This red snapper recipe is one of our go-to weeknight dinners. It’s pan-fried until golden, then served with a bright, zesty tomato sauce. So much flavor, and so quick to make!
This snapper is everything we want in a weeknight dinner: fresh, light, and a tasty sauce. Plus, it all comes together in one pan. We keep the fish simple with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then make a quick pan sauce with tomatoes, olives, citrus zest, and a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little kick.
We always make sure to have something on the side to soak up every bit of that sauce. Homemade focaccia is perfect, or our quick flatbreads (they only take 30 minutes!). Trust me, you won’t want to leave a drop behind.
Key Ingredients
- Snapper: I used a red snapper fillet for this recipe. Snapper has a mildly sweet, delicate flavor. However, some snapper stocks may be overfished, so I encourage you to check the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch website for sustainable options in your area. The good news is that you can easily substitute any firm white fish, like tilapia, Pacific halibut, Pacific cod, or black cod (sablefish), for the snapper in this recipe.
- Shallot, Garlic, and Red Pepper Flakes: These form the flavorful base of our tomato sauce. I prefer shallots for their mild sweetness, but you can also use yellow or sweet onions.
- Citrus Zest: I use a microplane to add lemon and orange zest to the sauce. The combination of orange, olives, and tomato is simply irresistible (see our marinated olives with clementines as proof).
- Olives: I toss in Kalamata olives for their briny, salty bite. If you prefer a milder flavor, you can use green Castelvetrano olives, which are buttery and delicate.
- Tomatoes: While fresh tomatoes work well, I usually opt for canned diced tomatoes for convenience. If you have fire-roasted canned tomatoes on hand, they’ll add even more flavor.
- Herbs: Like so many of our seafood recipes, we love scattering a handful of fresh herbs over the fish before serving. I used parsley, dill, and chives in our photos, but mint or cilantro would also be delicious.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Snapper with Spicy Tomato Sauce
Tip 1: Pan-fry the snapper until almost done. We want a little color and texture on the fish, so pat it dry, season with salt and pepper, then pan-fry in a skillet with some oil. I start skin-side facing up, then carefully flip once the underside is lightly browned (like in our photos). Snapper cooks quickly, so this should only take 2 to 3 minutes.
Tip 2: Remove the fish while you make the pan sauce. Now that the snapper is golden and almost cooked through in the middle, carefully transfer it to a plate, then make the spicy tomato sauce in the same skillet. Again, this goes quickly. Add onions and cook until softened, then follow with garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, orange zest, olives, and the tomatoes.
Tip 3: Finish cooking the fish in the sauce. When the sauce is ready, slide the snapper back into the skillet and gently cook until it is cooked through (2 to 5 minutes should do it). Finish with herbs and serve! This easy method for cooking snapper (or any white fish like it) keeps it moist in the middle and prevents overcooking.
More Easy Fish Recipes
- Baked Trout
- Lemon Dill Baked Salmon
- Grilled Swordfish with Lime Butter
- Maple Soy Glazed Salmon
- Cedar Plank Salmon
Easy Seared Snapper
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
We love this easy snapper recipe with pan-seared fillets, spicy tomato, and olive sauce. If you cannot find a sustainable red snapper, substitute it with another firm white fish (see tips below for suggestions). The search feature on the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch is very helpful for determining the best, most sustainable seafood choices.
You Will Need
1 pound red snapper fillets, see tips for substitutes (450 g)
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy you want the sauce
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons orange zest
⅓ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and cut in half
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, try a combination of parsley, dill, and chives
Lemon wedges for serving
Directions
1Pan-fry the fish: Pat the snapper fillet dry, then season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a wide skillet over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the olive oil. Then place the seasoned fillet, skin-side up, in the hot oil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden. The fish should be slightly undercooked in the center. Transfer the snapper to a plate.
2Make pan sauce: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the shallot to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. If the pan seems dry, add an extra drizzle of olive oil. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds.
3Add the lemon zest, orange zest, olives, and canned diced tomatoes with their juices to the skillet. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste, then season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
4To finish: Nestle the snapper fillets back into the sauce, spooning some sauce over the top. Cook until the fish is opaque and easily flakes with a fork, about 3 to 5 minutes more. Scatter over the herbs.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Snapper alternatives: This recipe works well with any firm white fish. Try tilapia, Pacific halibut, Pacific cod, and black cod (sablefish).
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
This was superb! I had two fresh filets of snapper. The orange zest adds an incredible flavour.
Yay! We are so happy that you loved it 🙂
I made it. It was very very good. Everyone with me thought it was very very good too (I promise!).
Excellent recipe! This is a perfect dish for summer and early fall. The sauce is rich and amazing and you really do want to be sure to have some crusty bread to enjoy every bit of it. And a dry white wine pairs well. I made this on the fly so didn’t have citrus on hand and it was still incredible, so I imagine the addition of citrus somehow manages to elevate to even higher levels. I can’t wait to make this again. This recipe is a keeper for sure!
Just loved this recipe. Quick. Easy. Delicious!
I stumbled across your blog through other blogs, and I made this recipe for my parents one night. Let me tell you what… they LOVED it… so did I!!! I’ve made it 3 times since. I did make a few adjustments though: I used salmon instead of snapper (it was on sale at the grocery store.) And, I threw in some cooked shrimp as well. We made a pot of couscous, and used that as a “bed” to put the fish and tomato mixture on top of. YUM!!! Keep the good recipes coming! 🙂
Jenny, We are SO glad you enjoyed it! My mother just made it for the first time two nights ago and had some leftover, she then ate the rest last night and said it tasted even better. Thanks so much for commenting, we truly appreciate the feedback! Oh, and salmon instead of the snapper would be wonderful!
Just wondering what type of Snapper you used? Red Snapper is severely overfished so you should stick with something like Yellowtail Snapper.
Megan, thank you so much for your comment! We bought our snapper from our local store, which does attempt to provide more sustainable options (I believe this was yellow, not green). You (rightly so) reminded us how important is it to really understand what we are buying no matter who we are buying it from. Alternatives to Snapper in this dish are as follows: Halibut (Pacific), Pacific Cod, Pacific Black Cod (Sablefish) and even Striped Bass.