Red snapper can grow surprisingly large, topping the scale at 35 pounds. But the average market size is only roughly 4 to 6 pounds. Red snapper that are under 4 pounds have a lighter pink colored skin, but as they grow older (and bigger), they develop a deeper red skin as well as red eyes. As with most fish, their darkest skin is toward their spine, and fades to a lighter color around the belly. Raw red snapper flesh is pink with yellow streaks. It turns to a lighter color when cooked, but never completely white. They get their name from their notably land-animal-like teeth.
Red snapper are found from Brazil to the Gulf of Mexico, as well as northward to the Western Atlantic coast of Massachusetts. In retail environments, one can find Red snapper whole, dressed, or in fillets with the skin on.
Red snapper is a lean fish, so in the kitchen, you’ll want to consider their firm texture. and sweet, almost nutty flavor. Although red snapper’s flavor profile is distinct, it is also mild, which allows a lot of versatility when cooking. Some of the typical cooking methods of red
snapper include: baking, broiling, grilling, sautéing and steaming.
Per 6-ounce portion, red snappers contain 171 calories, 35 grams of protein and only 2
grams of fat. They are a good source of vitamin B6, B12 and selenium.
Tune into this week’s recipe, as we are cooking red snapper whole! We enjoy teaching you new
ways to cook fish and hope you find this recipe enticing enough to try (because it’s a great one!)
Hi John, thanks for posting this. I am doing some research on red snapper and found your article helpful.
A comment for you: According to the FDA Seafood List the only snapper allowed to be called “red snapper” is species Lutjanus campechanus. This fish is only caught in American waters. There is Caribbean Red Snapper (Lutjanus purpureus) which is caught in Brazilian waters. But again, according to FDA these fish names can not be interchanged.
how do i order fresh red snapper fish from you all
Please go to our website at harborfish.com for supplies and prices and to order.
Dear Export Manager,
We need frozen Caribbean Red Snapper – Lutjanus purpureus, for the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
Can you export it?
Other seafoods as well.
Best Regards,
Unfortunately, we do not ship outside of the U.S. Thanks for your interest.