Baby, it’s hot outside, and what better way to enjoy lunch and dinner than to grill! I’m so excited to share a Florida fish recipe that can be prepared on your grill (or in your oven if you don’t mind heating up your house).
In Florida, you only have two long weekends (Friday-Sunday) to catch a red snapper. There’s also a one-red-snapper-per-person rule. I’m sharing this recipe so that you can bookmark it for every July when snapper season hits. Don’t worry – you can grab snapper at the fish counter at Earth Fare if you aren’t into catching your own fish! You better believe that anyone who loves to deep-sea fish is on the water during those two weekends. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, “2019 Federal Atlantic Recreational Red Snapper Season (private and for-hire vessels) opens July 12-14 (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) and July 19-20, 2019 (Friday and Saturday).”
My husband got to go last year. The first weekend, he went with friends and didn’t catch a single fish. Insert very disappointed husband. I felt bad for him, so I encouraged him to go the following weekend. You see, since having kids, he is lucky to go out deep-sea fishing a handful of times each year. I know some of you might be able to relate.
Thankfully, on the second time he went out fishing, he caught a nice 25+ pound red snapper. Between all the guys on the boat, he came home with 3 meals worth of red snapper!
I whipped up this Grilled Lemon Garlic Red Snapper for lunch and dinner a few times last summer. It was probably the fanciest lunch I’ve made for us in a very long time. Below, I’m going to share all the details about our red snapper meal.
I’ll be honest – I wanted to bake this red snapper, but it was so hot out and my husband and daughter were swimming by the pool. I forced myself to keep our house cool and grill the snapper. I pre-heated the grill on high heat and then reduced down to low. You absolutely MUST apply non-stick cooking spray to your grill, or the fish will stick to the grill grates and the red snapper fillets will be ruined!
The time you will need to cook it depends on the thickness of your fish. I first started with 5 minutes on each side and then added an additional 5 minutes for a total of about 15 minutes. If you have a thinner, smaller piece of fish, the 5-and-5 method should work.
Not a fan of the grill? Want to bake the fish? No worries, follow this same recipe and cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for the same amount of time the recipe indicates. Another tip: I like to use a glass-baking dish when I cook fish in the oven.
Whether you’re an avid fisherman/woman or simply love to enjoy fresh Florida seafood, I hope you’ll give this recipe a try for your next (fancy) lunch or even dinner!
Grilled Lemon Garlic Red Snapper
Yield: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1.5-lb. red snapper fillet
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 lemon, divided
Directions:
- Preheat the grill to high heat. While the grill heats, begin seasoning the fish.
- Pour the olive oil over the red snapper. Then sprinkle half the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika over the fish. Massage into the fish. Flip over and repeat. Flip the fish back over and sprinkle the dried parsley on top.
- Cut the lemon in half. Juice one half of the lemon and drizzle over the fish. Then slice the other half of the lemon and place on top of the fish.
- Reduce the heat on the grill to low. Spray the grill grates with non-stick cooking spray. Carefully place the fish on top of the grill grates. Grill with lid closed for 7 minutes. Using tongs, remove the lemon slices from the top of the fish and place on the grill grate. Carefully, using a spatula, flip the fish. Place the lemon slices back on the fish, close the lid, and grill for an additional 7 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the fish is cooked through. Cut fish into slices (if whole filet), divide among plates, and enjoy immediately.
Katie Jasiewicz is a full-time food blogger and recipe developer at KatiesCucina.com, a recipe blog that provides family-friendly, easy-to-make recipes that anyone can make. Join her on her culinary adventure, where life always tastes good.
