Easy Blackened Tilapia

This blackened tilapia recipe comes together with great flavor in 15 minutes! Each tender bite is packed with spices.

Fancy seafood for dinner? try that Blackened Tilapia! This Cajun technique for cooking seafood and meat gives it restaurant flavor in minutes, perfect for quick and easy meals. Here we’ve used homemade blackened seasoning, which has a savory intrigue and creates a crispy, blackened crust on the outside of the fish. Tilapia is a fun twist on the more popular black salmon: it’s one of our favorite ways to cook this sweet white fish! This was a big winner for us and we hope it will be for you too.

What is blackening?

Blackening is a Cajun-style way of cooking fish and meat in a cast-iron skillet with a special blend of spices until the outside is crispy and blackened. This technique was popularized by famed Louisiana Cajun chef Paul Prudhomme. In a 1980s cookbook that took the world by storm, he created a recipe for blackened rockfish. Since then, blackening has become a popular technique used on various meats and fish, typically chicken, salmon, and shrimp.

Use homemade or store-bought blackened seasoning

The most important thing in this blackened tilapia recipe: the spice mix! Every chef has their own recipe for blackened spices, so there’s no official definition. The famous chef Paul Prudhomme had his own technique and ours is heavily influenced by his method. We’ve added touches of allspice and clove to add allure and nuance. This homemade blackened spice blend has a hint of spiciness but is mild. Feel free to substitute purchased condiments if you’re in a hurry! For the homemade blackened spice you will need:

• Smoked paprika or sweet paprika
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• oregano
• celery seed
• pimento
• cloves
• cayenne
• salt and black pepper

Basic steps for blackened tilapia

Blackened Tilapia only takes 15 minutes to set up, making it great for easy weeknight meals! Here are the basic steps of the process (or continue with the recipe below to get started):

• Pat tilapia dry and add blackened spices. Rub the fish with olive oil and season with the spice mixture.
• Sear the fish, skin-side down, for 2 to 3 minutes. A stainless steel or cast iron skillet will sear the fish better (not a non-stick skillet). Cook over medium heat until about half done.
• Flip and cook for another 2 to 5 minutes. Timing will depend on thickness so use your best judgement. It should be just tender and starting to flake: around 140 degrees Fahrenheit as measured with a food thermometer.

What should be considered when buying tilapia?

Is tilapia sustainable? The large amount of tilapia available for purchase is farmed, but it is considered sustainable fish if you find responsibly farmed fish. Monterrey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch recommends the following:

• Look for tilapia, which are grown in runways in Peru and in ponds in Ecuador. Then look for tilapia from Colombia, Honduras, Mexico, Indonesia and Taiwan.
• Tilapia is a better choice when grown in indoor recirculation tanks with wastewater treatment, and a good alternative when the wastewater is untreated.
• Also look for tilapia that are certified by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, Best Aquaculture Practices and Naturland.

What to serve with blackened tilapia

Is your pan sizzling with blackened tilapia? We love that this recipe is so quick, so we like to pair it with quick and easy side dishes. Here’s what we recommend serving:

More tilapia recipes

Want more with tilapia? Here are some of our other favorite ways to cook it:

This blackened tilapia recipe is…

Gluten-free, dairy-free (with olive oil) and pescetarian.