How To Clean Snapper (When Cooking Them Whole)

Up until recently, I always threw back mangrove snapper that were just barely over the limit.
I only wanted to keep the big ones because I didn’t think the small ones were worth filleting.
And I was right… sort of.
After seeing a few videos about cooking fish whole, I decided to give it a try with some smaller (but still legal) snapper and I was blown away.
It’s a delicious way of cooking them, plus you don’t have to fillet them and miss out on some of the delicious meat.
In this video, I’m going to show you how I cleaned this snapper and prepared it to cook it on the grill whole.
It's only four steps, takes just a few short minutes, and you don't have to worry about wasting meat as you fillet it.
Have any questions about cleaning fish to eat it whole?
Let me know in the comments below!
To get our best fishing spots and tips, plus discounts to our online tackle store, click here to join us in the Insider Club: bit.ly/2T4UXkl
And to try out a pack of Slam Shady paddletails for FREE, click here: bit.ly/2Lmixoi

[@Saltstrong]

To get our best fishing spots and tips, plus discounts to our online tackle store, click here to join us in the Insider Club: bit.ly/2T4UXkl

[@Totaro17]

Salt Strong I know you have a video showing the FG knot. On a red table. But didn’t you have another one. Did you delete it.

[@Saltstrong]

@@Totaro17 Here's a post that has the core steps in pictures along with a free PDF printout that you can download: www.saltstrong.com/articles/how-to-tie-the-fg-knot/

[@redfishbluefish965]

Leave the head on, cut all fins with scissors. Pull out guts through a tummy slit. Cut diagnal cuts a finger apart down both sides of meat. Mix a lot of dry spices(paprika, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, time, dill, rosemary, etc all powdered) with oil and spread over both sides of fish including the head. Fill belly will lemon and onion. Set oven to 380F and cook 10min/side but add oil mix to flesh during bakeing when it dries...enjoy!

[@Rodbry70]

Watching you butcher that fishing! I am from south Florida by way of the Bahamas but I have lived in Texas for a long time. I didnt know about filleting fish until i was nearly an adult. We always cooked the fish whole and with the head on when they were that small, actually even bigger than that. There is a lot of meat in the head that you cut off. We even roast them on the grille whole in the Bahamas.

[@joellouisfire]

Same here! From Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. We leave the head on, the entire fish is delicious!

[@rafaelgiusti]

Leave the head!! That’s the real whole fish, and actually the best part 😉

[@dlmccallie93]

DEER MEAT IS THE MAN! respect...he really knows what he's doing...thats cool to see so many fishtubers collab

[@MoniKeo]

Thanks for the tutorial. Kitchen sheers works great on the fins. I like it lightly salted and fried until golden brown.

[@CrFouquet]

Thank you, I appreciate it, and will try it.

[@Saltstrong]

You're welcome!

[@zansalleh8728]

Hey ya bro... i normally use scissors to cut off the fin... much easier and efficient

[@ST33LO.]

What a brilliant hack to descale this beauty 👏🏽

[@5703bl]

Awesome idea. Doing it now

[@Saltstrong]

Hope you like it!

[@audreywilliams2228]

That is a beautiful fish.🥰😋

[@jeremyneill1759]

Great video and tips! We have invasive snapper here in Hawaii and it’s always a little challenging figuring out how to eat them easily. This is a great way and they look very similar to the snapper you had in your vid. Mahalo!

[@floridaman5125]

I like the deer meat for dinner guy. I learn from both of you.

[@Saltstrong]

He is great to watch as well!

[@webincomeincome8767]

Spoon or just a cheap metal fish scaler work best. To remove fins simply cut along either side and pull off with pliers. Much easier

[@leonardjoseph6309]

Filleting fish is for rich people.. poor people like me eat the whole fish.. might sounds disgusting but the head is where the good taste comes from.im a Pacific islander that live in the US now and I miss eating fish every day. I love your videos

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for watching!

[@mimblewimble843]

Thank You So Much! Pete

[@JULOC05]

Where I come from we do it differently and we typically keep the head but it depends on what you are making. Snapper is awesome grilled, baked, panfried but I also had it in sushi many times and it's one of my favorites.

[@francesb2295]

I was taught leave the head on, trim all fins, cut out the lungs, and THEN take off the scales. Never saw a head cut to gut the fish. Cool hack? Red snapper my favorite. Miss living in St. Augustine! I'm going to try the "remove head, gut fish" manuever. Very cool!

[@RandomJ2023]

I have a suggestion bro. After you scale it, make a small slice 1/8 inch down both sides of the fins. Then use a pair of pliers starting from the back and pull. The fins and bones will all come out leaving a much easier to eat whole fish. I plan on making a video soon showing how. Good stuff!

[@gerardoneri5115]

Do it!! I wanna see!!

[@cascadinghaze7125]

I gotta see this done.

[@RandomJ2023]

@@cascadinghaze7125 will make a video soon showing this. I keep forgetting to do it, but will do it soon. 👍

[@geo4x4rox]

Thanks! Nice directions. Got us a 3 lb to grill.

[@Saltstrong]

Good stuff!

[@ChefBLLC]

Thanks buddy!

[@pgsibilo]

2:05 Before you remove the Scales, it's better to remove the Guts and the Sharp Fins first. You can remove the Guts wihout removing the head as it can be a messy task for most people.

[@mbr663]

So many complaints and criticisms. Everybody has their own way!

[@Saltstrong]

Agreed!

[@jory106]

Pan fry that bad boy, we fight over that crispy tail in my house

[@mikebainter8917]

Spoon works just as good if not better!

[@jelly_fishing]

How food you prepare for the grill?

[@hazelrebello7690]

use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut of the fins

[@Saltstrong]

Good Info! 💪

[@thatcrazywolf]

Use game shears for the fins

[@alanvarnadoe9007]

I watch dmfd and his brother blue gabe enjoy your show also would like to see mark Hollywood on there more lol

[@mikemarks6562]

I do crappie like that but use a spoon never tried it with a fork

[@nocarp]

So you don't think it is necessary to clean out the blood along the back bone? I've always cleaned that but found it tedious.

[@deandaniel2458]

Thanks for scaling tip. But why throw the head?? Can make stock for soup, Noodles, etc. Or you can eat the head. Don't get how its cleaner for the table?

[@roxybaby17]

Thank you for saving the day... almost killed the person who brought me a full snapper not already gutted 😔

[@jory106]

try using a spoon for scaling its much quicker

[@SecretlyABear1]

How do you ensure the guts dont get cut when you slice the belly?

[@Saltstrong]

Be sure to follow these steps and keep the knife flush to the ribs as you cut out the fillets

[@LilBethy]

haha you dont have to cut the fins off or take off scales, leave the head on, cut the poo out, out 3 cuts into each side and cook in oil for 5 mins on ac side, its amazing.

[@grant2149]

Tip:use small pruning scisscors to cut fins off....

[@kilgore5075]

So next please do a video of cooking that snapper on your Traeger

[@jimmybrown2731]

Check out deer meat for dinner knife I believe they’re called silver stags or just get a bubba blade my friend will make your life so much easier

[@joeponder9668]

Jimmy Brown not the biggest fan of the ol bubba, at least for the price. Great handle tho!

[@tampabayflatsfanatic5118]

Silver stag woods and water 👍

[@davidhoward8951]

Where do y'all live in Florida

[@waynelennon6711]

Escoveich not a bad idea too

[@chandlerwesley1773]

Use pliers to pull the hard bones off. Or the top fin off.

[@UriahD85]

Super different than the New Zealand Snapper

[@keysgirltye1]

Still not sure that I can do this. Going to give my yellowtail away.

[@justinbennett9998]

Him so tiny lol. I scale mine with my finger nails. Hmmm I do mine way different. I like to do him alive. With a wooden cutting board. I stake his head to the board. No slippy slidey.

[@davidhoward8951]

Clean like you cleaning a freshwater bream

[@patrick.7326]

Um nice fish.

[@r8drvr819]

freshwater guys know how to clean fish; use a cheap scaler, cut 1/2 inch into the big fins, then pull out; gut the belly, wash and cook! That's it!

[@anonymousexpectus6722]

Deermeatfordinner Robert is pretty cool 😎

[@davidhoward8951]

Use a spoon that works better

[@bradfordlulz5122]

No head?

[@snake05regulator77]

Whole means whole dude.

[@firefightershownealsnyder7228]

Next video.....second of your videos dull knife.....it seems a new knife has the sharpest blade and it’s down hill from there. Review knife sharpeners and the best technique for re-sharpening these knives.

[@phillipchristensen3202]

Dude clearly hasn't ever been bream fishing.

[@Ma21L]

Nooo don't dehead the fish! The head of this fish is one of the best and nutritious part

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for sharing!

[@justininfante1331]

You didn't cook it whole you cut the head off! Click bait

[@boydhorning1830]

That has to be one of the dullest knives I've ever seen to clean a fish. Come on man...you're making a you tube video, use a sharp knife!!

[@Saltstrong]

Not everyone always has a super sharp knife on hand, so the real live examples like this can still be helpful.

[@vassiliskalofolias968]

Man you threw away half the fish... We never throw away the head and all the flesh around it!! It's so disappointing to see so much wasting, this is completely amateur!!