Whole Roasted Red Snapper with Peppers and Onions

Is it just me, or does the idea of making a whole fish at home seem intimidating? But no need to worry, this recipe will show you just how easy it really is.  Needless to say, I am so excited to share this recipe with you all!  I made this whole roasted red snapper last weekend for our Sunday dinner and I was blown away by how delicious it turned out.  It seriously tasted like it came directly from a restaurant kitchen!  The flavors were simple but oh so perfect.  

I have to admit I was a little skeptical when Cory suggested we get whole fish instead of having them filleted at the seafood counter.  I have never handled a whole fish before but I was certain with a few of my key spices and a simple roasting technique, this would come out perfect and I was right! 

I was super impressed by how flavorful and flaky the meat was.  It had the most buttery and soft texture and literally melted in my mouth.  

Big bonus: this is a "set it and forget it" type of dish so after you season and arrange the fish on the baking sheet, there really isn't much else to do but wait until it's done and devour it, being careful of the bones, of course.  No flipping required, like you would need to do on a grill.  

To reiterate, fresh whole fish = bones, but I'm cool with that. :)

Let's get started!

Ingredients:

3 Small Whole Red Snapper, 

1/2 Cup Avocado Oil, or Olive Oil

Seasonings for the Fish: 

3 Tablespoons Garlic Powder

3 Tablespoons Onion Powder

2 Teaspoons Dried Oregano

2 Teaspoons Ground Thyme

2 Teaspoons Dried Parsley

2 Tablespoons Salt

1 Teaspoon Fresh Pepper

1 Medium Onion, Sliced

1 Medium Yellow Pepper, Sliced

1 Medium Orange Pepper, Sliced

2 Small Lemons, Sliced

Seasonings for the Veggies:

1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder

1 Tablespoon Onion Powder

1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano

1 Teaspoon Ground Thyme

1 Teaspoon Dried Parsley

1 Tablespoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Fresh Pepper

{While you gather your ingredients, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. These will roast in a REALLY hot oven.}

{Most all seafood counters sell whole red snapper to be made at home.  We purchased these at Whole Foods. They will most likely be scaled and gutted and ready to be wrapped and purchased.  If they are not, I'm sure the person at the fish counter will be happy to do that for you.} 

{Cut two three inch long slits in each fish, cutting all the way to the bone.  This will prevent the fish from buckling or curling in the hot oven.}

{Drizzle each fish with a couple tablespoons of oil and brush both sides and the inside. Be generous with the oil, as it will aid in the skin getting crispy and brown.}

{Season evenly, on both sides and inside, with the seasonings: salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, ground thyme, dried oregano.}

{Place a few onion slices and lemon slices inside of each fish.}

{On a large baking sheet, lay out your sliced peppers, onion and lemons.  Drizzle with a couple tablespoons of oil, sprinkle on the same seasonings and mix to coat the veggies evenly.}

{Arrange the snapper on top of the seasoned pepper, onion, lemon mixture.}

{Roast in a 425 degree oven for 50 minutes.  The skin will be golden, crispy and delicious!}

{And even though the fish skin is super golden, the flesh of the fish is soft, buttery and beyond flavorful! The juices of the lemon and onion placed inside the fish steams while cooking and permeates the fish and flavors it beautifully!  Not to mention the aromatic veggies.  I was so pleased with how this turned out.}

{As I mentioned earlier, this fish does have bones so be careful when eating. This dish is elegant enough to serve at a fancy dinner party and so so easy to just whip up on a busy weeknight.}

{Be sure to serve the fish with those yummy lemon slices and perfectly roasted onions and peppers. I decided to serve it alongside jasmine rice and seasoned black beans.  So BOMB!!!}

Let me know if you decide to make this! 

xoxo thanks for reading!