Veracruz-Style Red Snapper

I like Veracruz sauce on red snapper, but any white, flaky fish will work for this recipe. Many Veracruz-style fish recipes call for pickled jalapeños, but I think there's plenty of acidity in this from the lime and tomatoes, so I like to use fresh jalapeños instead.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Total Time 45

Course lunch/dinner

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 2 people

Calories 903 kcal

Equipment

1 Large Skillet For preparing the Veracruz sauce.
2 Small Baking Dishes Individual dishes for baking the snapper fillets.
1 Cutting Board
1 Chef's knife For chopping vegetables and preparing fish.
1 Citrus Juicer For extracting fresh lime juice efficiently.

Ingredients

Main

2 tablespoons olive oil
½ medium white onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon caper juice
1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
⅓ cup pitted sliced green olives (such as Castelvetrano)
1 medium jalapeno pepper seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 7 ounce red snapper fillets
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or more to taste
salt and pepper to taste
2 medium limes juiced

Instructions

Gather the ingredients. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Make the sauce: Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until translucent, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
Stir in capers and caper juice. Add tomatoes, olives, and jalapeño; cook and stir until tomatoes begin to collapse and jalapeño softens, about 3 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
Remove from the heat and stir in oregano. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
Make the snapper: Brush 1 teaspoon oil over the bottom of two small baking dishes. In each dish, add 1 tablespoon sauce, followed by a snapper fillet. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
Season with cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Cover with more sauce, then drizzle lime juice over top. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
Bake in the preheated oven until fish flakes easily with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

Notes

Ensure your red snapper is fresh and high-quality; any firm, white flaky fish can be substituted. When making the sauce, allow the onions to properly caramelize to a translucent state for a sweeter base, and don't rush the process of cooking down the tomatoes and jalapeño as this deepens the flavor. Be careful not to overcook the fish; snapper can dry out quickly. It's perfectly done when it flakes easily with a fork, typically around 145°F (63°C) internal temperature. A final sprinkle of fresh cilantro or parsley would add a vibrant touch and aroma upon serving. Serve with a side of rice to soak up the delicious sauce.