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This grilled red snapper cooks in under 10 minutes with a savory spice rub. Here’s how to grill fillets so this white fish is perfectly flaky.
There’s so much more to do with a grill this summer than plain old burgers and hot dogs. Try a fillet of Grilled Red Snapper! This white fish tastes simply stunning, seasoned and served up with veggie kabobs and a summer salad.
As a cookbook author and expert in the Mediterranean diet, I’m all about healthy grill recipes. Season it with a few simple spices, and it’s got massive smoky and savory notes!
What Red Snapper Tastes Like
Red snapper is a popular white fish with a rosy skin. The flavor is mild, with an almost sweet, nutty flavor. It’s a good starter fish for kids and people who might think they don’t like fish. It’s typically easy to find at your local grocery, especially at the fish counter.
Other good starter fishes that aren’t fishy? Another great option is grilled cod: it’s even milder and a little more moist and buttery. Another great place to start with grilled fish is grilled ahi tuna, which to me tastes more like steak than fish!
Ingredients You’ll Need
This healthy grilled red snapper recipe is very basic: all you need is a great piece of fish and a few spices. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Red snapper fillets: you can use fresh or frozen. Wild caught is a good choice if you can find it!
- Olive oil: This is my go-to healthy cooking oil.
- Spices: My favorite spice blend for fish is smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and celery seed.
How To Make Grilled Red Snapper
There’s no need to use foil with grilled snapper. You can throw it right onto the grill grates! You can use the same method for other white fish like grilled cod and grilled tilapia, or even for salmon. Here’s what you need to know about the heat level and grill time:
- Wait for the fish to come to room temperature. This will take about 15 minutes, and helps it to cook evenly.
- Grill at medium high heat, or 375 to 450 degrees. Medium high makes a perfectly cooked piece of fish.
- How long to cook grilled red snapper? Cook it 3 to 4 minutes skin side down, then 3 to 4 minutes skin side up! The fish is done when it starts to flake when pulled with a fork. Another way to measure is when it reads 130 degrees Fahrenheit with an internal thermometer. Make sure to stick the thermometer right into the thickest part of the fish.
- How to keep fish from sticking on the grill? You don’t even need to oil the grates. The secret: wait until the fish is cooked enough that it releases from the grates, then flip it. Don’t turn it too soon!
What to Serve With Grilled Red Snapper
Busting out your grill for this recipe? It’s great to use it to make a few side dishes at the same time. Or, mix up an easy salad! Here are some great ways to accessorize a piece of grilled red snapper:
- Vegetable kabobs: try these Grilled Veggie Kabobs
- Corn salad: try Grilled Corn Salad
- Veggies: try colorful Easy Succotash
- Bean salad: can’t go wrong with a classic Three Bean Salad
- Garlic bread: Try Grilled Garlic Bread
- Grilled veggies: try Grilled Broccoli, Grilled Broccolini, Grilled Green Beans, Grilled Zucchini, Grilled Cabbage Wedges, Grilled Sweet Potatoes, Grilled Potatoes in Foil, Grilled Baked Potato, or Perfect Grilled Asparagus
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Leftover grilled red snapper keeps for 2 to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat it gently: you can place it in a covered dish and reheat at 300°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes. You can also place it in an air fryer for a few minutes! It’s also great flaked over salads or in a salmon salad.
Dietary Notes
This grilled red snapper recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free and pescatarian.
Frequently Asked Questions
It takes about 6 to 8 minutes total: about 3 to 4 minutes per side over medium-high heat (375 to 450°F). You can tell it’s done when the flesh flakes with a fork and hits 130 to 140°F, when measured at the thickest point.
In my opinion: directly on the grates, every time! If you use foil, the fish steams and you don’t get much of a charred flavor.
Cook fish about 10 minutes per 1 inch of thickness. Most snapper fillets are less than 1 inch, so they need only 6 to 8 minutes.
Cod is milder and more buttery (I personally might pick cod if I had to). Snapper is sweeter and firmer, and holds its shape better over.
You can! I have not personally tried this, but you can in theory score the sides, stuff it with lemon slices and fresh herbs, and grill over medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, turning once.
Easy Grilled Red Snapper
This grilled red snapper cooks in under 10 minutes with a savory spice rub. Here’s how to grill fillets so this white fish is perfectly flaky.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Grilled
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten Free, Mediterranean Diet
Ingredients
- 1 pound red snapper fillets, (wild caught if possible)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Scant 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika (also called pimentón)*
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon celery seed
- Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (375 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Bring the fish to room temperature for about 15 minutes.
- Pat the fish dry with a clean towel. Rub it with the olive oil and sprinkle it with the kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Mix the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and celery seed in a small bowl, then pat it on to the fish.
- Place the fish on the grates and grill the fish for 3 to 4 minutes, until it releases from the grates. Flip and cook another 3 to 4 minutes, until the fish is tender and just cooked through (internal temperature is 130-140F).
Notes
*If you can’t find it, you can use sweet paprika. But smoked paprika brings the best flavor with a hint of smokiness.
Great simple recipe! Delicious
Hi guys, Pete & Tracy Schiermeyer here in Utah. Just wanted to say thanks for the fish recipe we loved it and have fish delivered biweekly. Anyway, what do you recommend for Chilean Sea Bass?
Thanks, 😊
Thanks for reaching out! So glad you love this one. Sea bass is on our list to write a recipe for. Be on the lookout!
GREAT RECIPE! Used on fresh Red Snapper….will use it on MANY other types of fish! Thank you!!! Lynna Waits
You’re welcome!