Meet your new favorite fish recipe. Healthy eating has never been so good or easy as this wonderfully spicy, grilled, blackened tilapia.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
It is time to get some fish in your diet with this spicy, super easy, and fast recipe that will become your personal favorite. Only 2 minutes per side to get you a grilled masterpiece. I have included options for cooking tools (basket vs. griddle) and different levels of heat.
This recipe is based on my oven-baked blackened tilapia, The original recipe was pan-fried. I converted that to an oven and now using it on the grill for crispier results.
Check out these other great tilapia recipes, like baked parmesan tilapia or lemon butter tilapia. Serve tilapia with smashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, healthy biscuits, Cheddar Bay Biscuits, or cornmeal biscuits.
Ingredients
- Tilapia
- Butter
- Blackening Seasoning
- Paprika
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Dry thyme
- Dry oregano
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Cayenne pepper
👨🍳How to Grill Blackened Tilapia
- Rinse and pat dry 1 pound of tilapia. Brush with melted butter and coat with blackening, Cajun, or Creole seasoning
- Use a flexible grill basket or a griddle on the grill on grill preheated on high.
- Place the tilapia on preheated grill. The lid may be open or closed—grill for only 2 minutes. Flip and grill for another 2 minutes. Check temperature (145°) and color. You may need a few minutes or so more.
- While the thinner fish in a grill basket is generally done in about 4-5 minutes total time—thicker fish may take 6-8 minutes—to cook to good color, and 145° minimum temperature.
- Serve immediately, and I suggest with Simple Tartar Sauce.
🐟The tilapia
Tilapia is a mild white fish that is commonly farm-raised but can be caught in the wild. You can use fresh or fully thawed frozen tilapia.
The thickness of tilapia can vary a lot, so cooking time will usually take 2-3 minutes per side, but thick filets may take 4 minutes.
Other fish may be used and time adjusted for the thickness.
🔥How spicing to make the seasoning
Lastly, the heat. I use ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper here. This was a 7/10 hot. I suspect most people will want ¼ teaspoon. I have done this with ¼ teaspoon, which is a 3-4/10 heat level. The original recipe used a full teaspoon which I did once. It was what I call a manly man level of 10/10.
♨️Grilling tips
I used a Brinkmann®️ Steel Flexible Grilling Basket cost about $15 at Home Depot. You can also get one at Amazon. Highly rated by Consumers Report, but I'm sure there are similar devices.
You can also use a preheated griddle, large grill pan, or even directly grill on the grates, but the fish might fall apart with even minimal sticking.
Since the fish is thin and uses high heat, you can cook with the grill lid open or closed—it does not matter.
Grilling Time
While the thinner fish in a grill basket is generally done in about 4-5 minutes, thicker fish may take 6-8 minutes or more—Cook to good color and 145° minimum temperature.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.
Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Preheat the grill to as high as it will go. For me, that is 600°+. If using a griddle instead of a grill basket, then place it on the grill to preheat.
Combine 3 tablespoons paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon onion powder, one teaspoon black pepper, one teaspoon dry thyme, one teaspoon dry oregano, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder. Also, add cayenne pepper ¼ teaspoon for normal (3/10 heat), ½ teaspoon for spicy (7/10), and one teaspoon for manly man 10/10 heat.
Rinse and pat dry 1 pound of tilapia.
Melt 1 tablespoon 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 rub. You won't need all 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 the preheated griddle. Do not use olive oil since it smokes at high temperatures.
Place the tilapia on preheated grill. The lid may be open or closed—grill for only 2 minutes. Flip and grill another 2 minutes. Check temperature (145°) and color. You may need few minutes or so more.
While the thinner fish in a grill basket is generally done in about 4-5 minutes total time, thicker fish may take 6-8 minutes—Cook to good color and 145° minimum temperature.
Serve immediately.
📖 Recipe
Grilled Blackened Tilapia
Ingredients
- 1 pound Tilapia
- 1 tablespoon butter
Blackening Rub-makes enough for 2 pounds
- 3 tablespoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dry thyme
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to as high as it will go. For me, that is 600°+. If using a griddle instead of a grill basket, then place it on the grill to preheat.
- Combine 3 tablespoons paprika, one teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon onion powder, one teaspoon black pepper, one teaspoon dry thyme, one teaspoon dry oregano, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder. Also, add cayenne pepper ¼ teaspoon for normal (3/10 heat), ½ teaspoon for spicy (7/10), and one teaspoon for manly man 10/10 heat.
- Rinse and pat dry 1 pound of tilapia.
- Melt 1 tablespoon 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—you don't need all 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 the preheated griddle. Do not use olive oil since it smokes at high temperatures.
- Place the tilapia on preheated grill. The lid may be open or closed—grill for only 2 minutes. Flip and grill another 2 minutes. Check temperature (145°) and color. You may need few minutes or so more.
- While the thinner fish in a grill basket is generally done in about 4-5 minutes total time—thicker fish may take 6-8 minutes—cook to good color, and 145° minimum temperature.
- Done. Serve immediately.
Your Own Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- You may be grilled with the hood open or closed.
- I use ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper here. This was a 7/10 hot. I suspect most people will want ¼ teaspoon, which is a 3-4/10 heat level. The original recipe used a full teaspoon which I did once. It was what I call manly man level of 10/10.
- Store extra seasoning sealed tightly for next time. This is enough for about 2 pounds.
- While the thinner fish in a grill basket is generally done in about 4-5 minutes total time, thicker fish may take 6-8 minutes—cook to good color, and 145° minimum temperature.
- You may use other fish but need to adjust cooking time by thickness. Thicker fish should be grilled with the grill hood closed.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Originally published May 11, 2013. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
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
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.
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
RONALDO
Congratulations, magnific fish.
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!
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.
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
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
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!
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
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
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
Unknown
This is the best fish I have ever eaten.
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.
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!!!
Mythreyi
Looks wonderful and delicious... Looks like the Grill Gadget is handy esp for Fish with out making it apart...
-Mythreyi
Yum! Yum! Yum!