Healthy, Fresh, and Flavorful Blackened Tilapia coated with a generous blend of spices that transform this humble cut of fish into a 5-star dish!

Ready in just 15 minutes, it won’t take long for you to prepare this entree and then serve it with avocado salad or your favorite side.

If you love seafood, try this delicious Blackened Tilapia recipe. It’s a simple meal that takes less than 30 minutes. You can enjoy it with your significant other, best friend, or anyone else who enjoys seafood just as much as you do.

How to Make the Blackened Tilapia

1. Make your Blackened Tilapia by adding the spices to a bowl, including garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, sugar, oregano, salt, and more. 

2. Rub the spices on both sides of the tilapia, covering it with a generous amount. 

3. Add butter to your skillet, allow it to melt, and then add your fish to the skillet. 

4. Cook the tilapia for about four minutes on each side until it becomes blackened and crispy. 

5. Remove your fish from the skillet, set it off to the side, and then prepare your salsa. 

6. Serve your tilapia with fresh salsa on top of it.

Can I use frozen avocado for the fresh salsa?

You can use frozen avocado if you don’t feel like cutting a ripe avocado and slicing it down. However, if you’re going to use the frozen avocado, let it defrost for at least an hour before you use it to prepare the fresh salsa. You don’t want it to be frozen when you’re making the salsa.

Do I use fresh lemon juice in this recipe?

It’s best to use fresh lemon juice. You can add the lemon wedges or slices to your fish to garnish it after you plate it with your avocado salsa.

What should I serve with the Blackened Tilapia?

You can serve your fresh Blackened Tilapia with lots of flavorful sides. It’ll taste great with a side of roasted seasoned broccoli, white rice, or even cauliflower rice. You can also serve it with other vegetables that you enjoy, such as corn on the cob and baby carrots.

How many servings does this recipe make?

You’ll have enough food to serve two people with this recipe. Don’t hesitate to double the recipe with more tilapia, spices, and fresh avocado salsa if you need to feed more than two people at once.

How long will it take to make the Blackened Tilapia?

It will take you about five minutes to season your tilapia before you get started. Once it’s seasoned, it takes 15 minutes to cook your tilapia and prepare your salsa. It’s a meal that you can make in 20 minutes, making it the perfect choice for a quick homemade meal when you’re pressed for time.

Can I cook the fish in the Air Fryer instead of a skillet?

If you don’t want to cook the tilapia in the skillet, you can add butter to your Air Fryer and cook it in there. You’ll need to flip it to allow it to cook on both sides. It should still turn out crispy and delicious if you choose this method.

5 from 4 votes

Blackened Tilapia

Healthy 15 Minute Tilapia coated with a generous blend of spices that transform this humble cut of fish into a 5-star dish!
Prep5 minutes
Cook10 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients 

To prepare avocado salsa

  • 1 medium avocado, chopped
  • 1 medium tomato, chopped
  • 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
  • 1/4 lemon, juice
  • 1/2 tsp teaspoon ground pepper
  • Salt to taste

Instructions 

  • In a medium bowl prepare the spice rub by combining garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, sugar, paprika, ground pepper, oregano, and salt.
  • Coat the tilapia fillets with a generous sprinkle of spice rub all over.
  • Heat a large skillet with butter and add the tilapia. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side until the tilapia fillets turn crispy and blackened.
  • Remove the fillets and keep them aside. 
  • Prepare the salsa by combining the ingredients mentioned under “to prepare avocado salsa."
  • Serve the tilapia while it is still warm along with the avocado salsa on top.

Equipment

Nutrition

Serving: 1tilapia without avocado salsa, Calories: 181kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 72mg, Sodium: 693mg, Potassium: 400mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 559IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 33mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: blackened, fish, spicy, tilapia
like this recipe? Rate & Comment below!


You May Also Like

5 from 4 votes (3 ratings without comment)

Rate + Review

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




The maximum upload file size: 800 MB. You can upload: image, audio, video, document, spreadsheet, interactive, text, archive, code, other. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop file here

2 Comments

  1. very good! i would double the spice rub bc i like it more spicy. easy to prep in advance as well. making the salsa takes the longest