I really like this tremendous flavorful crimson snapper recipe made with pan-fried snapper and a spicy tomato, olive, and herb sauce. This straightforward fish recipe is fast to make and stuffed with taste!

I really like how recent, gentle, and zesty this snapper recipe is. It’s additionally all made in a single pan, which is all the time a win in our e book. The fish is cooked merely with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then, we make a fast pan sauce with tomatoes, olives, citrus zest, and crimson pepper flakes to make it a bit spicy.
I really like serving this snapper dish with a aspect of bread or flatbread to scoop up all that unbelievable sauce. I really like homemade focaccia or these easy flatbreads, which solely take half-hour to make!
Key Components
- Snapper: I used a crimson snapper fillet for this recipe. Snapper has a mildly candy and delicate style. Nevertheless, some snapper shares could also be overfished, so I encourage you to verify the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch web site for sustainable choices in your space. The excellent news is you can simply substitute any agency white fish, like tilapia, Pacific halibut, Pacific cod, or black cod (sablefish), for the snapper on this recipe.
- Shallot, Garlic, and Crimson Pepper Flakes: These three elements kind the flavorful base of our tomato sauce. I choose shallots for his or her delicate sweetness, however you too can use yellow or candy onions.
- Citrus Zest: I take advantage of a microplane so as to add lemon and orange zest to the sauce. The mixture of orange, olives, and tomato is just irresistible!
- Olives: I toss in Kalamata olives for his or her briny, salty chew. In the event you choose a milder taste, you should use inexperienced Castelvetrano olives, that are buttery and delicate.
- Tomatoes: Whereas recent tomatoes work properly, I often go for canned diced tomatoes for comfort. You probably have fire-roasted canned tomatoes readily available, they’ll add much more depth of taste.
- Herbs: I all the time end this dish with a handful of recent herbs to boost the style. I used parsley, dill, and chives in our photographs, however mint or cilantro would even be scrumptious.

The right way to Make Snapper with Spicy Tomato Sauce
I preserve the fish preparation easy and let the spicy tomato sauce be the star of the dish. The trick is to season the snapper fillets with salt and pepper, then pan-fry them till they’re virtually cooked within the center.
I take away the fish from the pan earlier than it’s totally cooked, then make the sauce in the identical pan. As soon as the sauce is prepared, I nestle the pan-fried snapper again into the pan, permitting it to complete cooking within the flavorful sauce. This method retains the fish moist and helps it soak up all these unbelievable flavors.
For less difficult fish recipes, see our easy baked trout, maple soy glazed salmon, and this swordfish recipe with lime.
Straightforward Seared Snapper
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PREP
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COOK
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TOTAL
I really like this straightforward snapper recipe with pan-seared fillets, spicy tomato, and olive sauce. In the event you can not discover a sustainable crimson snapper, substitute it with one other agency white fish (see suggestions beneath for strategies). The search function from Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch may be very useful in figuring out one of the best, most sustainable selections in terms of seafood.
Makes 4 servings
You Will Want
1 pound (450g) crimson snapper fillets, see suggestions for substitutes
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and recent floor black pepper
1 giant shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed crimson pepper flakes, relying on how spicy you need the sauce
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons orange zest
1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and reduce in half
1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped recent herbs, strive a mix of parsley, dill, and chives
Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
1Season each side of the snapper fillet with salt and pepper.
2Warmth the skillet over medium-high warmth. When it’s scorching, add the olive oil. Then, fastidiously place the seasoned fillet within the scorching oil and prepare dinner for two to three minutes per aspect or till frivolously browned. The fish needs to be barely undercooked within the heart. Switch the snapper to a plate.
3Scale back the warmth to medium. Add the onions to the skillet and prepare dinner, stirring often, till softened, about 5 minutes. If the pan appears dry, add a drizzle of olive oil.
4Stir within the garlic and crimson pepper flakes and prepare dinner for 30 seconds.
5Add the lemon zest, orange zest, olives, and canned diced tomatoes with their juices to the skillet. Use a wood spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the underside of the pan. Carry the combination to a simmer and prepare dinner for five minutes, stirring often.
6Stir within the herbs and style the sauce. Season with extra salt and pepper, if wanted.
7Gently nestle the snapper fillets again into the sauce, spooning some sauce excessive. Prepare dinner till the fish is opaque and simply flakes with a fork, about 3 to five minutes extra.
8Switch the snapper and sauce to a serving platter or particular person plates. Garnish with recent lemon wedges and extra herbs.
Adam and Joanne’s Suggestions
- Snapper options: This recipe works properly with any agency white fish. Attempt tilapia, Pacific halibut, Pacific cod, and black cod (sablefish).
- The diet information supplied beneath are estimates.
Diet Per Serving
Serving Measurement
1/4 of the recipe
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Energy
223
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Whole Fats
10g
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Saturated Fats
1.5g
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Ldl cholesterol
41.9mg
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Sodium
659mg
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Carbohydrate
9.4g
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Dietary Fiber
2g
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Whole Sugars
4.2g
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Protein
24.6g