Grilled Blackened Red Snapper
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​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving) | |
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319 | Calories |
25g | Fat |
2g | Carbs |
23g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 4 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 319 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 25g | 32% |
Saturated Fat 15g | 75% |
Cholesterol 101mg | 34% |
Sodium 1185mg | 52% |
Total Carbohydrate 2g | 1% |
Dietary Fiber 1g | 2% |
Total Sugars 0g | |
Protein 23g | |
Vitamin C 4mg | 19% |
Calcium 58mg | 4% |
Iron 1mg | 5% |
Potassium 490mg | 10% |
*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. |
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.
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 their food too hot, this is a good recipe for your snapper.
Blackened red snapper is absolutely delicious and perfect for just about any occasion. Serve it with grilled vegetables and salad for a complete meal.
Ingredients
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1 teaspoon paprika
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1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste, optional
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1 teaspoon salt
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1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
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1/2 teaspoon onion salt
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1 teaspoon dried thyme
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1 teaspoon dried oregano
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1/2 teaspoon black pepper
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2 red snapper fillets, halved
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2 tablespoons lemon juice
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1/2 cup butter
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1 tablespoon parsley, minced
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt
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Mix together the paprika, cayenne, salt, garlic salt, onion salt, thyme, oregano, and pepper.
​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt
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Sprinkle the seasoning over each side of the red snapper.
​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt
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Preheat the grill to high heat.
​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt
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Bring the lemon juice to a simmer in a small saucepan or heat to a simmer in the microwave in a safe dish.
​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt
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Remove from heat and add butter. Mix well.
​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt
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Right before placing fish on the grill, oil the grill grates well. Make several passes as this will create a nice non-stick surface.
​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt
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Grill the red snapper about 5 to 6 minutes on one side, until the seasonings are blackened.
​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt
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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.
​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt
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Once cooked through, remove the fish from grill and plate.
​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt
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Add parsley to the lemon butter and spoon 1/4 of the butter mixture over each piece of fish.
​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt
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Serve with grilled vegetables or your favorite sides. Enjoy.
​The Spruce / Victoria Heydt
Tips
- 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.
- Overcooking is the primary reason red snapper may be tough and dry. Pull it from the grill when the fish flakes easily with a fork.
Recipe Variations
- If you like a more aggressively seasoned blackened snapper, 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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