Learn how to make some incredibly easy and tasty homemade baked red snapper. The snapper is marinated and then baked in my very own mojo marinade.
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If you have been following my blog for some time now then you will know that I have quite a few fish recipes especially featuring snapper.
However I don't really have any mojo style recipes on the blog. When you think of mojo anything it's usually associated with the culinary traditions of Latin America.
Just like the Latin culture that it hails from, it's vibrant and filled with bold colours.
The star of the show is the fish, you can use any type of fish, however I used what I had in the freezer (snapper).
The snapper is marinated with my homemade mojo which gives the fish a nice blend of citrus and herbaceous flavour.
It is then cooked to perfection by baking it in the oven (basting it to enhance the flavour even more).
What is in mojo?
Mojo (pronounced "mo-ho") is a sauce/marinade that plays a crucial role in Latin American cuisine.
The base of mojo often includes onion, garlic, olive oil, and sour orange. However, lemon and/or lime with regular orange juice can be used in place.
Other ingredients such as cumin, oregano, black pepper and salt are commonly used.
These are the ingredients that I like to use in my mojo . The marinade is essential for tenderising the fish while infusing it with that citrusy tangy taste.
Ingredients you will need
As you can see from the above picture, you will need some fresh snapper and the mojo sauce/marinade, that's it, just 2 ingredients.
Not forgetting a few whole limes, vinegar and salt to clean the fish (not pictured).
Reasons to make this recipe
- This recipe is perfect for anyone who loves fish or seafood.
- It is a great alternative to frying or steaming fish.
- Great for someone who loves light, zesty and tangy flavours.
- It's a quick and easy dish to prepare.
- Perfect for anyone who is looking for a more high protein/low carb recipe.
The steps
- Before starting the recipe, I recommend blitzing the mojo marinade in the blender as this will help to meld the flavours, then set it aside.
- Place the snapper in a medium sized bowl.
- Add some lukewarm water to the bowl.
- Squeeze the lime juice along with the vinegar and salt in the bowl.
- Use your hands to wash the snapper with the lime water.
- Rinse off the fish in a colander.
- Rub the lime halves on the inside and outside of the snapper then rinse the fish a final time.
- Place the fish on a chopping board.
- Blot the fish inside and outside thoroughly with kitchen towel.
- Use sterilised kitchen scissors to trim off the dorsal and pectoral fins and discard.
- Use a sharp knife to make 3-4 diagonal scores, leaving about a 3-4cm gap between each line. Do this on both sides, being mindful not to slice too deep into the snapper).
- Place the snapper in a large zip lock bag.
- Carefully pour in the mojo marinade and then secure the bag with the zip.
- Leave to marinate in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours.
- Meanwhile line a oven proof dish with parchment paper (this will prevent any sticking).
- Preheat the oven to 180C/356F/gas mark 4.
- Remove the ziplock bag from the refrigerator, unzip the bag and carefully remove the snapper and pour the mojo marinade into the oven proof dish.
- Bake the fish for 40 minutes, during the given time baste the fish often to enhance the flavour of the fish.
- If the fish is browning to the point of burning around the sides, use aluminium foil to cover the baking dish.
- Once baked, remove from the oven and serve.
Notes and tips
- You can clean, trim and score the fish ahead of time, if you want to save time.
- Make sure to leave the snapper to marinate, don't skip this step! This will help to infuse those zesty flavours.
- This is the link to my Mojo Marinade, you will need to use the entire jar.
- You will need a square oven proof baking dish, around the size of 28cm (mine is ceramic).
- Basting the fish is crucial for locking in the mojo flavour, I recommend doing this often around 7-8 minutes.
- Any leftover fish can be refrigerated once cool for up to 2 days.
- Remember to prepare the mojo marinade ahead of time.
- You will need large zip lock bags or a bag that is secure enough so that the marinade won't leak out.
- You can use any other type of whole fish or even fish fillets, if you don't care for fish with bones.
Serving suggestions
More fish recipes to try
- Caribbean Baked Fish
- Sea Bream Recipe (Air Fried)
- Jamaican Steamed Fish
- Air Fryer Whole Fish
- Caribbean Stewed Fish
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Baked Snapper (Mojo Style)
Equipment
- Oven gloves
- baking dish
- egg spatula
- sharp knife
- oven proof baking dish
- chopping board
Ingredients
- 2 red snapper
- 1 jar homemade mojo marinade
Instructions
To clean and prepare the snapper
- Before starting the recipe, I recommend blitzing the mojo marinade in the blender as this will help to meld the flavours, then set it aside.
- Place the snapper in a medium sized bowl.
- Add some lukewarm water to the bowl.
- Squeeze the lime juice along with the vinegar and salt in the bowl.
- Use your hands to wash the snapper with the lime water.
- Rinse off the fish in a colander.
- Rub the lime halves on the inside and outside of the snapper then rinse the fish a final time.
- Place the fish on a chopping board.
- Blot the fish inside and outside thoroughly with a kitchen towel.
- Use sterilised kitchen scissors to trim off the dorsal and pectoral fins and discard.
- Use a sharp knife to make 3-4 diagonal scores, leaving about a 3-4cm gap between each line.
- Do this on both sides, being mindful not to slice too deep into the snapper).
To marinate and baked the snapper
- Place the snapper in a large zip lock bag.
- Carefully pour in the mojo and then secure the bag with the zip.
- Leave to marinate in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours.
- Meanwhile line a oven proof dish with parchment paper (this will prevent any sticking).
- Preheat the oven to 180C/356F/gas mark 4.
- Remove the ziplock bag from the refrigerator, unzip the bag and carefully remove the snapper and pour the mojo marinade into the oven proof dish.
- Bake the fish for 40 minutes, during the given time baste the fish often to enhance the flavour of the fish.
- If the fish is browning to the point of burning around the sides, use aluminium foil to cover the baking dish.
- Once baked, remove from the oven and serve.
Notes
- You can clean, trim and score the fish ahead of time, if you want to save time.
- Make sure to leave the snapper to marinate, don't skip this step! This will help to infuse those zesty flavours.
- This is the link to my Mojo Marinade, you will need to use the entire jar.
- You will need a square oven proof baking dish, around the size of 28cm (mine is ceramic).
- Basting the fish is crucial for locking in the mojo flavour, I recommend doing this often around 7-8 minutes.
- Any leftover fish can be refrigerated once cool for up to 2 days.
- Remember to prepare the mojo marinade ahead of time.
- You will need large zip lock bags or a bag that is secure enough so that the marinade won't leak out.
- You can use any other type of whole fish or even fish fillets, if you don't care for fish with bones.
Nutrition
Olive says
Hi there! looks soooo good - are the calories per recipe or per serving ? Thank you !!
Charla says
Hello Olive, the calories are per serving. I hope that helps.