Pan-Seared Snapper with Citrus and Herb Sauce
A delicate pan-seared snapper fillet topped with a bright citrus and fresh herb sauce, perfect for a light seafood dinner. This seafood recipe, ready in about 22 minutes, pairs snapper fillets, olive oil, salt for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 250 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 4 pieces, about 6 oz each snapper fillets
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 2 tbsp, finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp, finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 cloves, minced garlic
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
Nonstick skillets worth buying → Best Nonstick Cookware for 2026: Top 5 Skillet Picks + Buying Guide
Affiliate disclosure: AislePrompt may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through Amazon links, at no additional cost to you. See our policy →
Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Pat dry 4 snapper fillets and season both sides with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
- Step 2: Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add snapper fillets skin-side down and sear for 4 minutes until edges are crispy, then carefully flip and cook for another 3 minutes until opaque and just cooked through. Remove from skillet and keep warm.
- Step 3: In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium, add 1 tbsp unsalted butter and 2 minced garlic cloves, sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Step 4: Add 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp orange juice, 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley, and 1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro. Stir and cook for 1 minute until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Step 5: Spoon the citrus herb sauce over the snapper fillets and serve immediately.






