Grilled Blackened Red Snapper

Written by
Derrick Riches
Derrick Riches is a grilling and barbecue expert. He has written two cookbooks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Derrick Riches
Updated 01/14/21
Blackened red snapper recipe

​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 12 mins
Total: 22 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
420 Calories
41g Fat
8g Carbs
10g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 420
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 41g 53%
Saturated Fat 17g 83%
Cholesterol 61mg 20%
Sodium 633mg 28%
Total Carbohydrate 8g 3%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Protein 10g
Calcium 63mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Blackened red snapper is a flavorful Cajun-style main dish. It is usually fried in a cast-iron skillet, but you can make it on your grill. For this recipe, you will want to have your grill as hot as possible. The idea is to get the seasonings to blacken before you flip the red snapper. Once the fish is grilled, it's topped with a flavorful butter sauce. Blackened red snapper is absolutely delicious and perfect for just about any occasion.

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • Optional: 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (or more to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 red snapper fillets (halved)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 tablespoon parsley (minced)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for blackened red snapper

    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  2. Mix together the paprika, cayenne, salt, garlic salt, onion salt, thyme, oregano, and pepper.

    Spices in a bowl with a spoon nearby

    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  3. Sprinkle the seasoning over each side of the red snapper.

    Red snapper sprinkle with spices

    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  4. Preheat the grill to high heat.

    Grill preheating

    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  5. Bring the lemon juice to a simmer in a small saucepan or heat to a simmer in the microwave in a safe dish.

    Lemon juice in a bowl

    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  6. Remove from heat and add butter. Mix well.

    Bowl of lemon juice and butter with a whisk.

    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  7. Right before placing fish on the grill, oil the grill grates well. Make several passes as this will create a nice non-stick surface.

    Oiling the grill with tongs and a paper towel

    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  8. Grill the red snapper about 5 to 6 minutes on one side, until the seasonings are blackened.

    Red snapper on the grill

    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  9. Turn the snapper over and grill for another 5 to 6 minutes until done or until the fish reaches an internal temperature of at least 145 F.

    Red snapper flipped over on the grill

    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  10. Once cooked through, remove the fish from grill and plate.

    Cooked red snapper on plates.

    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  11. Add parsley to the lemon butter and spoon 1/4 of the butter mixture over each piece of fish.

    Red snapper on plates with parsley and lemon butter

    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  12. Serve with grilled vegetables or your favorite sides.

    Cooked red snapper with side dishes

    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

  13. Enjoy!

    Blackened red snapper with side dish

    ​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt

Tips

  • Many recipes for Cajun seasonings emphasize heat. With this rub, the herbs and spices come to the forefront and you will use less black pepper than is seen in many blends. The hot cayenne pepper is optional, with a minimum amount suggested. If you have kids or guests who don't like it too hot, this is a good recipe for your snapper.
  • Commercially harvested Gulf red snapper is available from July through September. If you are buying whole red snapper, look for healthy fish that have deep red fins, pinkish bellies, and red gills. Fillets sold with the skin on are more likely to be genuine red snapper. When buying fillets, look for moist, reflective white flesh.

Recipe Variations

  • If you like a more aggressively seasoned blackened snapper, you can boost the black pepper to as much as 1 tablespoon and cayenne to as much as 2 teaspoons.
  • If your guest list has mixed likes and dislikes, you can sprinkle some extra black pepper and cayenne on the fillets of those who want more heat.

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