4.87 from 79 votes

My Blackened Red Snapper with fresh fruit salsa and lime margarita sauce will simply blow you away! The big, bold flavors of the cajun seasoning, tempered with the fruit salsa and margarita sauce, make this restaurant-quality dish a culinary masterpiece!

Blackened Snapper with fruit salsa on white plate.

If you’re looking for a red snapper recipe that’s easy to make and will seriously impress your friends and family,

During my restaurant days, blackening fish like Red Snapper was a favorite of my guests. Adding my Lime Margarita Sauce made it even more delicious.

Table of Contents:

Ingredients to make Blackened Red Snapper

Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make my Cajun Style Florida Snapper. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”

Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the up cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

What other types of fish can I use for this dish?

If you don’t like snapper or simply can’t find it at your grocery store, there are many types of fish you can use instead of snapper.

Grouper
Rockfish
Mahi-Mahi
Halibut

you can always use your personal favorite if it’s not listed, but I would stay away from steak-style fish, such as tuna and swordfish. Tilapia and Flounder would work, but the white fish fillets are more delicate, and they would have a tendency to break apart.

How to make Blackened Red Snapper

Trim the snapper fillets if needed, and rinse them in cold water. Pat the fillets dry with paper towels.
Mix the Cajun seasoning with cracker meal and brown sugar.
Press one side of the snapper fillets into the seasoning mixture, coating the fillet evenly. Make sure you get enough of the spice mixture on the snapper.

High heat is necessary to properly blacken the snapper. When the saute pan is hot and add just enough olive oil to keep the snapper from sticking.
Carefully place fish fillets, seasoned side down, into the pan.
Allow the fillets to cook undisturbed until the coating has browned, then turn to sear the other side of the fish.

Remove the seared snapper from the pan and place it in a baking dish. Add a little water to the pan to help keep the fish moist while baking.

Place the baking dish in a preheated 350-degree oven for 8-10 minutes.

How to make fruit salsa.

Making the fruit salsa is really easy. Mix the diced fruit, onions, cilantro, lime juice, and salt together. (strawberries will soften and bleed, so if you make this ahead of time, don’t add the strawberries until serving time)

What kind of fruit can I use to make fruit salsa?

The salsa recipe can be made with a variety of fruit. Peaches, nectarines, apricots, watermelon, kiwi, and blueberries can be substituted in any combination you like.

Onions do add that salsa flavor, as well as the cilantro, but both of those could be left out if you can eat them.

Remember this is your dinner and should be made the way you like to eat!

How to make lime margarita sauce

lime margarita sauce being prepared in non stick skillet

In a small saute pan, add 1 tablespoon of butter, and after it melts, add the brown sugar and blend well.
Add the lime juice and tequila, and allow the alcohol in the tequila to burn off. Add in the last tablespoon of butter and allow the mixture to thicken.

**Do not overheat the sauce will break. Wait until you are ready to serve the snapper before the final heating of the margarita sauce.

Do I have to use Tequila in the sauce?

No, you don’t. If you can’t have alcohol or don’t like the taste, you can replace the tequila with apple juice, chicken or vegetable stock, or water.

If you don’t like tequila, you can replace it with rum, gin, white wine or your favorite spirit.

cooked cajun style florida snapper fillet with fruit salsa and lime margarita sauce on a white plate

Then it is simply a matter of putting the dish all together and serving it with rice or your favorite grain along with the vegetable of your choice. And you’ve got a restaurant-style dinner at a fraction of the cost of dining out!

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4.87 from 79 votes