This Grilled Red Snapper recipe is simple and quick and is perfect for a healthy, light meal. It has a light lemon and herb seasoning that brings out the flavor!

🍽️ Why This Works
Simple – Grilling fish fillets is always easy and these are no exception. There are a couple of tips that will make you even more successful.
Light and Healthy – When you are looking to add more fish and seafood into your diet, this is going to become a staple as it’s a breeze to make and very low in calories.
Fast – This meal is so fast to make and dinner will be on the table in just a matter of 10 minutes from start to finish.
🐟 Ingredients
Red Snapper fillets – These are a firm, white fish that holds together extremely well on the grill. You keep the skin on to grill, so that saves a step and makes it easy.
Lemon and Herb Splash – This is a simple dressing that is really all-purpose. The fresh lemon and herbs adds a refreshing brightness to the fish.
♨️ Equipment and Tools
GrillGrate – This is my favorite grilling accessory and really makes all the difference in the world when grilling fish. It has raised aluminum fins that are superheated and sear the fish quickly. Additionally, the design minimizes flare-ups that may cause the food to burn while eliminating hot spots. If you are interested, here is a full GrillGrate review.
Oil Brush – Before you add the fish to the grill, you’ll add a light coating of olive oil. Use a good quality brush to make sure you have full coverage.
🔥 Instructions
Step One: Mix the oil, lemon zest, herbs and garlic together in a small bowl.
Step Two: Preheat the grill to 375°. Use direct heat, as you’ll want the fish to cook quickly. Add the GrillGrate to the grill and let it come up to temperature.
Step Three: Brush both sides of the Red Snapper fillet with olive oil. A little goes a long way!
Step Four: Place the fillet on the grill skin side down and let it cook for about three minutes. Carefully turn it over and grill another three to four minutes.
Step Five: Lift the fish off the GrillGrate and put it on a serving platter. Shake the citrus herb dressing and pour a little over top.
❗ Expert Tips
Use a GrillGrate – I can’t stress this enough. This is the best accessory I have used that virtually eliminates all hot spots on the grill. As a result, the fish comes out evenly cooked and grilled nicely.
Removing the fish – If the fish sticks to the grate, it may not be completely ready to turn over. You’ll notice the thick grill marks on the fish that the GrillGrate created. That section was seared quickly and made it easy to turn over and remove without sticking.
Skin removal – Keep the skin on during the grilling process. It helps hold the fillet together and it is really easy to remove immediately prior to serving. It will just peel off using your fingers or a fork.
Spray or oil grill grate – Always give the grate (no matter which one you use) a quick spritz or rub of oil to make sure that anything you put on it will slide right off. You would hate to have the fish stick to the grill and you lose your dinner.
Recipe FAQ
Yes! You will buy these in the store with the distinctive skin colorations of a pink and silver metallic appearance. It is best to keep the skin on during the grilling process.
This is a firm, white fish that is mild and very slightly fishy. It is extremely easy to cook and doesn’t fall apart like other flaky fish species. These are considered great “starter fish” for people wanting to expand their diet into eating more fish. Others like that are Branzino, Mahi Mahi, Lingcod or Halibut.
The fish will be opaque (not transparent) when completely cooked.
Scarlet snapper, an imported snapper from the Pacific, is the “go-to” fish for a substitute.
It is a great, healthy option that is packed with omega -3 fatty acids, vitamin A and potassium.
Red snapper, red drum and red mullet are all similar fish and are often confused by most of us, but there are slight differences.
Red snapper is easy to distinguish with its red and pink hues on the exterior and its eyes will also look red.
Red drum, also called red fish, can be found in the Gulf waters of northern Mexico to Florida and also from Florida up to Massachusetts on the Atlantic side. Red drum, or channel drum as it’s often called, have a spot on near their tail that resembles an eye that tricks predators.
Red mullet, also called rouget, can be found in the north Atlantic and the Mediterranean where it is considered a delicacy. These smaller fish are caught using trawl nets.
What to Serve with Grilled Red Snapper
Whether you are looking for the most amazing dishes on the grill or off, here are a few of our favorites when cooking red snapper:
Grilled Broccolini (10 minutes)
Grilled Beer Corn (25 minutes)
Grilled Bake Sweet Potatoes (40 minutes)
Grilled Carrots with Balsamic Glaze (15 minutes)
Related Recipes
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Grilled Red Sanpper
Equipment
- Grill
- GrillGrate
- Oil Brush
Ingredients
Lemon Herb Splash
- 6 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tbsp Rosemary fresh, minced
- 1 tbsp Thyme fresh, minced
- ½ tbsp Parsley fresh, minced
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Red Snapper
- 2 lbs Red Snapper
Instructions
Lemon Herb Splash
- In a small bowl or jar, combine all of the ingredients until well mixed. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to two weeks.
Grilling Red Snapper
- Mix the oil, lemon zest, herbs and garlic together in a small bowl.
- Preheat the grill to 375°. Use direct heat, as you'll want the fish to cook quickly. Add the GrillGrate to the grill and let it come up to temperature.
- Brush both sides of the Red Snapper fillet with olive oil. A little goes a long way!
- Place the fillet on the grill skin side down and let it cook for about three minutes. Carefully turn it over and grill another three to four minutes.
- Lift the fish off the GrillGrate and put it on serving platter. Shake the citrus herb dressing and pour a little over top.