Description

This oven-baked whole red snapper recipe is covered in a Veracruz-style sauce made with fire-roasted tomatoes, onions, bell pepper, garlic, oregano, parsley, and fresh lime.

Ingredients

Scale

1 whole red snapper, about 3 pounds, head on, cleaned, scaled, and butterflied
Kosher salt, to taste
⅓ cup fresh parsley
¼ cup olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced onion
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 can (14 ounces) fire-roasted tomatoes
Juice of 1 lime

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan with parchment paper.
Open the butterflied snapper and season it generously with salt, inside and out. Cut five parallel, 3-inch slashes into each side of the fish, stopping just before reaching the bone. Tuck the parsley inside the cavity and place the fish on the prepared pan.
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Stir in the oregano and fire-roasted tomatoes.
Bring the sauce to a gentle boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5–7 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and season with salt to taste.
Spoon the sauce evenly over the snapper, working some into the slashes and cavity.
Roast for 20–30 minutes, basting the fish with sauce once or twice. The snapper is done when the flesh is opaque, flakes easily, and reaches 145°F in the thickest part.
Rest for five minutes before serving. Spoon the tomato sauce over each portion.

Notes

Ask your fishmonger to clean, scale, and butterfly the snapper for you. Look for clear eyes, bright gills, firm flesh, and a clean ocean smell when choosing a whole fish.

For a more traditional Veracruz-style sauce, add sliced green olives, capers, and jalapeños.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Category: Dinner
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Mexican