Pescado Zarandeado (Mexican Grilled Red Snapper)
This classic Mexican fish recipe features delicious red snapper coated with a bold, savory and spicy chile marinade, then quickly grilled to flaky perfection.
Servings: 6 pieces
Calories: 220kcal
Ingredients
- 1 large red snapper fillet 3 lbs (or 2 smaller fillets)
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons mustard
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 lime zested and juiced
- 1 dried guajillo chile
- 1 dried arbol chile
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat 2 cups of water on the stovetop and bring it to a boil. Place the dried chiles in a bowl and pour the boiling water over the top to soften the chiles. Make sure the chiles are fully submerged in the water. Place a plate over the top, if needed, to push them down. Allow them to soak for 10 minutes to soften. Once softened, carefully remove the chiles from the hot water. Pop off the stems and shake out most of the seeds.
- Rinse the snapper fillet(s) in cold water, then place on a large baking sheet. Use paper towels to gently press the top of the fish to remove as much moisture as possible. Then cut shallow slits, 1 inch apart, over the surface of the fish fillet, to score the top. Be careful not to cut so deeply into the fish that you cut the fillet into pieces. Sprinkle the top generously with salt. Set aside.
- Move the softened chiles to the blender. Add in mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, tomato paste, lime zest and juice, garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Cover the jar and purée until smooth.
- Use a basting brush to coat the surface of the fish fillet with marinade.
- Preheat the grill or smoker to 200°F. (The extra time allows the fish to marinade a few minutes before cooking.)
- Move the fish fillet onto the grates. Brush additional marinade onto the fish to make sure it is very well-coated. Grill or smoke the fish for approximately 20 minutes. Check the thickest part of the fish at 18 minutes to make sure it is just barely firm, but not hard. If grilling smaller fillets, check at the 12 minute mark, and continue to cook if needed. (Fish is best when it’s just cooked through, so the interior is still moist, but flaky.) Carefully remove the entire fillet from the grill. Cut and serve warm.
Video
Notes
Serve with your favorite Mexican sides including refried beans or stewed beans, Spanish rice, yellow rice, or green rice, fresh salsa, fried plantains, calabacitas, etc.
This marinade is fabulous on fish, but it’s also delicious on chicken, pork chops, or steak!
Nutrition
Serving: 1pc | Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 654mg | Potassium: 753mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 396IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 1mg