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Red snapper is a firm, mild white fish from warm Atlantic waters, prized for its sweet flavor and its bright red skin. In USDA data, a 3-ounce portion of cooked snapper has about 109 calories, 22 grams of protein and under 2 grams of fat, along with a large share of the Daily Value for vitamin B12 and selenium. This guide covers red snapper nutrition per serving, where snapper sits in the FDA mercury chart, why reef fish such as snapper are linked to ciguatera, and what DNA studies have found about fish sold under the red snapper name, so you can judge for yourself whether snapper is healthy for your plate.
Peptide Labs does not sell fish or seafood products. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice. For a milder, thinner white fish from the lowest-mercury group, see our sibling flounder guide.
Key Takeaways
- Cooked snapper has about 109 calories and 22.4 g of protein per 3 ounces, with 1.5 g of fat (USDA).
- The same portion supplies 124% DV of vitamin B12 and 76% DV of selenium.
- FDA and EPA place snapper in their middle mercury group, labeled Good Choices, not the lowest group.
- Snapper is one of the reef fish linked to ciguatera, a toxin that cooking does not reliably destroy.
- DNA studies have found that much of the fish sold as red snapper in the US was another species.
What is red snapper?
NOAA Fisheries lists red snapper as Lutjanus campechanus. It lives roughly 30 to 620 feet deep in the Gulf of Mexico, which NOAA now calls the Gulf of America, and along the eastern coasts of North America, Central America and northern South America. Adults stay near the bottom around hard structures such as reefs, artificial reefs, rocks and ledges. The agency notes that snappers get their name from their enlarged canine teeth.
NOAA reports that the Gulf stock is not overfished but is still rebuilding to target levels, while the South Atlantic stock is not overfished and not subject to overfishing. Most red snapper is caught on hook-and-line gear. Other snappers, such as vermilion snapper, are sold in the US too, and restaurants often list just “snapper” on the menu.
Red snapper nutrition per serving (USDA)
USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy has no entry for red snapper alone, so the table uses its mixed-species snapper entry, cooked by dry heat, for a 3-ounce (85 g) portion. The percent Daily Value (%DV) is based on FDA Daily Values, and the FDC ID lets you check the entry.
| Nutrient (3 oz cooked) | Snapper, mixed species, dry heat (FDC 173699) | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 109 | |
| Protein | 22.4 g | 45% |
| Fat | 1.5 g | 2% |
| Saturated fat | 0.3 g | 2% |
| Cholesterol | 40 mg | 13% |
| Sodium | 49 mg | 2% |
| Potassium | 444 mg | 9% |
| Selenium | 41.6 mcg | 76% |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.98 mcg | 124% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.39 mg | 23% |
| Phosphorus | 171 mg | 14% |
| Magnesium | 31 mg | 7% |
| Omega-3 EPA + DHA | 0.27 g | no DV |
| Carbohydrate | 0 g | 0% |
A whole cooked fillet in the same USDA entry weighs 170 g and has about 218 calories and 44.7 g of protein. The cooked entry has no vitamin D value, but the raw snapper entry (FDC 173698) lists 10.2 micrograms of vitamin D per 100 g, about half the FDA Daily Value, a notable amount for a lean white fish in USDA data. Raw snapper has 100 calories and 20.5 g of protein per 100 g in USDA data, which matches the figures on the NOAA species page.
In short, red snapper nutrition looks like a lean, protein-dense white fish with an unusually high B12 value. Read more about these nutrients in our guides to B12 foods, selenium and vitamin D foods.
How snapper compares with other white fish
Snapper sits close to grouper and tilapia on calories and protein. Like most lean fish, it carries far less omega-3 EPA and DHA than fatty fish; see our omega-3 guide for context and our tilapia guide for that fish in detail.
| Fish (3 oz cooked, dry heat, USDA) | Calories | Protein | Fat | Sodium | EPA + DHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snapper (173699) | 109 | 22.4 g | 1.5 g | 49 mg | 0.27 g |
| Grouper (171963) | 100 | 21.1 g | 1.1 g | 45 mg | 0.21 g |
| Tilapia (175177) | 109 | 22.2 g | 2.3 g | 48 mg | 0.12 g |
| Flatfish, flounder and sole (174197) | 73 | 13.0 g | 2.0 g | 309 mg | 0.26 g |
| Atlantic salmon, farmed (175168) | 175 | 18.8 g | 10.5 g | 52 mg | 1.83 g |
Snapper mercury: where it sits in the FDA chart
The FDA and EPA fish chart sorts fish into three groups by mercury level. It was written for people who might become or are pregnant or breastfeeding and for children ages 1 to 11, though many adults use it as a general guide. Snapper is in the middle group, labeled “Good Choices,” along with grouper, halibut and mahi mahi. That is one step above the lowest-mercury group, which includes flounder, sole, tilapia, trout and sardines, and well below the “Choices to Avoid” group, which includes swordfish, shark and king mackerel.
So snapper mercury is moderate rather than high. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or feeding young children, the FDA chart and your clinician are the places to look for how often each group fits; we do not repeat serving amounts here.
Ciguatera and reef fish
Ciguatera fish poisoning comes from ciguatoxins, which start in marine algae, move up the food web and build up in reef fish. FDA’s seafood hazards guidance names snapper (the family Lutjanidae) among the fish associated with it, alongside barracuda, grouper, jacks and moray eels, and says the highest levels are seen in long-lived fish-eating predators. Risk areas sit roughly between latitudes 35 north and 35 south, including the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, and FDA lists specific areas of Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands where unsafe levels have been found. Fish caught side by side can carry very different toxin levels.
- Cooking does not help: CDC describes the toxins as colorless, odorless, tasteless and temperature-stable, which makes them hard to detect or destroy.
- Symptoms: FDA lists nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, numbness and tingling of the lips and hands or feet, and a reversal of hot and cold sensations, usually starting within 6 hours of the meal. Anyone with these symptoms after eating reef fish should get medical care.
- Who controls it: processors are expected to avoid fish from known problem areas, and some states issue advisories. If you catch your own reef fish, check your state health or fisheries agency before eating it.
Red snapper mislabeling
Red snapper is one of the most studied cases of seafood fraud in the US. In a 2004 genetic study published in Nature, researchers found that about three-quarters of fish sold in the US as red snapper, the FDA’s designated name for Lutjanus campechanus, were another species. A smaller 2020 study in PeerJ used DNA barcoding on fish sold as red snapper in ten North Carolina counties: of 43 samples identified, 90.7% were mislabeled, every restaurant and seafood-market sample was wrong, and vermilion snapper and tilapia were the most common substitutes.
These studies are snapshots of specific places and years, not a national rate today. Still, they explain why the label matters: a substitute fish can differ in nutrition and mercury group. Asking which species you are getting and where it came from is a reasonable first step.
Is snapper healthy? Allergy and kitchen notes
- Allergy: fish is one of the nine major food allergens in the US, according to FDA, and labels must name the species. A fish allergy is separate from a shellfish allergy; ask an allergist which foods you need to avoid.
- Cooking: FoodSafety.gov advises cooking fin fish to 145 F, or until the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork. Snapper holds together well for grilling, baking and pan searing.
- Preparation: the lean flesh has little sodium on its own; butter, breading and salty sauces change the picture more than the fish does.
- Purines: if you have been told to watch purines, see foods high in purines and ask your clinician.
Snapper fits easily into fish-forward eating patterns such as the Mediterranean diet and a pescatarian diet. Overall, is snapper healthy? On nutrition alone it is a lean, high-protein fish rich in B12 and selenium; the trade-offs are a middle mercury ranking, the ciguatera risk tied to some reef areas, and a real chance that a fish sold as red snapper is something else.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is snapper healthy to eat?
Snapper is lean and high in protein, with large amounts of vitamin B12 and selenium in USDA data. It sits in the middle mercury group of the FDA and EPA chart and is one of the reef fish linked to ciguatera.
How many calories are in red snapper?
About 109 calories in 3 ounces of cooked snapper and about 218 in a whole cooked fillet, based on the USDA mixed-species snapper entry.
Is red snapper high in mercury?
It is moderate. FDA and EPA list snapper in their Good Choices group, above the lowest-mercury group but well below fish such as swordfish and shark.
Does cooking destroy ciguatera toxin?
No. CDC describes ciguatoxins as temperature-stable, so cooking does not make a toxic fish safe.
Is red snapper often mislabeled?
Studies have found high rates. A 2004 Nature study reported about three-quarters of US fish sold as red snapper were another species, and a 2020 North Carolina study found 90.7% of its samples mislabeled.
Is red snapper a good source of omega-3?
It has some, about 0.27 g of EPA plus DHA per 3 ounces cooked in USDA data, but far less than fatty fish such as salmon.
What does red snapper taste like?
It is mild and slightly sweet with firm, flaky white flesh, which is why it suits grilling and whole roasted fish.
Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a food allergy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Related guides: Flounder: Nutrition, Flounder vs Sole and Is Flounder Healthy?, Tilapia: USDA Nutrition, Protein, Omega-3s and Is It Healthy?, Cod Fish: Nutrition, Atlantic vs Pacific Cod and Is Cod Healthy?.