This delicious pan-seared red snapper is made with fish seared in butter and oil, and then served with a lemon and caper pan sauce.
Several years ago, my husband and I had a pretty incredible chance to go to the Bahamas and help volunteer with storm clean-up.
After long days of clean-up work and construction, we were hungry. No, I take that back. We were HUNGRY. And guys, we ate so much yellowtail snapper and red snapper in the Bahamas!
It was my first time eating this tasty fish, and while I'm sure the ocean breeze made the snapper taste even more incredible, I'm also positive that it was, in fact, absolutely delicious.
We had snapper at a Bahamian fish fry, fried snapper cooked by friends and (of course!) pan-seared snapper.
When we got home, I found myself wanting more snapper! But snapper isn't really something you can find easily at a grocery store in Kentucky.
So, when I had a chance to order some frozen red snapper from a special "Gulf of Mexico" seafood box from Sitka Seafood Market (previously Sitka Salmon Shares), I jumped at it!
When the snapper arrived, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it.
This pan-seared red snapper is cooked using the same French searing technique I use with other white fish, such as pan-seared halibut and hake. It's served with an easy lemon caper sauce, and is so good that you'll wish you had an endless supply of snapper!
Want more East-coast seafood inspiration? Try making a grouper Reuben, grilled sea scallops with bourbon sauce, langostino lobster rolls and blackened shrimp and grits.
What Does Red Snapper Taste Like?
Red snapper, and actually, most varieties of snapper, are firm, meaty white fish.
The flavor is sweet, nutty and mild, making it perfect with lots of different recipes.
What If I Can't Find Red Snapper?
You can use any other variety of snapper or any firm white fish in this recipe.
It works well with halibut and rockfish.
Pan-Seared Fish Tip!
Make sure to pat the fish dry before cooking. Damp fillets are much more likely to stick to the pan.
How to Prepare the Snapper Fillets
This recipe assumes your fish is already cleaned and filleted.
Start by patting the fish dry.
Dust the fillets with flour and season with a little salt and pepper. If you avoid gluten, you can swap an all-purpose gluten-free flour here, such as Cup 4 Cup and it will work perfectly.
If you skip this step, the fish will still be delicious but may be less golden and crispy.
How to Pan-Sear Red Snapper
Start by adding butter and oil to a heavy pan. I like to use this Lodge 12" carbon steel skillet.
When the pan is hot and the butter is melted, add the fish to the pan.
Set a timer for four minutes, and avoid touching the fish as it cooks.
After four minutes, use a thin metal spatula to test the fish. I use this Wusthof fish spatula, but I've heard great things about this OXO fish spatula.
When the fish easily releases from the hot pan, it's ready to flip. Flip the fish and top the fillets with a little more butter.
Cook the fish for about four more minutes and then remove it from the pan.
Make the Lemon Caper Pan-Sauce
Add a little lemon juice and capers to the hot pan, and stir, stir, stir with a wooden spoon.
Scrape up any bits of fish stuck to the pan. Add some fresh herbs to the pan.
Serve the pan-seared red snapper along with the caper pan sauce. I like to serve the snapper along with garlic cauliflower mash and a green bean salad.
Pan-Seared Red Snapper
Ingredients
- 8 ounces red snapper (2 fillets) Or swap other varieties of snapper (such as yellow)
- 1 tablespoon flour Use gluten-free AP flour if needed. See recipe notes "recipe variations."
- pinch salt, pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon butter, divided
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 tablespoon capers
- small handful fresh herbs (such as fresh rosemary, chives, or oregano)
Instructions
- Pat snapper fillets dry. Dust with flour, and shake off any excess. Sprinkle them on both sides with salt and pepper.Prepare a heavy pan with the olive oil and 1 Tablespoon butter. Heat on medium-high until butter is melted but not browned, then turn the heat down to medium.
- Place the fillets in the pan and cook about 4 minutes. Don't touch the fillets until they're ready to flip.Use a thin metal spatula to test the fish. If you can slide the spatula under the fish without the fish sticking to the pan, it's ready to flip. If the fillets won't release, give them another 30 seconds. They'll release when they've finished cooking.After flipping, divide the remaining 1 Tablespoon butter over both fillets.
- Cook fish another 3-4 minutes until done. Fish will be golden on both the top and bottom and opaque all the way through when finished cooking.Transfer the fish to plates, leaving the excess butter in the pan. Cover fish to keep warm, or set fish in a 200ºF oven.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the lemon juice and capers, and stir with a wooden spoon. Add half the herbs and stir again. Serve fish hot with pan sauce and remaining herbs.
Michael says
This is a simple but awesome recipe for this delicate white fish. If you can get your hands on fresh red snapper this is the way to prepare it. I did add a little white wine to the caper sauce. Delicious
Alisha Trenalone says
Glad you enjoyed it, and the wine in the caper sauce sounds great. Thanks for letting us know!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Max Schoenholtz says
What you’re describing sounds like my flounder piccata. If I can ever find snapper, I will use that! It’s YUMMY!
Carol says
Oh my gosh! Best fish we've ever had! We picked it up today at the local fish store and got the whole fillet, over 1#. Was afraid of using the cast iron skillet (feared it would stick) so used a large teflon pan. Just the two of us, there is one serving left! Thank you, thank you!
Alisha Trenalone says
That's great!! Thanks so much for letting us know!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
David A Blais says
No capers. Fried some jalepeno slices in the oil. Used french thyme in the oil. My wife loved it.
Alisha Trenalone says
Great! Glad it was a success, your additions sound delicious.
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Colleen says
Oh my goodness! This was my first time making pan seared snapper and boy am I glad I used this recipe. This is a winner! I will have a hard time making it any other way
Donald says
I used this recipe exactly as written for a piece of Yellowtail (Jack.) It was delicious. The only fresh herb that I had in my garden was Rosemary, so I used that in the sauce. So glad I found this simple recipe. I usually broil my fish but I've been having trouble getting my method dialed in on a new stove. I live just a few minutes from where the fishermen unload their catch in San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico so I have access to a variety of extremely fresh fish.
Alisha Trenalone says
Thanks for letting us know! So glad you enjoyed it!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Deborah says
Amazing recipe!! Thanks for sharing. My husband said it tasted like a 5 star chef made the fish. Thanks
Alisha Trenalone says
That's awesome, Deborah! Thanks for letting us know!!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Patty says
Excellent! doubled the recipe for friends. Did not use fresh herbs. It was perfect. Will definately make this again and again. Living on the South Texas Gulf Coast this wonderful fish is readily available in the hot summer months. Thank you!
Alisha Trenalone says
Glad you enjoyed!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Jennifer says
We made this last and the entire family loved it!! This one will be on routine!
Alisha Trenalone says
So happy you loved it! Thanks for letting us know!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Anne Marie says
I made this for my husband and son, and they both loved it. Will definitely make it again. I followed the recipe exactly, except it took several minutes longer for the fish to cook all the way through, perhaps I had thicker fillets. I used fresh oregano and rosemary from my garden, they added the perfect touch of flavor and color. Thank you for the recipe!!
Alisha Trenalone says
Hi Anne Marie! So glad you loved the recipe! It's true, cook times can vary depending on the thickness of the fillets (and, I've found, even the type of stove). The herbs you used sound wonderful on this. Thanks for letting us know!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Sam Rogers says
Used this recipe today. My first time cooking red snapper. The results were magnificent. Cooking time is very important. I will try it on guest next time.
Alisha Trenalone says
So happy to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for letting us know.
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Wanda says
I made this tonight-OMG, I will be dreaming about eating the rest tomorrow. This was so good!! I prepared the fish, used salt substitute instead but the rest of the recipe as written. Thanks for this amazing recipe.
Alisha Trenalone says
Fantastic! Thanks for letting us know, glad you loved it 😍
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
chuck Cutts says
i've made similar, your's is great! thanx
Alisha Trenalone says
Thanks, glad you like it!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Michelle Bickers says
Friday fish during Lent can get bland, but thanks to this recipe it was a delicious Friday evening. We paired it with air-fried brussels tossed with a couple of tablespoons of honey and a smidge of vinegar. Perfect compliment to your wonderful recipe.
Alisha Trenalone says
That sounds like a great combo! Thanks for letting us know ☺
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Donna says
Just made this recipe since it sounded so great. Two things to be changed:
1. Recipe calls for too much lemon juice. I used the juice of one lemon but boy was my mouth puckering! I recommend the juice of 1/2 lemon.
2. I used white wine prior to adding the lemon juice and capers. If the lemon juice weren't so overpowering I'm sure this would be a great addition.
Jukka says
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. Delicious, super !!!
Alisha Trenalone says
Glad you enjoyed it!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
JED says
The recipe was very easy to follow and recreate at home in my kitchen. The fish cooked perfectly and I plated it on top of a bed of long grain wild rice with a salad. My wife love the dish and we added it to a list of recurring dinners that we track. I'm going as we find new dishes that we really like.
Alisha Trenalone says
Glad this one was a winner for you! Thanks for letting us know!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Kera says
This was wonderful! My son went on a charter trip yesterday and brought home lots of fresh red snapper. I made this tonight for all of us and it was awesome. This is a great way to cook the fillets no matter the sauce you prefer. They had a nice crunch and overall texture. Leftovers will be eaten as sandwiches tomorrow!!!
Alisha Trenalone says
That sounds incredible 😍 enjoy all that red snapper, that's very exciting!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Lew Miller says
You omitted if the fish was skin on. I prefer my to have the skin on but you will need to score it so it doesn't curl up. I too have a carbon steel pan but unless yours doesn't have some kind of permanent coating I would not use. The lemon ( acid) and if using wine will remove the build up shield and might even flake off while cooking.
Shelley Hayes says
Made this last night and we were thrilled! Light and crispy fish and light tasty sauce. We had with rice so we used all the sauce. Have to make this often! It is a winner.
Sarah Trenalone says
Yay! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Yvette says
delicious. has become one of my favorites. taste taste taste and ease of prep
Shelley Hayes says
I have made this twice. First with Red Snapper. And then last night my mother-in-law had given me smelts to use up. It is an Italian thing on Christmas eve. So I made them using this recipe and they were great. Each time my husband says, "I love this sauce!" So this is a keeper and I am sharing with friends. Just love it. Especially since the garden is busting with herbs right now.
Alisha Trenalone says
So glad you're enjoying this! Thanks for letting us know!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Carolyn Marshall says
I’m having snapper tonight. It’s got the skin on so I’m not sure what I’ll do except go skin down for a bit then see if it will come off easily. I’ll use wine too.
Phyllis Portland says
This is delicious! I forgot to add the fresh herbs and the pat of butter on each fillet after they were cooked and, saving some fat and calories, it was absolutely delicious. My husband loved it too. Will make this many more times!
Alisha Trenalone says
So glad you liked it 😀
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
R. Kelley says
Great recipe. easy to follow instructions. I had Snapper and it was delicious.
Alisha Trenalone says
Thanks for letting us know how much you enjoyed it!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Jim Austin says
Great --- plain and simple . I have been cooking snapper like this for most of my life { now 80}. My son and I caught a 19 # red snapper this afternoon off Marathon, Fl. where we spend the winters. Not a common visitor this far south, but a welcome sight ! My sincere congrats for doing this simple and right !
Alisha Trenalone says
Enjoy your catch! That's wonderful!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Janie M says
Oh, my! What a great recipe. Thanks for the tips on using a heavy skillet. I would have been afraid to use my cast iron skillet otherwise. The outside of the red snapper had such a nice crust with the flour and didn’t stick to the pan at all. I also used some white wine in the sauce. The capers gave this dish such a nice, briny flavor.
Alisha Trenalone says
So glad you had such a tasty result with this recipe!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Jamie Bailey says
This recipe turned out great! I followed exactly!
Susan Griesbach says
This is SO good. I added a tablespoon of cream to make the lemon caper sauce more creamy and it turned out beautifully! We will have this again soon! Makes my husband’s fishing trip worthwhile!
Alisha Trenalone says
That's wonderful to hear! We're so glad you love it 😊
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Tonya says
This recipe is so easy and my fish turned out perfectly. The 4 minutes cooking on each side was just right.
Alisha Trenalone says
Awesome, so glad this worked for you!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
jmoney says
Awesome and easy
Elizabeth says
Perfection!
Beach bum says
My family raved about this, even my picky eater didn’t like it, he loved it!!!
Alisha Trenalone says
That's amazing! Thanks for telling us 😀
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Outlaw says
Damn good recipe! Thanks so much!
Coral Barclay says
very tasty and easy!
Mel Layton says
Perfect recipe! My red snapper was super delicious and cooked just right! Thank you.
Hope says
Absolutely delicious!
Jay says
Excellent! The bitterness of the lemon and the saltiness of the capers really combine beautifully with the snapper! I made it all on my cast iron and served with fresh veggies, a garden salad, and a lovely white burgundy. Very well done!
Robert Kitos says
Delicious, easy to fix dish. I used mangrove snapper.
Anne says
Delicious and super easy! I didn't have fresh herbs on hand so I used crushed dried rosemary and parsley.
david phillips says
I might add that a chef once told me to prepare everything else for the dinner first, then do the fish. Watch it with no distractions then take it off before you think its done. It will cook in the time between plating and sitting down to eat.
Also, I don't know how much was 1 terabyte of butter (TB). I added a lot and it worked. 🙂
Sarah Trenalone says
lol, a terabyte of butter sounds perfect 😂 glad you enjoyed!
Marnee Lieberman says
I made this with sea bass. It was so delicious. Perfect easy recipe. Thank you!
Pat Mooney says
Absolutely delicious! Followed the recipe exactly except deglazed the pan at the end with 1/4 cup dry white wine before adding the lemon juice and a tad more butter!
Alisha Trenalone says
Lovely! Thanks for letting us know!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Shiboo says
I must try to make this recipe for red snapper again. For the first time it did not deliver well. It only takes 1TBS of flour but I don’t think it was enough the way the picture looks like it’s more.
Although i made it in a cast iron pan it seemed a bit oiler than the picture. Also my Snapper took a little longer for it to be soft
Although it sounds delicious mine was not as good as the picture.
Alisha Trenalone says
Hello! If the flour wasn’t enough to crisp it up, my best guess is that the filet might’ve still been too moist. Double check that the filet is completely thawed and patted dry first and that should help. Hope next time is perfect ☺
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes
Virginia says
This fish recipe is easy and delicious (and I don't even care that much for fish)! The capers add a kick. I used chopped parsley because it was the only fresh herb I had at the time, and it was good.
Kathi Edwards says
I bought my fish frozen from none other than Walmart with the skin on. I had no idea that this dinner would be so delicate, so delicious and such a keeper, the skin was crispy, a delicacy. Thank you for the recipe.
Patricia says
Made just as written except no herbs. Was fantastic. Will definitely make again! Thank you!
Kerry B says
Fresh snapper fillets at our markets and looking for something easy and a little different I came across your website (from Australia). Delicious flavours - I used lime juice and zest instead of lemon and sprinkled with parsley. Next time I will try baby capers in salt (rinsed) instead of capers in brine.
Roger Mexico says
Fantastic recipe!
Melissa says
Wonderful recipe! I’ve always wanted a simple great red snapper recipe because in restaurants it’s always such a lovely dish! The fish cooked perfectly and has such a nice mild taste and we added sun-dried tomatoes and red pepper flakes to the lemon caper sauce which came out great! Did it without the flour. Definitely going into our rotation now! Thank you.