Oven Baked Blackened Tilapia

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Blackened Tilapia is a wonderful dinner, or you can use it for some great fish tacos. While it is bursting with spicy goodness, it is adjustable to your heat tolerance. An easy and quick recipe that is much healthier than frying.

Editor note: Originally published August 3, 2012. Republished March 4, 2018. This has always been a top ten recipe on the site and is frequently my top Pinterest recipe. But it is time for some re-editing of the text and photos.

I have wanted to do an oven baked blackened tilapia for a while. I had 5 or 6 recipes saved in my file with one over a year old. I looked at Paula Deen but lots of thyme and no pepper. It just didn’t seem right to me. I ended up with an Aaron MaCorgo Jr (Food Networks “Big Daddy”) recipe. This man can cook and is a joy to watch, highly recommended.

The big change was going from fry pan to oven. This was not that hard. Just spice it up and cook with a little oil including a light spray of Pam, so the top is not dry.

I only made a few changes to the seasoning. I use Spanish paprika instead of smoked. I just like the taste better. I cut the cayenne pepper a little. It was just right for my wife and me. The whole teaspoon would have been way too much for me.

Do you want grilled version? Try my Grilled Blackened Tilapia

My Rating

Wonderful. Spice it up to your desire. Just give it a try.

The 10-Minute Rule for Cooking Fish

So, can you do this with a different fish? Yep. Here are some guidelines for cooking fish.

Originally published in the “Canadian Fish Cook Book” 1959 from Canadian Department of Fisheries, the 10-minute rule is not perfect, but it is very good. It works for any cooking method – frying, baking and sautéing.

Measure the fish at its thickest point. If the fish is stuffed or rolled, measure it after stuffing or rolling and then time it accordingly.
Cook fish 10 minutes per inch, turning it halfway through the cooking time. For example, a one-inch fish steak should be cooked 5 minutes on each side for a total of 10 minutes. Pieces of fish less than 1/2-inch thick do not need to be turned over.
Add 5 minutes to the total cooking time if you are cooking the fish in foil, or if the fish is cooked in a sauce.
Double the cooking time for frozen fish that has not been defrosted.

Let’s thank our Canadian neighbors.

Notes on Oven Baked Blackened Tilapia

The seasoning would go well with other fish or chicken.

My tilapia was frozen and ended up being very large fillets. I cooked them for 10 minutes, and they were just right. Thinner fillets probably need a minute or two less.

I was oven baking but did not want dry, so I use some oil on the tray and even sprayed the top with some oil in the form of PAM. I find frying fish in a pan a “pain.” You have to do multiple batches, keep it warm in the oven and stand there all the time. And the mess, oh the mess, oven baking is just so much easier.

I did an easy tartar sauce that went well with this. This is included in the recipe to use if you wish.

Lastly the heat. I use a half teaspoon of cayenne pepper here. This was a 7/10 hot. I suspect most people will want 1/4 teaspoon. I have done this with 1/4 teaspoon, and it is the expected 3-4/10 heat level.

Combine 3 tablespoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon onion powder, one teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon dry thyme, one teaspoon dry oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. This makes more than you need and save it for another cooking. The cayenne heat level will be 9/10 at 1 teaspoon, 7/10 at 1/2 teaspoon and 3-4/10 at 1/4 teaspoon.

Preheat oven to 425 convection. Line a sheet pan with foil and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Brush it over the foil in an area that will have fish.

Rinse and pat dry 1 pound of tilapia.

Brush the tilapia with olive oil.

Cover the fillets with the spices and rub it in (both sides). You will only need about 1/2 of the spice mix you made.

Place on the oiled pan and give the fish a light spray of PAM. Place in the preheated oven.

If you want a homemade tartar sauce, combine 1/3 cup mayo, 2 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish and 1/4 teaspoon onion powder. Mix well.

Cook until nicely brown and flaky. This is about 10 minutes for big fillets and a minute or two less for small to medium fillet.

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Oven Baked Blackened Tilapia

CourseFish, Main Course
CuisineAmerican

Servings	Prep Time
4 servings	10 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
4 servings	10 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Oven Baked Blackened Tilapia

CourseFish, Main Course
CuisineAmerican

Servings	Prep Time
4 servings	10 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Servings	Prep Time
4 servings	10 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound Tilapia fillets
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Blackening Rub

3 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoons onion powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Simple Tartar Sauce

1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish
1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Servings: servings

Units:

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 convection.
Combine 3 tablespoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon onion powder, one teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon dry thyme, one teaspoon dry oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. This makes more than you need and save it for another cooking. The cayenne heat level will be 9/10 at 1 teaspoon, 7/10 at 1/2 teaspoon and 3-4/10 at 1/4 teaspoon.
Line a sheet pan with foil and add 2 tablespoon olive oil. Brush it over the foil in an area that will have fish.
Rinse and pat dry 1 pound of tilapia. Brush with olive oil. Cover the fillets with the spices and rub it in (both sides). Use only about 1/3 - 1/2 of what you mixed. Save the rest for another cooking.
Place on the oiled pan and give a light spray of PAM. Place in the preheated oven.
If you want a homemade tartar sauce, combine 1/3 cup mayo, 2 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish and 1/4 teaspoon onion powder. Mix well.
Cook until nicely brown and flaky. This is about 10 minutes for big fillets and a minute or two less for small to medium fillets.

Recipe Notes

Important notes:

The spice mix makes more than you need. You only need 1/3 to 1/2 of the mix for one pound of fish. Save the rest for another cooking.
The cayenne heat level will be 9/10 at 1 teaspoon, 7/10 at 1/2 teaspoon and 3-4/10 at 1/4 teaspoon. Or skip it if you want.
Nutritional information do not include tarter sauce.

________________________________

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.

Originally Published August 3, 2012
Last Updated March 4, 2018

Nutrition Facts

Oven Baked Blackened Tilapia

Amount Per Serving

Calories 178 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 10g 15%

Saturated Fat 2g 10%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 5g

Cholesterol 40mg 13%

Sodium 563mg 23%

Potassium 60mg 2%

Total Carbohydrates 5g 2%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 1g

Protein 21g 42%

Vitamin A 6%

Vitamin C 5%

Calcium 5%

Iron 13%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Blackened Tilapia is a wonderful dinner, or you can use it for some great fish tacos. While it is bursting with spicy goodness, it is adjustable to your heat tolerance. An easy and quick recipe that is much healthier than frying.