Even as exotic foods become more easily accessible, getting good, fresh snapper has become difficult. Often, you might find yourself looking for red snapper substitutes when a recipe demands this fish.
Apart from sourcing, there are also other aspects, like cost and getting the fish fileted. Red snapper can be expensive to buy.
Besides, having to filet the fish can be difficult, especially for those not used to working with snapper. Getting it fileted from a reputed seller can make things easier, but also drives up costs. Still, you’d want to check the fish thoroughly before using it for your recipe.
Anyways, there are several situations that would require the use of a substitute. So, let’s take a quick look at the options before we go into detail.
Top red snapper substitutes are grouper, tilapia, sea bass, cod fish, catfish, halibut, and haddock. Some others might also work, depending on your recipe and cooking needs.
Table of Contents
Best Substitutes For Red Snapper
1. Grouper
Well-liked for its culinary uses and widely available, Grouper is an excellent choice when it comes to substituting red snapper. It is a white fish like the red snapper and doesn’t give off a fishy odor. Plus, it has the touch of sweetness, which is similar to snapper, but not as profound.
However, there are some additional points to consider for a substitution. Grouper is a bit firmer and flakier when compared to snapper. Therefore, some adjustments will be necessary in preparation to manage this change.
2. Cod
The versatile cod is a relatively easily available and often more cost-effective option as compared to the red snapper. As such, cod can usually work as a substitute and is often the preferred option for the substitution, given the advantages in price, availability, and versatility.
It’s worth noting that while cod is cheaper, it’s not an inferior option. This used to be one of the more expensive fish in the market, until an increase in supply pulled the prices down.
The mild sweet flavor and texture of codfish provides a rather close approximation to the red snapper. However, some adjustments will be necessary to make this substitution work. For example, codfish is notably larger than red snapper, so an adjustment in size and portions could be necessary.
3. Tilapia
Tilapia is often seen as a very desired option and one of the best red snapper substitutes. A wonderfully mild-flavored fish, tilapia is a very popular, yet affordable option. It offers a mild and light taste, which while not exactly the same, can pass as snapper in a well-prepared dish.
This fish is often farmed, which means it doesn’t often have a good impression upon many people, given that some farms can have rather poor living conditions for the fish. So, if you can find a source of tilapia that uses humane and sustainable methods, the fish can be enjoyed without any concerns.
4. Haddock
A popular fish for cuisine, haddock can be seen as a delicacy and a popular fish for food. This is a white fish, and offers a mild taste and has a good texture, which makes it similar to red snapper.
However, it can have a relatively stronger smell, which is something to consider. It’s worth noting that haddock isn’t essentially smelly, it’s just stronger than snapper. So, if you can manage this change, the substitution could work, though it’s not necessarily the best choice.
5. Sea Bass
The delicious sea bass can work as a substitute for red snapper. It is a white fish with good flavor, mild sweetness, and a remarkable texture. These qualities alone should be enough to make it work in place of the red snapper.
That said, sea bass is an expensive fish, celebrated as a gourmet option in its own right. So if you are in a position where sea bass comes easier and is more handy than red snapper, it might be worthwhile to look into sea bass recipes rather than considering it a substitution option.
6. Catfish
Catfish is not an ideal substitute for red snapper. What works in its favor is that the fish is readily available, quite economical, and has a decent taste that would be familiar to most seafood lovers. As texture, flavor, and aroma go, catfish and red snapper can be notably different.
Therefore, the substitution here is more opportunistic, considering the stronger flavors and aroma of catfish. However, if your recipe involves frying or thorough cooking, catfish can pass as a decent alternative to red snapper.
7. Vegan Options
Getting vegan options to work as decent alternatives to red snapper can be challenging. A lot of this will depend on your preparation and cooking skills, rather than the inherent properties of the vegan substitute.
That’s because vegan options are limited and can be used in place of several other ingredients, generally focussing on texture, with compromises on flavor.
However, the mild-flavored and slightly sweet red snapper could lend itself to substitution with vegan options with some care.
The common vegan options to consider are tofu and seitan. You may also consider jackfruit, though it’s very high in fiber and the texture can feel quite different. King oyster mushrooms and some types of seaweed may also be considered.
Again, unless you have a recipe with substitution available, a lot of this will come down to experimentation and exploring your options to get the best results.
Red Snapper Substitutes For Your Taste
Choosing a red snapper substitute will often depend on availability of substitutes and how your palate greets this change. While there are options like grouper and cod that could work better, tilapia and catfish might feel more approachable for several recipes, if not exactly the top choices.
If you’re making the substitution guided by a vegan diet, some extra effort and experimentation might be necessary. Favored vegan alternatives like tofu and seitan can work, but some effort and experimentation might be necessary to get them to have a texture and flavor similar to red snapper.