Eat Main Dishes

Pan-Fried Red Snapper with Cilantro Lime Dressing

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Pan-Seared Red Snapper, Summery dinner with cilantro lime dressing, paprika and pomegranate seeds

Pan-Fried Red Snapper is one of my go-to weeknight dinners. It’s easy and quick and yummy and makes a nice change of pace from the usual.

All Vasiliy does all week is roast chicken breasts and maybe sear a steak and plop it next to a salad. That’s his dinner. Every night. (I guess I can’t expect him to whip up a five course meal when he gets home at 11pm.) But a few bites of this and he asked for the recipe to “change things up.”

If it’s easy enough for him to do on a weeknight, I promise it’s easy enough for you!

Jump to Recipe

What is Pan Searing?

Pan searing is a cooking method that involves using high heat from below to create a crust on the meat and seal in the moisture and freshness. It’s used on steaks, chicken, duck, fish, meats for stews, and roasts.

The pan must be heated with oil before the meat is placed on the pan. This ensure the crust is formed immediately and juices aren’t lost as the fish slowly warms.

Heat the pan first. Then add fat. Then add fish.

Once the fish is in the pan, do not move it until it is ready to be turned. (The fish will curl up at the edges to let you know.)

To avoid a bubble forming under the fish skin as it contracts with the sear, you may need to press the fish down in the center with a spatula until its crust has formed. It should be fairly easy to remove and flip at that point, which is another indicator.

Fun tip: Once the meat is removed, pan-seared pans are perfect to deglaze with wine and create a sauce from the browned bits.

Stainless steel pan for searing on a gas stove.

What Pan should I use to sear?

Cast iron, stainless steel, aluminum. Don’t use non-stick pans. You’ll ruin them with the high heat.

How to tell if a pan is ready to sear?

  • Gauge the heat of the pan by dropping a water droplet on it. If it sizzles and pops up, it’s ready for the fat!
  • Gauge the heat of the oil by looking at its color. If it is shimmery and runny, it’s ready.

You can also hover your hand just over and feel the heat, but be careful. Especially if you have water on your hands from the previous step. The fat can react with said water droplets and splatter and burn you. (Definitely not personal experience at all.)

Pan-Seared Red Snapper, Summery dinner with cilantro lime dressing, paprika and pomegranate seeds

How to pick Red Snapper?

Picking a good piece of fish in general is fairly easy. 

  • The scales should be bright
  • The eyes should be clear and not grey or cloudy
  • It should smell like the ocean, but nothing else

Snapper Variations and Substitutions:

  1. 1. If the snapper isn’t brown or crunchy enough, you can always broil it for 3 minutes. Set broiler to high and place snapper skin-side-down until you reach desired done-ness. (It can go from good to not good quickly so you have to watch.)
  2. 2. Try searing in butter and browning it. It will add a richer, nuttier flavor. Perfect for a winter fish.
  3. 3. Try adding other spices:
  1. Mince garlic clove and roughly chop cilantro leaves.
  2. Add all ingredients to food processor. Blend until combined. (1 min.) Taste for seasoning. Add more of anything you feel it needs. Blend again. Serve.

Dressing Variations and Substitutions:

  1. You can use avocado as the base in the sauce instead of mayo.
  2. You can use coconut milk as the base for the sauce as well.
Pan-Seared Red Snapper, Summery dinner with cilantro lime dressing, paprika and pomegranate seeds

What sides go with Red Snapper?

What wine pairs with Red Snapper?

  • White Wine: Chardonnay
Print
Pan-Seared Red Snapper with Cilantro Lime Dressing
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
 
Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
Pan-Seared Red Snapper
  • 2 filets Red Snapper
  • 2 tbsp Butter or Olive Oil
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste
Cilantro Lime Dressing
  • 1/3 cup Mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp Lime Juice or to taste
  • 1/4 cup fresh Cilantro Leaves minced
  • 1 clove Garlic
  • Salt to taste
Instructions
For the Snapper

  1. Place a frying pan over medium high heat, add the butter/oil. Let heat until the oil is shiny or the butter is bubbling.

  2. Wash and dry snapper. (Do take the time to dry it. Adding water to hot fat makes loud noise, but also any moisture keeps your fish from browning.)

  3. Season snapper on both sides with salt and pepper. *optional

  4. Add the snapper to the pan, flesh side down. Brown for 3-4 minutes. (If the edges start curling up, your heat may be a bit too high. You can just put a spatula over the fish and press it down to flatting.)

  5. Carefully flip the snapper so it is skin side down. Cook for 4 more minutes. Or until desired done-ness/crispy-ness.

  6. Remove from pan, serve. Add sauce or other garnish over top if desired.

For the Dressing

  1. Mince garlic clove and roughly chop cilantro leaves.

  2. Add all ingredients to food processor. Blend until combined. (1 min.) Taste for seasoning. Add more of anything you feel it needs. Blend again. Serve.

Pan-Friend Red Snapper with cilantro lime sauce
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