Tasty Pan Fried Red Snapper Recipe with Caribbean Flavors

This fried red snapper is flaky, slightly sweet and so delicious! To make it, I prepare the whole fish, wash with lime, leave to marinate with Caribbean green seasoning before frying.

If you’re a fan of red snapper, check out my grilled whole red snapper recipe too.

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Fried red snapper ingredients

For this recipe, I used small whole red snappers, lime or lemon, Caribbean green seasoning, salt, pepper and oil for frying.

These snappers were bought fresh and cleaned by the fishermen, who did an amazing job at gutting, scaling, and cleaning the fish. So, I didn’t need to do any additional cleaning. Frozen whole snappers can be used for the recipe but be sure to defrost fully before starting.

Lime or lemon is great for washing the fish to remove any ‘fresh smell.’ The juice can also be used for marinating and for serving the fried snapper.

Caribbean green seasoning here was made with chadon beni or culantro leaves, garlic, ginger, scotch bonnet pepper, and other herbs. This seasoning is the only thing you need to flavor the entire fish. You can make your own Caribbean green seasoning fresh using my recipe using ingredients from Caribbean or Asian stores.

How to make fried red snapper

Prepare the fish

If using frozen red snapper, defrost completely. To do this, place the fish in a large bowl and fill with water, enough to cover the snapper. Squeeze one lime and add the juice to the water. Leave until the fish has softened completely, which can take about an hour. This will remove any fishy taste from the meat. If the fish is fresh, do the same thing – add the fish and lime juice to a bowl filled with water, ensuring the lime juice gets inside the cleaned cavity. Leave for 2 – 3 minutes.

Next, drain the water and rinse the fish fully, about one to two times. Cut slits along both sides of the fish, about an inch apart and about a quarter inch deep. I usually cut off the head, but that is optional and entirely your choice.

Marinate

Add Caribbean green seasoning and salt to the fish. Squeeze half of a lime over everything. Massage the seasonings into the underbelly and the slits, making sure every part of the fish is completely covered. Refrigerate for 30 minutes so the red snappers can marinate.

3. Fry

Place a small frying pan on medium heat. Add enough vegetable oil for frying. I used about 1 cup of vegetable oil. Leave to heat up for about 5 minutes or so. Remove the marinated fish from the fridge and add it to the hot oil very carefully. The oil may splutter, so be cautious.

Fry the red fish for 3 minutes. Flip over and continue frying for another 3 minutes, for a total of 6 minutes. The fish is cooked when the meat is white, no longer translucent, flaky and has an internal temperature of about 145°F.

4. Serve

Remove from the pan and place on paper napkins to soak up the oil. Sprinkle a little salt over the fish. Serve hot. You can squeeze a little lime juice over the fish when serving as well for wonderful bursts of citrus. This recipes goes great with dhal and rice, or stewed lentils, macaroni pie, and callaloo.

More Caribbean fish recipes

• roasted whole red snapper
• fried king fish
• fried shark bites
• shark recipes
• saltfish buljol

Fried red snapper recipe