When you head to your local seafood market, you’ll likely see both snapper and grouper. They are both excellent forms of fresh fish to bring into your kitchen, but you may prefer one over the other based on your preferences. Understand the key differences between the two similar fish to understand how to best shop for and prepare them.

A Fresh Fish Guide to Snappers & Groupers

1. Catching Them

Snappers such as the yellowtail, vermillion, lane, and red snapper are all common in the Gulf. They can be caught with various baits but tend to be wary of tackle when visibility is good. They make an effort to pull in, as they make long and fast runs or shake their heads.

Groupers such as the black, gag, and red grouper are found along the coast of Florida and throughout the Gulf of Mexico. They are caught via casting, trolling, and off-shore fishing on a hook and line.

2. Their Flavor

Snapper is a white flesh with a slight pink tint from its red skin. The meat has a firm yet delicate texture that is moist. The taste is mild, sweet, and fresh. People often refer to it as a flavor comparable to halibut and sea bass.

Grouper has a distinctive but mild flavor. Like snapper, the flesh is firm, moist, and lean. Because it is moist, there is a very low risk of drying it out when preparing it. Of the two most popular types – red and black – red tends to have a sweeter and milder flavor.

3. Preparing Them

Snapper offers versatile options for cooking. It can be fried, steamed, broiled, poached, baked, and grilled. It pairs nicely with flavors such as butter, chili peppers, and lemon.

Grouper can be baked, broiled, deep-fried, grilled, and steamed. Blackening the fresh fish on a grill is a popular method for cooking it with a side of rice and black beans. For the best flavor, pair it with lemon, butter, and garlic salt.

No matter what type of fresh fish you prefer, Billy’s Seafood has the finest options at the best price in Bon Secour, AL. They have the go-to fresh market seafood for professional and home chefs alike. For your convenience, you can order your fresh seafood online and have it delivered overnight to your door, packed in for freshness. Call them at (251) 949-6288 with any questions or stop by their market off County Road 10 West to start shopping!