You won’t believe how easy it is to make this grilled whole snapper. I stuffed the snapper with citrus shrimp for an extra elegant of surprise and another layer of flavor.

The temperatures are rising in Loreto, Mexico and this Gringa nomad has flown north to Nevada. I found this fresh yellow snapper and Pacific shrimp at the market and decided to try my skills at grilling it whole and stuffing it with citrusy shrimp. The blood oranges are a short season luxury so of course I had to have them. Any combination of citrus would be delicious. Oranges and limes are ubiquitous in Mexico but surprisingly lemons are difficult to find. The spanish word for lime is limon so don’t confuse it with lemon. Red snapper is commonly caught in the Sea of Cortez so this recipe will be used again when I return to the Baja. Red snapper is a versatile and delicious firm, large flake white fish and I’m grateful when my husband drags a few home. Our visitors always enjoy a day on the water catching dinner.

Grilled whole snapper should definitely be in your fancy dinner recipe box but you could easily make it any day. It isn’t complicated.

Speaking of visitors, I’m taking my recipe traveling to Fiesta Friday where Angie hosts the best Fiesta link party this side of the Baja. While you’re at the party checkout the our co-hosts Jhuls and Monika and enjoy their websites.
You can also find me at Cook Blog Share.
Here’s a photo of my son with his catch of the day, red snapper.

Buying tip: Always buy your fish fresh or better yet, catch it.

A fresh fish will have clear eyes, moist skin and smell like a sea breeze. Never buy seafood that smells “fishy”, never. The fish monger can scale it and remove the gills for you. The Mexican boat captains will prepare your fish as well. Make sure you explain that you would like to keep the smaller whole fish, if legal in size, before he tosses them back. Not everyone appreciates a whole grilled fish.

I marinaded the shrimp in blood orange, lemon, lime juices and garlic before stuffing a few in the fish cavity. The rest of the shrimp was tossed with peppers for Confetti Shrimp since not all my guests appreciate whole fish.

[lt_recipe name=”Grilled Whole Snapper and Citrus Shrimp ” servings=”2-4 ” prep_time=”20 MINUTES ” cook_time=”15 MINUTES” total_time=”35 MINUTES ” difficulty=”Easy ” summary=”Grilled whole snapper filled with citrus shrimp. An impressive meal for guests that’s a snap to make. ” print=”yes” image=”http://mybajakitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/image-35-300×189.jpeg” ingredients=”Fresh whole fish, about 3 pounds;1 pound raw cleaned medium shrimp;1 orange;1 lemon;1 lime;1 glove of garlic;1/2 cup chopped cilantro ;2 tablespoons olive oil;1 teaspoon sea salt;Dash of black pepper” ]Buy a whole fish, I used yellow snapper and have the fish monger de-scale it and remove the gills. Leave the head and tail intact. With a sharp knife make 3-4 cuts into the flesh which will help with heat distribution. Rub fish with olive oil and a squeeze of lime.;;Slice 1/2 of each fruit for garnish and to place in the fish cavity. Squeeze remaining fruit juices into a bowl. Mix with cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper. Set aside.;;Heat grill to 400 degrees. Stuff the fish cavity with as many shrimp as the cavity will hold. Place a few slices of citrus along with the shrimp. Wrap fish in aluminum foil. Grill for 7 minutes turn and continue cooking for additional 8 minutes. Grill the remaining shrimp in a grill basket for 5-7 minutes until pink. Carefully unwrap fish. Serve whole on a platter with shrimp and remaining citrus slices for garnish. [/lt_recipe]