20-Minute Snapper Piccata

By: Stephanie

14 Comments

Posted: 05/29/24 Updated: 05/16/24

This easy fish piccata cooks in a skillet on the stovetop smothered in lemon butter caper sauce. A simple yet beautiful way to enjoy flaky, buttery snapper. Ready in one pan in 20 minutes or less. 

Every day at 2 pm, my local fishmonger gets a fresh delivery straight from the fishermen’s boat. And you bet I’m first in line! 

One fish that’s always available at the market is fresh snapper. It’s commonly caught in southeast Florida and whenever I get my hands on it, I know I’m making this snapper piccata recipe for dinner.

Snapper is a white fish with a beautifully rich, buttery, slightly sweet flavor that makes it the perfect pairing with piccata sauce. I love how the bright and buttery pan sauce and pops of briny capers pair with the tender, flaky fish. 

And it couldn’t be easier. A fresh, thin fish like snapper cooks up very quickly (about 5 minutes total!). You’ll quickly sear it in the pan, then use the warm skillet to make a lemon butter piccata sauce with shallots, capers, and white wine for serving. So simple, SO good. 

Why This Snapper Piccata Recipe Works

You’ll love this easy pescatarian dinner because it is…

• Bright and buttery comfort. Smothering fresh fish in a cozy lemon butter caper sauce makes for a bright and beautiful dinner that always hits the spot.
• A one-pan meal. You’ll sear the fish and build the piccata sauce all in one pan for easy cleanup!
• Ready in 20 minutes. Snapper cooks really quickly (especially if it’s fresh!) and you can build a buttery pan sauce in minutes. 

A Quick History of Fish Piccata

Piccata is an Italian-American dish you’ve probably seen all the time at your favorite Italian restaurant in the States. It was likely created by immigrants because it’s much less common across the ocean in Italy. 

Most piccata dishes are made with pounded veal or chicken cutlets. Regardless of protein, the common factor is a buttery lemon piccata sauce made with white wine and capers. 

Flaky, tender fish pairs beautifully with a bright and buttery sauce – so snapper piccata simply works! Italy is also home to some amazing seafood, making fish piccata a feel-good nod back to the Mediterranean.

Key Ingredients 

This snapper piccata recipe only requires a handful of simple ingredients:

• Fresh fish – I use a whole yellow-tail snapper that my fishmonger prepares into two ¼ pound fillets. Be sure to remove the skin and any pin bones in the fish. Your fishmonger can also handle this for you! 
• All-purpose flour – Dredging the fish in flour helps it get a golden-brown sear.
• Capers – These briny pops of saltiness are classic to piccata sauce! You can find jarred capers in the grocery store near the olives.
• Shallots – I love how the  subtle sweetness of shallots balance the salty pop of capers. 
• White wine – A dry wine like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc works best for fish piccata. It brightens the sauce up with some crisp acidity. 
• Lemon – Both juice and zest!
• Butter – Fresh butter is beautiful with fish and helps bring the piccata sauce together.
• Parsley – For a finishing touch of freshness.

Easy Fish Piccata Substitutes

You can make lots of kinds of fish piccata if you don’t have access to fresh snapper. I’ve also used this recipe with yellow-eye snapper, hogfish, mahi mahi, and tilapia. But truly any thin white and flaky fish will work! If you use a thicker fillet like halibut or grouper, you will  have to cook the fish  a little longer. 

How to Make Snapper Piccata (20 Minutes or Less!)

There are two steps to this easy fish piccata recipe: searing the snapper and making the lemon butter caper sauce. It all uses one pan and is ready in 20 minutes or less! 

Step 1: Dredge the fish in flour

Sprinkle a plate with plenty of flour and season the fish fillets with salt and pepper. Take each fillet and lightly place it in flour so each side is coated, shaking off any excess. 

Step 2: Sear the snapper

Heat a combination of olive oil and butter in a skillet on the stovetop. Once it’s shimmering, add the snapper fillets. The goal is to give them a golden-brown sear, which will only take a few minutes per side. Use a fish spatula to gently remove the fillets from the pan once cooked. Tip! → I use the side of my skillet as leverage when flipping a big piece of fish. 

Step 3: Make the lemon butter caper sauce 

Lower the heat and add the capers and dice shallot to cook in more olive oil. Once fragrant, pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan. Be sure to scrape up those browned bits stuck on the bottom! Let the wine reduce, then add the lemon juice and a few tablespoons of butter to make the sauce glossy. 

Step 4: Bring the fish piccata together

Add the seared snapper back to the skillet with the lemon butter caper sauce, basting the fillets in the warm mixture. Shower with freshly chopped parsley and lemon zest, then dig in!

What to Serve with Fish Piccata

My favorite way to enjoy snapper piccata is over risotto, which soaks up the lemon butter caper sauce beautifully. A side of tender roasted asparagus is also the perfect veggie for pairing with fish.

If you want to make a homemade risotto, go for it! But I often lean on a store-bought version for ease on weeknights. You can then roast the asparagus in the oven for a quick 10 minutes until it’s charred and tender. Try my Pea and Asparagus Spring Risotto to combine both sides into one!

If you love this 20-Minute Snapper Piccata , be sure to also check out my other easy fish dinners. My Crispy Cast Iron Salmon is another fast weeknight recipe (15 minutes total!) as is my Blacked Fish Tacos with a crunchy veggie slaw.

Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @girlwiththeironcast or hashtag #girlwiththeironcast so I can see your creations!

5 from 8 votes

20-Minute Snapper Piccata

This snapper piccata recipe comes together in under 20 minutes! Tender white flakey fish, seared in a skillet with a lemon butter caper sauce. Snapper has a rich, buttery, sweet taste that pairs perfectly with a piccata sauce.

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 20 minutes mins

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Ingredients

• ▢ 2 yellow tail snapper filets (about ⅓ lb each, bones and skin removed (see notes for other fish that work with this recipe))
• ▢ 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• ▢ 1/8 tsp black pepper
• ▢ 2 tbsp flour
• ▢ 2 + 2 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 2 + 2 tbsp butter
• ▢ 2 small shallots (minced, about 2 tbsp)
• ▢ 2 tbsp capers
• ▢ 1/4 cup white wine (dry)
• ▢ 1 tbsp lemon juice + 1 tsp lemon zest
• ▢ 2 tbsp flat leaf Italian parsley (chopped)

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Equipment

• ▢
  1 OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Fish Turner
• ▢
  1 Splatter Screen
• ▢
  1 Lodge Enameled Skillet

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Instructions

• Salt and pepper both sides of the snapper filet. On a plate, add the flour in an even layer. Flour both sides of the fish and dust off any excess flour.
• In a large skillet over medium high heat, add in 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp butter. Once the butter is shimmering, add in the snapper filets. Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes, using a fish spatula to flip the fish. When flipping fish in a skillet to avoid it breaking apart, I utilize the side of the skillet to assist in supporting my flip and then bring the fish back flat. A splatter screen is also very helpful when cooking fish in oil. Once the fish is cooked, remove and add to a side plate.
• Lower heat to medium low and add in 2 tbsp olive oil, shallots, and capers. The pan will be hot, so sauté for only a minute before deglazing the pan with the white wine. Cook the wine down for 2 minutes. Add in the lemon juice and 2 tbsp of butter.
• Once the butter is melted add the snapper filet’s back into the pan. Sprinkle the chopped parsley over the top. Baste the snapper for 1 minute by tilting the pan and using a spoon to spoon the lemon butter caper sauce over the snapper. Zest lemon over the top of the filets and serve.
• Serve as is or my favorite way to enjoy the snapper piccata is over roasted asparagus and risotto.

Notes

• Snapper: In this recipe I use a whole yellowtail snapper that the fishmonger filets for me to remove the bones and the skin. Snapper can be small, about 1/4 pound- 1/3 pound per filet.
• I have also used this recipe with yellow eye snapper, hogfish, mahi mahi, and tilapia. A thin white flakey fish works best. If using grouper or halibut, you will have to increase cook time due to the thickness of the filets. 
• Ask fishmonger to remove pin bones as well as skin

Nutrition Information

Serving: 2, Calories: 489kcal (24%)

© Author: Stephanie