When it comes to Red Snapper there is no better way to prepare than my restaurant-style Pecan Encrusted Red Snapper. You’ll love the flavor combination and that OMG delicious margarita sauce. What’s for dinner at your house tonight?
Living in Florida, surrounded by water we have a delicious supply of fresh seafood. That being said fresh is not always the most economical way to purchase our favorites like Red Snapper, and that’s when I turn to sustainable wild-caught seafood.
Now you may think that’s all you need to look for, but you’d be wrong. Wild Caught has become the new buzzword for seafood and it’s not just about being wild-caught, its where the seafood came from, or who has processed the seafood.
Make sure to turn over the package to see if your wild-caught Alaskan fish was processed in the US or another part of the world, like China. Check to see if that beautiful wild-caught flounder came from the eastern seaboard of the US or Vietnam.
I bet you thought didn’t have to worry about the source, did you? That you could trust your favorite grocery store or big box store.
Just make sure to find a good source for seafood, that it’s not farmed (unless it’s U.S. farmed) and it comes from reputable waters, where there are strict controls.
What do I need to make Pecan Encrusted Red Snapper with a Lime Margarita Sauce?
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Pecan Encrusted Red Snapper. In Chef Speak this is called the Mise en Place which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
Do I have to add shrimp to the Pecan Encrusted Red Snapper?
No, you don’t. The shrimp are optional. You could also add lobster or jumbo lump crabmeat instead of the shrimp.
The first step is preparing the pecan topping for the snapper. Place the prepared ingredients into a bowl and mix well.
Do I have to use Pecans in the topping?
No, you don’t. If you have nut allergies feel free to leave the pecans out. If you don’t have pecans, walnuts, pistachio’s or hazelnuts will work with this topping.
The only tricky part in preparing the dish is getting the pecan mixture to stick to the fish. I found that adding the honey directly from the bottle (a little on each) and spreading it with your fingers is the best way to get the honey on the snapper. This helps you get a nice coating of the pecan crust.
The next step is pressing the honey side of the snapper into the pecan mixture. Try and use up as much of the pecan mixture as you can, adding it to spots that might be missing the topping.
**This step can be done ahead of time. After coating the snapper it can be placed into the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook.
Then it’s pecan side down into a hot pan (with a little olive oil) for about 1 minute or just long enough to get some color. Sear the other side briefly, then onto a baking dish with a little water added to keep the Pecan Encrusted Red Snapper moist while it bakes for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Chef Dennis Tip:
You can saute the snapper ahead of time and refrigerate until you’re ready for dinner. Allow an extra 5 minutes in the oven if you premake the snapper.
The Pecan topping fell off my snapper fillets.
That’s okay, it happens. Gather any of the pecan topping that fell off while sauteing and place it back on top of the snapper fillet.
If you have a complete failure with the topping. Make the topping again and saute it by itself in a little butter then add it to the top of the snapper fillets. It will be our little secret.
While the snapper is in the oven, make the margarita sauce.
Should I flambe the Margarita Sauce?
The sauce is pretty easy to make, just make sure to stand clear if you decide to light up the tequila ( I use a long reach butane lighter), it does burn pretty hot. Of course, you can just let it burn off without flaming, which is a lot safer.
Do I have to use Tequila in the Lime Margarita Sauce?
No, you don’t. Just omit the tequila if you don’t use alcohol. A little extra of each ingredient will help make enough sauce without the tequila.
If you don’t have tequila or just don’t like the taste you can use other spirits. My suggestions would be:
- Rum
- Vodka
- Bourbon
If you want to kick the dish up a bit, add a few gulf shrimp into the pan before you make your sauce, removing them after they are almost cooked. Once the shrimp are cooked you can make your sauce in the same pan, adding them back before serving the snapper.
You’ll love serving this delicious restaurant-style dish in your own home and it’s a great dish for a dinner party. The red snapper can be prepared ahead of time (up to the point of baking) and refrigerated until you’re ready to serve your guests. Then it’s about 20 minutes in a 325-degree oven and you’re ready to serve dinner.
You might also like these fish recipes:
- Blackened Salmon with a Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
- Swordfish Recipe
- How to Poach Mahi-Mahi (or your favorite fish)
- Grilled Atlantic Rockfish
Pecan Encrusted Red Snapper Recipe
Ingredients
- 14 oz snapper fillets 2 fillets
- ½ cup pecans finely chopped
- ¼ cup bread crumbs I used Panko and non-seasoned.
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 1 tablespoon honey
Lime Margarita Sauce
- 1½ tablespoon butter
- 1½ tablespoon brown sugar
- juice from one lime
- 1½ ounce tequila
- 1½ tablespoon butter
Instructions
Snapper
- Finely chop the pecan and mix with bread crumbs and Cajun seasoning.
- Spoon or squeeze on a teaspoon of honey onto each fillet, and use your fingers to spread it over the top of each fillet.
- Press the honey side of the fish into the pecan mixture, make sure that a good layer of the pecan mixture adheres to the snapper.
- Heat a saute pan (allow it to get hot before adding the olive oil), add 2 tablespoon of olive oil and gently place the snapper, pecan side down in the hot pan.
- Allow the snapper to brown for just about 1 minute, be careful not to let it burn, the honey will caramelize quickly.
- Very Gently use a long metal spatula to turn the snapper over, keeping the topping in place. Cook on this side of the snapper for another minute to sear it when removing from the pan if any of the pecans fell off replace them in the spots that need them.
- Place in a baking dish with a little water and continue to cook in a 350-degree oven for about 10 minutes.
Margarita Sauce
- in a small saute pan, add 1 tablespoon of butter and after it melts, add in brown sugar and blend well.
- Add in lime juice and tequila, 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 or it will break, wait until you are ready to serve the snapper before the final heating of the margarita sauce
Darlene
Amazing! When I first saw pecans with a margarita sauce I wasn’t sure how that would fair together, but one of the best recipes I’ve ever made. The pecans caramelized beautifully, very crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Very easy to make!
Chef Dennis Littley
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Darlene. It was a very popular special at the restaurants I’ve worked at. I hope you find more recipes on my blog to try!
Sara
Love, love this recipe! Fantastic crunchy crust, just enough of a kick and the sauce makes it special. I appreciate Chef Dennis’ easy going attitude towards substitutions and culinary tips. Thank you!
Chef Dennis Littley
you really made my day with your comment Sara. I try to inspire people to cook and if they use the ingredients they love they’ll be happier cooking and eating!
Elicia
I made this recipe (except I used pistachios instead of pecans) & my husband said it was the best fish he’s had in his whole life! That said a lot as we have fish all the time.
Steve W
OK – first off, I NEVER EVER comment on recipe sites. This would be a first. I am a complete amateur wanna-be chef that does all the cooking in my house by choice. We are pescatarians so we eat a lot of fish. Salmon, shrimp, grouper, halibut, trout, Mahi Mahi, you name it. I made this for my family with a side of garlic green beans and a couscous/rice mix. Both my 15 year old and my wife said this was THE BEST FISH I EVER MADE. And like I said, I have made a ton of recipes over the years. I avoided all temptation to change anything in the recipe – no additional seasonings, no changing amounts of anything, etc. I simply doubled the recipe to make 4 filets.
Absolutely amazing! This will be in my regular rotation for sure. Hats off to you Dennis!
Steve W.
Chef Dennis Littley
thank you for the great comment Steve you made my day!
deb Hull
This was beyond wonderful! There aren’t enough stars. My husband and I enjoyed this so much! It’s a restaurant quality dish, Easy to make and delicious to eat, Can’t wait to prepare this for guests.
Chef Dennis Littley
thank you for the wonderful comment Deb, I’m very happy to hear that you enjoyed my recipe!
Jason
Made this exactly as written. Not only is this dish one of the best I’ve made, it’s one of the best tasting dishes I’ve ever eaten. Thank you Chef!
Jennifer Gerschultz
In true reflection, I am a pretty snobby, classic cook at home, and I’m a professional that spends a lot of money on good great restaurants when I’m traveling with clients. This recipe was amazing!!! My family, including a 3 year old and a 1.5 year old, devoured it.
Chef Dennis Littley
Wow, now this is the kind of comment I live for, you made my day! And thanks for the great rating!
Susan Mason
Fantastic, it was pretty simple and ingredients that most cooks already have in their home.
Charity Beth Long
This recipe is totally date night food! But it looks approachable. Like we’ll have plenty of time to watch a movie after. Am I right?
Sara
This looks so good! I do not have any red snapper. I couldn’t get it at my grocery here in the mid west. But, I do have a really nice cod from Alaska, do you think I could make it with this recipe?
Debbie
You had me at pecan crusted. This snapper sounds divine and something I will be trying soon. Sometimes recipes like this seem complicated but you make it sound so simple. That lime margarita sauce sounds like the perfect compliment to such a delicious snapper.
Jennifer Banz
The sauce on this was amazing. Thank you so much for a delicious recipe!
Jess
Wow! The red snapper sounds more than amazing and that Sauce! Oh my goodness! LIME MARGARITA sauce! Oh heck yes! Bring it on! I can not wait to try this recipe out with all of these amazing flavors going on!
Sharon
The sweet, spicy and citrus topping is a perfect pairing for this red snapper recipe.
GUNJAN C Dudani
This looks like a nice satisfying wholesome meal. The ingredients sounds healthy too. I would love to try it.
Veronika
Love this recipe idea! Especially the lime margarita sauce! Will definitely put it on the menu and make it next week!