Caribbean Grilled Whole Red Snapper
Fairly easy to make CARIBBEAN GRILLED WHOLE RED SNAPPER with a great blend of spice from ground allspice, garlic, ginger, paprika, basil, and thyme. Moist, tender, and oozing with great flavors!
Happy Wednesday, everyone! Just two more days and we’re done with July. And can you believe that it’s almost -BER months (errrr…holiday season)?
But before I think about the holidays, let me enjoy to the fullest this grilling season. Grilling can be quite daunting especially when talking about fish with its delicate flesh. Well, fear not!
It’s quite doable and before you know it you are going to be grilling away like a pro. Yes yes yes! You might be asking why grill a whole fish? Cooking a whole fish with the bones, skin and all keeps the fish moist and seals in the flavor especially when you are dealing with red snapper. If you haven’t tried it this way, now is the best time to try this easy grilled recipe.
What is Red Snapper?
Red Snapper fish is one of the most popular among white fish. It can be found from all over the world with most of its harvests coming from the Gulf of Mexico and Indonesia. This kind of fish is known for its firm texture and sweet nutty flavor that complements well from chilies to fresh herbs. No wonder it’s well-loved! You can broil, pan-fry, steam, bake, deep-fry, and grill a red snapper. It also makes a great fish stew, too.
Grilling Red Snapper
Red snapper requires a little extra love to keep it from falling apart on the grill. An easy way to get around it is to use a grill basket or a fish basket as it helps in flipping the fish. I can’t tell you how many fishes I’ve ruined trying to flip without a basket. It is an essential tool, especially for a beginner.
If you want to purchase a grill fish basket they are available at department stores and even some supermarkets, especially this time of the year. Once you get the heat going, it’s a breeze.
Grill about 3-5 minutes on each side depending on the thickness of the fish. If for some reason the flame flares up, you can just lift the basket and place it aside. So don’t step away. Do not overcook it, it’s notorious for being rubbery when overcooked.
How Do You Know When Red Snapper is Done?
When the fish is white and the juices run clear, then you are set. If unsure, check for doneness by making sure the meat closest to the bone is fully cooked by slashing it with a knife to check. You’ll get the hang of it over time.
Red Snapper Fish Marinade
I know there are numerous ways of making grill fish at home, with each having its own unique taste. Here are a few spices that you can start with: garlic, lemon, thyme, allspice, white pepper, and the rest is up to you. Salt, pepper, and lemon work great too! For a kick, you can also rub it with some hot chili or this homemade African Pepper Sauce HERE.
Be sure to oil the fish and basket before placing it on the grill. While you are at it, throw in some vegetables or plantain. Enjoy!
What to Serve with Grilled Whole Red Snapper?
I’d like to keep this fish dinner simple. So I’m pairing this grilled snapper with grilled plantains and veggies like bell peppers. Or you can try any of these, too.
- Grill Pineapple and Black Bean Salsa
- Kale Salad
- Coconut Rice
- Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
- Greek Salad
More Grilled Seafood Recipes
Love more scrumptious grilled seafood? I’ve got other recipes for you to explore.
How To Grill Red Snapper
Make three-four diagonal cuts in each side of the fish, all the way right through the bone. Season fish with salt, pepper, and squeeze some lemon over it. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients( white pepper, allspice, minced garlic, ginger, paprika, thyme, basil, parsley, chicken bouillon, and oil ) to make the marinade for fish.
Pour the marinade over the fish, and gently flip them back and forth until coated inside and out. Let it marinate in the fridge for up to 24hours. Preheat to high heat. When you are ready to grill, wipe down the grill basket with an oil towel and them immediately lay the fish down in the fish casket. Let them grill for about 1-2 minutes on each side. Reduce to medium-high, and then cover the grill if you have a gas grill.
If you are using a small bbq grill, leave the fish on the open grill or hot charcoal. Baste with the fish marinate. Let the fish cook for a total of 3-4 minutes on each side, you may have to add a minute on two depending on the thickness of your fish until cooked – when fish is white and the juices must run clear. Check for doneness by making sure the meat closest to the bone is fully cooked – slash with a knife to check. Serve with this pepper sauce and grill vegetables or plantains.
This recipe was first published in July 2015 and has been updated with an additional writeup and some notes.
Caribbean Grilled Whole Red Snapper
Ingredients
- 1- 2 whole red snapper , about 1- 1 1/2 pound each
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 fresh lemons
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoons ground allspice
- 1 Tablespoon garlic cloves , minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger , minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons thyme , finely chopped
- ½ cup basil , or parsley coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon or more chicken bouillon , optional
- cooking oil , about ¼ cup or more to mix
- grilled plantains and/or vegetables , side dish
Instructions
- Make three–four diagonal cuts in each side of the fish, all the way right through the bone. Season fish with salt, pepper, and squeeze some lemon over it. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients (white pepper, allspice, minced garlic, ginger, paprika, thyme, basil or parsley, chicken bouillon, and oil ) to make the marinade for fish.
- Pour the marinade over the fish, and gently flip them back and forth until coated inside and out. Let it marinate in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Grilling the Fish
- Preheat to high heat.
- When you are ready to grill, wipe down the grill basket with oil and then immediately lay the fish down in the fish casket. Let them grill for about 1-2 minutes on each side.
- Reduce to medium-high, and then cover the grill if you have a gas grill.
- If you are using a small bbq grill, leave the fish on the open grill or hot charcoal.
- Baste with the fish marinade.
- Let the fish cook for a total of 3-4 minutes on each side, you may have to add a minute or two depending on the thickness of your fish until cooked – when fish is white and the juices must run clear.
- Check for doneness by making sure the meat closest to the bone is fully cooked – slash with a knife to check.
- Serve with this Caribbean Pepper Sauce and grill vegetables or plantains, if desired.
Grilled Plantains
- Peel plantains.
- Slice in the middle then cut in halve. Season with salt and brush with the spice mix.
- Grill on each side for about 3 minutes until fully cook through – watch carefully because they burn easily.
Tips & Notes:
- For optimum flavors, use fresh herbs instead of the powdery ones.
- You can broil this marinated fish, too.
- To bake the fish, place the fish on an oiled baking sheet (generously oil to prevent sticking). Then bake at 375 degrees F for about 25 minutes or more – until the fish just flakes. Remove, let it cool and transfer to a plate.
- If pressed for time, you can marinate the fish for at least 30 minutes. That would work.
- You can grill the fish directly over the coals or by an indirect method, however, for first-timers, I highly recommend grilling this fish using a fish basket as it is easy to flip around without it falling apart.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
Hi Imma, I purchased 6 beautiful whole red snapper today for grilling on Saturday, two days from now. I planned to prepare them tomorrow and let them marinate overnight. It is now going to rain Saturday and our grillout will take place on Sunday. Would it be better to wait till Saturday to prepare and marinate the snapper or can they marinate for two days in the fridge? Thanks, Jackie
Hi Jackie. It will be better to let it marinate for just a day to ensure the freshness of the fish. Happy cooking!
.good morning can you do this roast
Yes you can . It totally works
hello! what would be the temperature and time to roast this in the oven?
Hi Janet. Cook for 18-20 minutes at 450°F.
I made the red snapper twice it was delicious both times. Followed the recipe step by step my family and guest enjoyed every bite.
So happy to hear it worked out well. Thanks so much for the feedback.
I made this tonight and it was fabulous. My husband rarely comments on food I prepare. True to form tonight, he said nothing, but he finished his entire snapper and was licking his fingers when he was done. Thank you for sharing.
I’m so happy! Thanks for the feedback.
Very good! I oiled the grates sufficiently – no need for the fish basket. Thanks for the great marinade recipe!
You are more than welcome. And if there’s a recipe you’d love to see, please let me know. Thanks:)
This is one of those “wow, that’s incredible” recipes. If I find some good red snappers in the store this is the recipe I use.
Great to hear this from you. I am excited to see you like the recipe:) Stay tuned and have more amazing recipe!
I have a whole yellow tail set for tomorrow. Your spice mix looks perfect. For the grill: Suggest all skip the basket, grilling the whole fish, I have great success using banana leaf/plantain leaf on the grill, the fish does not stick and you get the grill marks as well. No banana leafs? Parchment is my goto substitute during our winter months for grilling fish.
Great to hear that, thank you for all the explanation about your style and preference. visit the blog regularly to have more amazing recipes:)
I made this recipe last night. The marinade was excellent and I ended up stuffing the fish with left over thyme, garlic, and lemon. The only issue was the fish basket. We ended up having to throw in the oven because part of this fish was falling apart but needed more time to cook. This was our first time cooking a whole fish, but it turned out great and everyone enjoyed. I did make the African sauce linked in the reciope as well. I enjoyed it, but too spicy for my guests.
Hi Brooke,
Thank you for trying this recipe and you enjoy it. You can adjust spices according to your taste. Try some more recipes I am surer you would love them too.
I bought a fish basket just to try this scrumptious looking recipe!
I don’t have lemons but would limes work?
Hi Crystal! Yes, lime works, too 🙂 Enjoy!
Delicious not spicy at all tender per the instructions to grill approx 6 min total in a basket worked great. Very nice flavor just needed a little more salt and a touch more lemon. Will make again
Thank you for sharing, Val! 🙂
A little too hot got me. Good texture and came out perfect. But I can’t take that much spice. Lips still burnin.
Thanks for trying this, Rodney! For next time, you can adjust the spices so it won’t be too hot 🙂
Hey Imma. This recipe looks awesome and I plan to try it out on my family lakehouse trip coming up. Couple of questions. I’ve done a few whole fish on the grill already but did not have a grill basket. Is this completely necessary, or moreso because the recipe calls for 3 inch slits. Usually the fish come cleaned and you stuff it with lemon etc. and seasonings. Would you suggest putting the same seasonings in the cut part of the bottom of the fish where it was cleaned? Sorry for all the questions. Just don’t have the luxury of it not being good with so many people to eat it lol. Thanks for the help.
Hi Arthur ,
A grill basket is not necessary, if you have grilled fish before without it falling apart – it keeps the fish from sticking to the grill and helps when turning it over.
Yes you may season the bottom part of the fish too. For best flavor , season fish the night before cooking and let it marinate .
Hope this helps !
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. Absolutely amazing.
Hola Imma; En castellano (español) éste pescado se llama Pargo , es difícil de encontrar, pero se me hace agua la boca mirando las fotos, así, es que, intentaré encontrarlo ésta semana. Es exquisito y muy nutritivo porque es de los llamados azules. Sabias que es carnívoro?. Desde luego es una receta de 10. Cuídate mucho. Besitos
The protein amount says 124g for one snapper…is the correct?
Absolutely delicious!!!
Awesome. Glad you loved it, Monica!
Gave this recipe a try today, and WOW! Wife and I truly enjoyed it. Thought we were gonna have left overs and surely enough a whole 28 incher was gone! Amazing taste and will definitely be grilling like this again!
YAY! Glad to hear it worked out well.
Awesome recipe!!!
Thanks Denis! Glad you loved it :)!
Absolutely delicious!
Love your site. More videos please.
So, I don’t have the fresh herbs in the house but have the powdery and dry stuff. Can I still use them to marinate the fish and get all the flavor? Also can I do this under the boiler in the oven? My grill just went south.
Thanks Effie.
Fresh herbs works best for optimum flavor. Sorry to hear about your grill. No worries under the broiler works just fine.
I bought a grill basket just to try out this recipe. I have to say I was not disappointed. This was one of the most flavorful Snappers that I ever had! The recipe was extremely easy and it took a short time to grill. It was a hit! will be making this again for Father’s Day! Thanks so much!
Thank you for taking the time to let me know, Patriece. Good to know you like it. Happy weekend!
Hello Patriece,
What type of grill basket did you use?
Thank you,
I ordered a barbecue grill basket with a handle from Amazon.com. They are very reasonably priced, with some starting below $20. They close easily and the handles stay cool. I hope this helps!