The first time I ever bought and made fish was this recipe. I was just out of college, starting to learn to cook regularly, and I have to say, I was a little intimidated. Cooking fish can do that to you. Especially when it’s expensive fish - you don’t want to screw it up! (And I was pretty new to cooking in general and not quite confident in the kitchen yet.) However, I knew this recipe was a winner. My mom had made it for years and I loved it. Such great flavors mixed together with the tender, hearty and meaty grouper filets, the tomato-based sauce with tons of onions, capers and spices, plus so much brightness from the citrus and cilantro. And it’s easy to make! You make the sauce in a pan on the stove, pour it over the fish and bake it all together in the oven. Done. No sautéing or flipping or moving the fish around and wondering if it’s done. Just stick it in the oven and you’ll have a delicious seafood dinner bringing everyone to the table. Tender fish, bright flavors, delicious sauce. It doesn’t get much better. OK, let’s get cooking. Now, I’ve got some notes, tips and substitutions coming up below on how to make grouper veracruz. Just tryin’ to be helpful. If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Ingredient Notes:
Grouper: It’s in the name, the recipe is meant to use grouper filets. You could also try making this with mahi mahi. Onion: I always use a sweet or vidalia onion, but a regular white or yellow onion would be fine here, too. Cilantro: This adds brightness and flavor. If you are anti-cilantro, you could swap in some flat leaf parsley in its place. Orange juice: Fresh is best, but I won’t tell if you have to use store-bought orange juice. Diced tomatoes: We use and love the diced tomatoes with green chilies for this recipe. You could also try a can of Rotel. Or use regular (or fire-roasted) diced tomatoes and add in a small 4-ounce can of green chilies.
As you can see, this recipe is pretty adaptable. Just how I like ’em. OK, let’s get ready to serve this up. We serve grouper veracruz over steamed rice (white or brown is fine) and call it a meal. You could add a simple spinach salad or even a salad from a bag if you want some greens for a vegetable side dish. Some crusty bread - and, I gotta say, some wine or a fun cocktail - also goes great with this meal. You can add some extra chopped, fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice when serving to really finish it off. Last thing, let’s talk about what to do with the leftovers. Leftover seafood makes me a little nervous, so I would recommend using it within a day of it being cooked. Let cool, then store in a covered container in the refrigerator. Reheat over medium low heat in a skillet on the stove until warmed through. On the other hand, the sauce freezes great! If you are making this for two people, as I often do, use half of the sauce with the fish and let the other half of the sauce cool. Pack it up in a labeled freezer Ziploc bag and you’ve got it on hand for another night to make dinner even easier! Or double the sauce when you’re making it and use part of it now and save the rest to make dinner easy another night. So whether you are a pro in the kitchen or just getting started, try out this easy but sophisticated grouper veracruz and impress everyone. Even yourself. Enjoy! XO, Kathryn P.S. You might also want to try this 2-ingredient easy Italian baked fish. Or this 4 ingredient buttery baked cod. Super simple for any night of the week. Grouper: It’s in the name, the recipe is meant to use grouper filets. You could also try making this with mahi mahi. Onion: I always use a sweet or vidalia onion, but a regular white or yellow onion would be fine here, too. Cilantro: This adds brightness and flavor. If you are anti-cilantro, you could swap in some flat leaf parsley in its place. Orange juice: Fresh is best, but I won’t tell if you have to use store-bought orange juice. Diced tomatoes: We use and love the diced tomatoes with green chilies for this recipe. You could also try a can of Rotel. Or use regular (or fire-roasted) diced tomatoes and add in a small 4-ounce can of green chilies. Leftovers: Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days. Reheat over medium low heat in a skillet on the stove until warmed through. Freezing: The sauce freezes great! If you are making this for two people, as I often do, use half of the sauce with the fish and let the other half of the sauce cool. Pack it up in a labeled freezer Ziploc bag and you’ve got it on hand for another night to make dinner even easier!
