Wonderfully spicy grill tilapia will keep them coming back for more with this blackened tilapia. Healthy eating has never been so good nor so simple and easy as this.
Based on my Oven Baked Blacken Tilapia, it only takes 2 minutes per side to get a grilled masterpiece. I have included options for cooking tools (basket vs. griddle) and for levels of heat.
The main complaint about the oven baked tilapia was the lack of “crustiness” so this has been on the to-do list for a while. Well, this solved that issue. Give it a try; you will love it.
This goes great with my Simple Tartar Sauce.
Rating
This is the easiest 5 in a long time. Definitely the leader for the best recipe of the year.
Notes
I used a Brinkmann Steel Flexible Grilling Basket that cost about $15 (I bought it myself) at Home Depot. You can also get one at Amazon for a few dollars more. Highly rated by Consumers Report.
Preheat grill to as high as it will go. For me, that is about 600 degrees. If using a griddle instead of a grill basket, then place it on the grill to preheat.
Combine 3 T paprika, one t salt, 1 T onion powder, one t black pepper, one t dry thyme, one t dry oregano and 1/2 t garlic powder. Also, add cayenne pepper 1/4 tsp for normal (3/10 heat) 1/2 tsp for spicy (7/10) and one tsp for a manly man.
Rinse and pat dry 1 pound of tilapia.
Melt 1 T butter in a microwave. About 15 seconds.
Brush both sides of tilapia with the melted butter.
Coat both sides of the tilapia with a generous amount of the rub.
Spray a flexible grill basket with a generous amount of PAM.
Load the tilapia in the grill basket. Alternatively, if using a griddle then add a tablespoon or so of vegetable oil to grill. Do not use olive oil since it smokes at high temperatures.
Place the tilapia on preheated grill and close lid. Grill for only 2 minutes. Flip and grill another 2 minutes. Use a watch with a second hand and do not over cook.
Done. Serve immediately.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4 servings | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 4 minutes |
|
|
| Wonderfully spicy grill tilapia will keep them coming back for more with this blackened tilapia. Healthy eating has never been so good nor so simple and easy as this.
|
- 1 pound Tilapia
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 tablespoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dry thyme
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste
- Preheat grill to as high as it will go. For me, that is about 600 degrees.
- Combine 3 T paprika, 1 t salt, 1 T onion powder, 1 t black pepper, 1 t dry thyme, 1 t dry oregano, and 1/2 t garlic powder. Also, add cayenne pepper 1/4 tsp for normal (3/10 heat) 1/2 tsp for spicy (7/10) and one tsp for a manly man.
- Rinse and pat dry 1 pound of tilapia.
- Melt 1 T butter in a microwave. About 15 seconds. Brush both sides of tilapia with the melted butter.
- Coat both sides of the tilapia with a generous amount of the rub.
- Spray a flexible grill basket with a generous amount of PAM.
- Load the tilapia in the grill basket. Alternatively, if using a griddle then add a tablespoon or so of vegetable oil to grill. Do not use olive oil since it smokes at high temperatures.
- Place the tilapia on preheated grill and close lid. Grill for only 2 minutes. Flip and grill another 2 minutes. Use a watch with a second hand and do not over cook.
- Serve immediately.
________________________________
All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
If you like this recipe or find it useful, the pleasure of a nice 4 or 5 rating would be greatly appreciated. Rating is done by clicking on the stars above.
Updated
June 29, 2016
Hi All, I'm DrDan and welcome to 101 Cooking for Two. We present some of the best recipes with easy to follow step by step photo instructions to make your everyday cooking needs easier. 
Mythreyi
Looks wonderful and delicious… Looks like the Grill Gadget is handy esp for Fish with out making it apart…
-Mythreyi
Yum! Yum! Yum!
rhfromfl
Absolutely GREAT photographs. I’ll be making this for dinner this evening (but not before I go out to purchase the Brinkmann grilling basket). Thanks for sharing!!!
Dan Mikesell
I always like a good toy and a cheap toy like this grill basket is just fun. I think Home Depot owes me something…
The photos are my way of “telling the story” of a recipe. I’m trying to get people to say “I can do that”. I’m a complete left brain guy so they are not artistic just functional.
Marc
Is the big T table spoon and the little t teaspoon? Thanks looks so good
DrDan
Yep. Old abbreviations. I spell them out now but didn’t before and there are to many recipes to go back and edit. I cover it in the FAQ’s but it does seem to confuse people.
Unknown
This is the best fish I have ever eaten.
Carla
AWESOME!!! So flavorful and spicy. Loved it!! Will be making again (and again and again)… Thank you!!
DrDan
I do love this recipe. With summer here, I need to do it over and over also.
Thanks for the comment
DrDan
Jane
We cooked it for 2 minutes per side and did not cook through on 700 on our grill :/
DrDan
Humm… there are not many variables here. As long as the fish is fully thawed and the grill very hot, it seems to always work. The only variables would be thickness of the fish and perhaps an errant thermometer. Sorry it didn’t work for you
DrDan
Lisa
Made these this weekend and there was nearly a fight to get the last bits. They are so amazing. I bought the weber fish grill basket as I have a gas grill and didn’t want to deal with a wooden handle, worth every penny. I made this to be the fish in fish tacos and I have to share the sauce which complements the fish so completely!
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
1 tbsp sriracha sauce
1 garlic clove
1 t cumin
1/2 t chili powder
½ lime (juiced)
fresh salsa with cilantro
add shredded cabbage and OMG! Thanks so much!!!
Lisa
Forgot to mention to everyone that I was able to coat 2 lbs of fish and had 1/3-1/2 of the blackening left. Also, next time I will lay all the fish on the basket and brush with butter and sprinkle with seasoning, flip and do the other side, to save time.
DrDan
I do go a little heavy on the spice…
Dan
DrDan
Great looking sauce. They are very tasty and your sauce looks like a great match.
Thanks for the comments.
DrDan
Steve
I cooked mine for 3 mins per side since my grill would not close with the grill basket handle sticking out and they were perfect!
It’s easy to use more Cayenne Pepper than needed. Used Mango Chutney on top and was wonderful!
Douglas Evans
Great recipe! Both my wife and I loved the result. We will be grilling the blackened tilapia reccipe again.
Thanks for the suggestion.
DrDan
I do love this recipe.
Thanks for the note and rating.
DrDan
Sheryl
I made this tonight. Used 1/8 tsp cayenne (plenty hot for us), smoked paprika, and kosher salt. Hubs is still picking at the leftovers instead of eating his usual bowl of ice cream. We all loved it!
Sheryl
Forgot to mention – I cooked it in my Cuisinart Griller machine – took 2 to 2.5 minutes total, since both sides cook at the same time. Easy!
DrDan
Thanks for the notes and comments. Glad it worked well for you.
DrDan
Colton
Is it possible to use olive oil or melt coconut oil, instead of butter, to brush the fish with? Or does that completely change the flavor and/or the way the fish cooks?
DrDan
Any of them should work. The butter will firm up after applied and hold the spices well. There should be minimal effect on taste. Just handle them gently to keep the spice on.
DrDan
Rick
You would probably not want to use olive oil past it’s smoke point or beyond 365-410 degrees. At high temperatures the oil will tend to break down.
Phil
We tried this recipe this past Sunday and enjoyed it so much we repeated it on Monday.The baskets make this process effortless.Our filets were smaller but it still worked fine.Coming from someone who isn’t a real fish lover…..this made a real delicious difference.Many Thanks!
RONALDO
Congratulations, magnific fish.
James
Can you do the same thing with salmon
DrDan
Yes to the spice but no to the technique. I haven’t grill salmon this way.
DrDan
Tami
Thank you for sharing your recipe. My husband and I made this and it is the best blackened seasoning recipe we have ever eaten. The fish was so moist. Our grill only got up to 500 but it still worked perfectly. We will definitely eat our tilapia this way from now on.
Bill
Your grilled blackened tilapia recipe was very good. Made it for dinner tonight and everyone loved it. I was looking fur other recipes, do you have any for grilled salmon or cod?
DrDan
Hi Bill, thanks for the comment. I have done some other grilled fish but nothing worth publishing. Now it just might be my taste… from Iowa and all… if it doesn’t moo, oink or cluck you don’t eat it… I will keep trying.
Dan
Debbie
Ibmade this recipe and put it on a charcoal grill and cooked it in aluminum foil it was so good.