This Blackened Tilapia is packed full of spicy Cajun flavor and comes together in LESS THAN 10 MINUTES! Topped with a cool and refreshing avocado cucumber salsa, this is the perfect quick and easy low-carb recipe.
It’s ridiculously fast and easy to make this blackened tilapia. With the help of some very high heat and pre-mixed blackening seasoning, this is a no-fuss recipe that’s perfect for busy weeknights.
Blackening is a Cajun cooking technique that involves coating fish, shrimp, or other protein in a spice mixture, usually consisting of thyme, oregano, chili powder, salt, pepper, garlic, and onion, and cooked over very high heat in butter. The spices become burned (yes, it’s OK to burn your food in this situation), hence the term “blackened.”
For a 100% paleo/whole30 compliant or dairy-free recipe, you can use ghee or olive oil instead of butter. I like using butter because it’s more authentic- the milk solids in the butter also become a bit burnt, enhancing the blackened flavor.
I used a store-bought blackening seasoning for this, but you can easily mix up a homemade version. I was just feeling a bit lazy. There’s just something about having two kids under two makes me want to simplify my cooking even more than usual.
You can also use another seasoning mix with similar flavors in a pinch, such as taco seasoning. Blackening is more about the technique than the specific blend of spices.
The avocado cucumber salsa is a deliciously refreshing accompaniment to the spicy blackened fish. It’s so easy to throw together in a few minutes- just mix some diced avocado, diced cucumber (seeds removed, so it doesn’t get too watered down), parsley, lemon juice, and salt together in a bowl. Done.
The salsa is delicious on it’s own, and it would be great on avocado toast or served with steaks or on chicken tacos.
And the fish could not be easier to make. Here’s how.
First, I recommend using a cast iron skillet for this. You can use another heavy skillet, but cast iron will get intensely hot and, if it’s well-seasoned, provide the perfect non-stick surface for cooking this delicate fish.
(Here’s some info on how to use, season, and care for cast iron skillets– my favorite cookware!)
You’re going to want to get the skillet insanely hot. Like smoking, turn on your oven fan and open a window hot. This will enable the fish to cook extremely fast and develop the burnt, blackened crust without overcooking the inside.
Pat the tilapia filets dry with a paper towel, then coat each in the blackening seasoning, pressing the spices into the fish and covering every speck of surface area.
Then, melt the butter in the hot skillet. Cook the fish for two minutes on each side (yes, only two minutes!), or until fully cooked (you can tell if it’s cooked if it flakes apart easily with a fork). If you have extra thick filets, it may take 2 1/2-3 minutes per side.
I had to cook my tilapia in two batches, so I divided the butter in half for each batch.
You can use this blackened tilapia in tacos, or use the same blackening technique for shrimp, salmon, chicken, catfish, or other proteins.
We had this with Mango Quinoa Salad– a cool, refreshing, sweet salad that pairs perfectly with the blackened fish. It would also be great with this Thai Sesame Red Cabbage and Carrot Salad or this Mediterranean Chickpea Salad.
If you’re looking for other easy fish recipes, you’ll love this Six-Minute Seared Ahi Tuna Steak recipe and this Four-Ingredient Oven-Fried Catfish recipe!
Here’s the recipe!
10-Minute Blackened Tilapia with Avocado Cucumber Salsa
Ingredients
- 4 tilapia filets
- 1/4 cup blackening seasoning store bought or homemade
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 large avocado diced
- 1 cucumber seeded and diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped
- juice of 1 lemon plus more lemon wedges for serving
- kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over high heat until screaming hot. You might want to turn your fan on or open a window for this one!
- Meanwhile, pat the tilapia filets dry with a paper towel. Coat each in 1 tablespoon of the blackening seasoning, pressing it onto the fish so it sticks on every part of the surface.
- Melt butter (4 tablespoons) in the skillet. Add the tilapia and cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until fish is fully cooked and flakes apart easily with a fork. If you need to cook it in two batches, use half the butter for each batch.
- Meanwhile, mix the avocado, cucumber, parsley, lemon juice, and kosher salt to taste in a small bowl.
- Serve blackened tilapia with the avocado cucumber salsa, with more lemon wedges (optional).
Notes
- Make it paleo/whole30/dairy free: use ghee or olive oil instead of butter.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Recommended Equipment
- Fish Spatula
Amy
Excellent and light. I didn’t use blackening I used Cajun and it was still marvelous.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! Cajun seasoning and blackening seasoning are basically one in the same so that was a great substitute choice. You can also use bbq rub!
Robyn
Loved this salsa especially! Will be a staple for sure. Light and fresh.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Glad you liked it!
Kathleen
The blackened seasoning was too spicy for me (glad I tasted it first) so I used Old Bay instead with just a touch of Cajun seasoning and it was perfect. The salsa really sets off the fish nicely. I will make this again.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it- great idea about using Old Bay instead of blackening seasoning!
Melissa
This was delicious! Even my picky eaters loved it. I was a little hesitant about the cucumber Avocado salad but it was a perfect compliment to the fish. Quick to make, an easy weeknight meal.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
June
I absolutely love this recipe and have made it many times!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you like it!
Brooke E Horan
Wow. Wow. Wow!!!!!!
This is the cats ass!
Can not believe how Easy it was!!!
Made the homemade blackening seasoning and the salsa and dinner was done in lightening speed!!!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
SO happy you liked it!!
Corrine
Haven’t tried recipe yet ( I’m allergic to fish) but my teenage granddaughter is trying to eat healthier. Can this recipe be used with frozen tilapia?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Absolutely! Just make sure to completely defrost it first. I usually take the frozen filet, and unwrap it if it’s vacuum sealed, and place it on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Let it defrost in the fridge for 24-48 hours. It will probably release a lot of liquid as it thaws, so make sure to dry it off as best you can before proceeding with the recipe. Hope that helps!
Kim
Quick, Healthy, easy and yummy.
A win win.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Sara
I made this using walleye and it was so delicious!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Cori J
This was soooo incredibly delicious!! It will definitely be added to the weekly menu. Thank you so much for a quick, easy, and satisfying dinner 😋
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thanks! So happy you liked it- it’s one of my favorite healthy, quick and easy meals!
10 kitchen
Hey, Thank you for this tilapia recipe, we only eat fish twice in a week. I think we should make this next week!
Elizabeth
Hope you like it! It’s one of my favorites- perfect for warm weather!
Colby
Just made this with 2 large tilapia fillets I got this morning. Wasn’t sure exactly how I was going to cook them. So, I started looking at recipes. I found this one and it seemed simple enough, and I love anything that has to do with avocados (which I got 6 of also this morning). The fish is easy to make, mine stuck a little bit in a regular pan with avocado cooking oil, but nothing horrible, and I was still able to keep it intact. The avocado/cucumber salsa is simple, yet, very delicious. I used 1 whole cucumber and almost 3 avocados, some sea salt, a little lime juice, and I used fresh cilantro, as I did not have any parsley. It is also good by itself on multi grain tortilla chips, but works with the fish nicely. I wasn’t sure how it would be with blackened tilapia, but it turned out great! Will be making this again for sure!
Elizabeth
SO happy you liked the recipe! Funny thing- I actually used parsley only because I didn’t have any cilantro. I bet it tasted delicious with it!
Karly
This looks so delicious! Thanks for sharing!