Brunn was a spice merchant in Germany and continued in the same work in the U.S. after World War II.

    He made a spice bend specifically for Baltimore's wholesale seafood businesses and Old Bay was born.

    This delicious blend of spices has been delighting diners since 1939 and continues to be one of the most popular seasonings for fish, shrimp, crab cakes and chicken wings.

    What Goes with Roasted Yellowtail Snapper?

    Roasted or baked Yellowtail would go well with any vegetable or salad.

    You can roast the Yellowtail and serve it on top of a Caesar Salad. You can also serve it with a side of our Chickpea Feta Salad.

    For hot sides, try these:

    • Lemon Asparagus Rice
    • Authentic Spanish Rice
    • Crispy Oven Roasted Broccoli with Garlic
    • Oven Roasted Cauliflower
    • Oven Roasted Cauliflower and Carrots
    • Roasted Asparagus

    Where To Get Yellowtail in the Florida Keys

    Key Largo FIsheries front entrance in Key Largo, FLorida
    • Key Largo Fisheries in Key Largo (will ship wild caught fresh fish overnight)
    • Casamar Seafood Market in Tavernier
    • Keys Fisheries in Marathon
    • Brutus Restaurant and Seafood Bar in Marathon
    • Eaton Street Seafood Market in Key West
    • Half Shell Raw Bar in Key West

    What Other Fish is Native to the Florida Keys?

    Yellowtail Snapper is caught right off the coast of all the Florida Keys and Miami. It is a wild-caught small fish with flaky, mild, and sweet flesh. The fish cooks in 10 minutes.

    • Grouper
    • Hogfish
    • Snook
    • Dolphin, or Mahimahi
    • Mutton Snapper
    • Mangrove Snapper
    • Swordfish

    For native shellfish, be sure to check out the stone crabs, key west pink shrimp, and spiny lobsters at our local restaurants.

    Oven roasted yellowtail snapper with rice on white plate.

    Learn More about Yellowtail Fishing in the Keys

    There's an interesting article on floridasportsman.com that describes how to catch yellowtail that includes chum, oats, Ballyhoo, and shorter rods.

    There's also night fishing from Robbie's of Islamorada. The five-hour trip runs from 5:30 to 12:30 and bait, tackle, and rods are included. Check it out--looks like fun!

    Summary

    With a few simple steps, you can make delicious and healthy seafood dishes in no time! I love cooking thin white fillets of fish with Old Bay on busy weeknights – usually yellowtail, but sometimes we have hogfish.

    Roasted yellowtail is a low-calorie and low carb fish recipe that takes five minutes of prep work and ten to 15 minutes in the oven. Enjoy!

    "📖 Recipe"

    Roasted yellowtail snapper with rice on white plate.
    Print Recipe
    7

    Roasted Yellowtail Snapper with Old Bay Seasoning

    Use your favorite thin white fish fillets for this simple recipe. The fish is flavored with Old Bay seasoning and packs a flavorful punch. Give it a shot - you'll love the delicious results!
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time15 mins
    Course: Dinner, Entrees, Lunch, Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Diet Type: Gluten Free, Low Calorie
    Keyword: Baked Yellowtail, Blackened Swordfish Recipe, Yellowtail recipe
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 280.5kcal
    Author: Felice Kaufman

    Equipment

    • 9 x 13 baking dish
    • Tongs
    • Knife
    • small saucepan

    Ingredients 

    • 1 ½ pounds Yellowtail snapper fillets defrosted if frozen
    • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed
    • 1 tablespoon seafood seasoning
    • sea salt
    • black pepper
    • 2-3 lemons cut into wedges
    • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F with rack set in low position of oven.
    • Spray 9 x13-inch pan with cooking spray or brush pan with oil. If you are using a rimmed sheetpan, cover with parchment paper.
    • RInse fish and pat dry.
    • Season fish and both sides with salt and pepper.
    • Arrange fish in single layer on baking pan.
    • Season fish with Old Bay seasoning, or other seafood seasoning
    • Cube butter and scatter the cubes over and around fish.
    • Place pan in the oven and bake 10-15 minutes or until fish easily flakes with a fork.
    • Remove from oven. Scatter parsley over fish.
    • Plate servings and spoon butter over each filet. Serve with lemon wedges.

    Notes

    For best results use unsalted butter. Feel free to use more butter if you would like more sauce. 
     
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 280.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 2.9g | Protein: 35.4g | Total Fat: 13.8g | Saturated Fat: 7.7g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 257.8mg | Potassium: 773mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.8g | Net Carbohydrates: 1.9g

    FAQ

    How much does Yellowtail Snapper cost?

    Yellowtail filets are about $16.00 per pound and whole fish are about $12.00 per pound in Key Largo.

    How much does a Yellowtail Snapper weigh?

    Yellowtail snapper from Florida and the Caribbean is about 30 inches (75 cm) long and weighs 3 to 5 pounds.

    What does Yellowtail taste like?

    Yellowtail is mild and sweet tasting. It is fish, so it tastes like fish, but not "fishy" tasting. Consume within 2 days of catching it so it's fresh or pack and place in your freezer for up to 3 months.

    Is Florida Keys Yellowtail Snapper good?

    Yellowtail Snapper from the Florida Keys is sweet and mild tasting. It is one of the prized fish species of Key Largo.

    What can I do with Yellowtail?

    Yellowtail is a mild sweet tasting fish. It can be fried, pan-fried, roasted or used in ceviche.

    How many calories are in Yellowtail?

    Each 4 oz. serving has 110 calories.

    What to Serve with Roasted Yellowtail Snapper

    The following dishes are all from Cooking in The Keys

    • Asparagus Rice with Lemon Zest
    • Oven Roasted Asparagaus
    • Roasted Broccoli and Carrots
    • Low Carb Caesar Salad
    • Roasted Broccoli and Garlic

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      New York Diner Tuna Salad
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      Fresh Blackened Swordfish (Florida Keys)
    • Seared tuna with sesame sauce on a plate.
      Seared Yellowfin Tuna with Sesame Sauce
    • mahi mahi
      Pan Seared Mahimahi with Basil Butter

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    felice kaufman

    Hi! I'm Felice. Join me on my culinary adventure in Key Largo, Florida, where I eat, cook, shop, and travel for fresh fish, fruit, vegetables, and more!

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