Chillo Frito or Puerto Rican fried red snapper is bursting with rich Caribbean flavors and fried to golden perfection. This fish is often served with arroz blanco, habichuelas guisadas, tostones, and salad. I season it with a blend of spices and fresh garlic. I sometimes add sofrito for added flavor. Then the fish is dusted in flour for a deliciously crispy finish.

If you want to try a Jamaican version of Chillo Frito, check out my Jamaican Escovitch Fish recipe collaboration with Chef Sayles. He taught me some of his techniques when frying the fish and shared his signature Jamaican spices to create a delicious escovitch fish packed with Caribbean flavor!

Chillo Frito ingredients:

Red snapper
Sofrito
Fresh garlic
Flour
Cebolla en polvo
Ajo en polvo
Adobo
Sazón
Ground oregano
Black pepper

*Find the full recipe with measurements at the bottom of this post or click the Jump to Recipe button at the top of this page.

How to make Chillo Frito:

Clean and prep fish

Clean and scale the fish. Thoroughly rinse with vinegar or lime juice. Slice 3 small slits on each side of the fish. Pat dry.

Season fish

Rub the fish with sofrito and crushed garlic on both sides. Season generously with the spices. Prepare the flour by adding adobo and sazon. Mix until well combined. Coat the fish with the flour mixture. Set aside.

Fry the fish

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add enough oil to deep fry the fish. Fry the fish until browned and crisp, about 5 to 7 minutes per side, depending on the size of the fish. Use tongs and a spatula or two spatulas to flip the fish carefully and prevent it from falling apart.

Remove fish and place on a paper towel-lined plate to soak excess oil. Serve the fish with your favorite sides. ¡Buen provecho!

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Chillo Frito (Puerto Rican Fried Red Snapper)

Chillo Frito or Puerto Rican fried red snapper is bursting with rich Caribbean flavors and fried to golden perfection. This fish is seasoned with a blend of spices and fresh garlic. I sometimes add sofrito for added flavor.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings 4 people

Ingredientes

2 red snapper, whole cleaned and scaled
4 enteros garlic crushed
1/4 taza sofrito
1/2 taza all-purpose flour
1 quart aceite de canola other oil options: corn oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, or peanut oil

Seasonings

1 tsp cebolla en polvo
1 tsp ajo en polvo
1 tsp adobo
1 tsp sazón
1/4 tsp ground oregano
1/8 tsp pimienta negra

Intrucciones

Clean and prep fish

Clean and scale the fish. Slice 3 small slits on each side of the fish. Pat dry.

Season fish

Rub the fish with sofrito and crushed garlic on both sides and then season generously with the spices.
Prepare the flour by adding adobo and sazon, about 1/2 tsp each. Mix until well combined. Coat the fish with the flour mixture. Set aside.

Fry the fish

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add enough oil to deep fry the fish.
Fry the fish until browned and crisp, about 5-7 minutes per side, depending on the size of the fish. Use tongs and a spatula or two spatulas to flip the fish carefully and prevent it from falling apart.
Remove fish and place on a paper towel-lined plate to soak excess oil.
Serve the fish with your favorite sides. ¡Buen provecho!