10 Minute Blackened Tilapia

Craving more blackened protein? Try my blackened chicken, blackened shrimp, and blackened salmon next. I adore cooking with tilapia, as it’s a mild-flavored fish that benefits from the generous use of different spices, especially my homemade blackened seasoning! The tilapia fillets first are first seasoned using a mix of aromatic spices and then seared in a hot pan until they are crispy on both sides and have their signature blackened look.

Why I love this recipe

Quick and easy. From prep to plate, you can have this fish on the table in just 10 minutes! Few ingredients. To cook this versatile protein, you need only a few spices, olive oil, butter, and a few tilapia fillets. So much flavor. You get a mix of sweet, spicy, tangy, and smoky flavors in one. Healthy. Tilapia is a classic white fish with very little fat and tons of protein. Family friendly. My family loves that it doesn’t have a fishy taste whatsoever.

Ingredients needed

Tilapia. You can use both skin-on and skinless fillets. I prefer skinless fillets because I don’t usually eat the skin anyway. Blackening spices. The spice mix used for this blackened fish recipe includes onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, black pepper, smoked paprika, and dried thyme. Salt. To taste. Olive oil. To sear the fish fillets. Any neutral oil works, like vegetable oil.

How to make blackened tilapia

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post. “Delicious!! Seasoning is perfect and one of our favorites!” – Billy Step 1 – Mix all spices in a small bowl. Step 2- Season the tilapia fillets with the spice mixture generously. Ensure both sides are covered. Step 3 – Sear it. Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the fish and cook it for 5 minutes per side until it’s crispy on both sides.

Arman’s recipe tips

Use frozen tilapia fillets. You don’t have to use fresh tilapia fillets. Simply thaw the frozen fillets in the fridge overnight. Then, pat them dry with paper towels and cook them using the blackening technique. You’ll know the fish is fully cooked once it flakes easily with a fork and is opaque in color. Dip the uncooked fillets in melted butter. Doing this is a great way to help all the spices stick to the fish. Oven bake them. If you prefer oven-baking your fish, you can easily do that with this recipe. Heat the oven to 200C/400F and bake the seasoned tilapia fillets for 10 to 12 minutes. Air fry them. Similar to my air fryer tilapia, simply place the seasoned fillets in the air fryer basket and cook for 10 minutes at 200C/400F, flipping once. Make blackened fish tacos by serving the fish in soft tortillas with cabbage slaw and avocado.

Storage instructions

To store: Transfer leftovers into an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Use the tilapia as the main protein source at dinner, and add some potatoes and vegetables to complete the meal. Here are some ideas:

All the potatoes: Like my air fryer baked potatoes, air fryer baked sweet potatoes, grilled sweet potatoes, or a humble microwave potato. Hearty salads: Keep things simple with mixed greens or something a little more like a wedge salad, 7-layer salad, or orzo salad. Sauteed vegetables: Like sauteed broccolini, sauteed brussels sprouts, and sauteed carrots. Grains and starches: Steam white rice, Instant Pot sushi rice, or basmati rice.

To reheat: Heat up the leftover fish in a covered skillet over medium heat or in the oven at 180C/350F until warm.