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    🏠Home » Recipes » Fish Recipes

    Baked Blackened Tilapia

    Feb 26, 2022 · Modified: Oct 26, 2022 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan · 183 Comments

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4.25 from 505 votes

    Blackened Tilapia is a delicious way to have healthy baked tilapia in the oven bursting with taste and spicy goodness. With a great flavor profile, you can easily adjust or eliminate most of the heat—a super easy 20-minute dinner recipe.

    close up of tilapia on white plate.

    Jump To:
    • 👨‍🍳How to make this recipe
    • Ingredients
    • ❓FAQs
    • 🐟Tilapia Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📝Recipe

    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    Introduction

    Baked tilapia recipes are generally very easy and quick to make. And even fish haters will like tilapia.

    Baked is much healthier than frying. I find frying fish in a frying 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 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 bit of oil, including a light spray of PAM, so the top is not dry. I also adjusted the spicing some.

    Do you want the grilled version? Try my Grilled Blackened Tilapia.

    👨‍🍳How to make this recipe

    1. Start with frozen or fresh tilapia. If frozen, thaw completely in the refrigerator overnight. Give it a good brush of olive oil.
    2. A large baking dish, a sheet pan, or a baking tray work well. I like to use foil for easy clean-up and a heavy coat of oil or cooking spray like PAM to prevent sticking.
    3. Give the tilapia a nice coat of the blackening seasoning (Not all of what you mixed). You can use a different seasoning if you want.
    4. Fish is best cooked in a high oven. 425° conventional for tilapia, but you may adjust the oven temperature to lower if you need to for other dishes.
    5. Bake to an internal temperature of 145° in the thickest part by FDA rules. Always check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. Also, it should flake easily with a fork. It will take 7-8 minutes or about 10 minutes per inch of thickness. but always check the fish a minute or two early.
    6. Do not overcook the tilapia or it will become very dry rapidly.

    Ingredients

    🐟About Tilapia

    Tilapia is a mild-tasting fish that even non-fish eaters will love when appropriately seasoned. It has much less of that "fishy" smell and taste many people don't like.

    Tilapia is a good source of low-fat protein. It is also low in sodium, low in calories, low carb, and, of course, gluten-free. It fits nicely in a healthy diet even if a few "health" sites have attacked tilapia with click bate headlines.

    Most tilapia is farm-raised around the world. While farm-raised tilapia is slightly lower in omega-3 fatty acids than some wild fish, it is also lower in mercury.

    Can I substitute a different fish for the tilapia? Generally, yes, another fish, like cod or halibut, can be used and will normally cook about the same thickness adjustment. Generally, fish will need about 10 minutes per inch of thickness.

    🔥The Blackening Seasoning

    First, a brief discussion about blackening, Cajun, and Creole seasoning: all have a base of paprika, pepper, and some garlic and onion powder.

    But Creole tends to add more herbs and is milder, while Cajun is generally very hot. So depending on how you vary your spice choices, you can change the term.

    For this blackening seasoning, there are two ways to adjust the heat. Or, if you prefer, buy creole or cajan seasoning mix.

    First is the paprika. Many people will like to use smoked paprika. Hungarian paprika is generally hot. But most paprika is just called paprika is what is called sweet paprika, which is what I usually prefer.

    The second heat adjustment is the amount of cayenne pepper amount.

    • 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper will be 9/10 hot
    • ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper will be 7/10 hot
    • ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper will be 3-4/10 hot—my usual
    • none-the heat will depend on the paprika

    ❓FAQs

    Can this recipe be used for fish tacos or sandwiches?

    Yes. Many people will use this for fish tacos or just served on a bun as a blackened fish sandwich.

    Can I use tartar sauce with blackened tilapia?

    Tartar provides a great contrast to the spiciness of the blackened fish.

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

    What should be served with baked tilapia?

    Lime or lemon slices for fresh lemon juice or lime juice. Side dishes of veggies, rice, or potatoes.

    🐟Tilapia Recipes

    Grilled Blackened Tilapia

    Oven Baked Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

    Easy Grilled Tilapia with Paprika

    Grilled Lemon Butter Tilapia

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    101's Best Recipes, Easy Dinner Recipes, Fish Recipes
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    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    Spices for blackening seasoning

    Preheat oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional.

    brushing oil on baking tray

    Line a sheet pan or baking sheet with foil. Spray the foil with PAM or add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and brush over the foil.

    mixing rub ingredients in metal bowl

    This makes more blackened seasoning than you need. Store the extra for later sealed airtight.

    In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper, ¼ to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon dry thyme, one teaspoon dry oregano, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder. The cayenne heat level will be 9/10 at 1 teaspoon, 7/10 at ½ teaspoon, and 3-4/10 at ¼ teaspoon.

    drying tilapia filets with paper towel

    Rinse and pat dry with paper towels 1 pound of tilapia.

    brushing tilapia with oil

    Brush the tilapia with olive oil.

    rubbing spices onto tilapia

    Cover the fillets with the spice mixture and rub it on both sides. You will only need about ¼ to ⅓ of the spice mix you made. DO NOT USE ALL THE MIX.

    spraying tilapia with PAM

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

    cooked blackened tilapia on the baking tray

    Cook until nicely brown and flaky. This is 8-9 minutes for big fillets and a minute or two less for small to medium fillets. For safety, fish needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of 145°

    ingredients for simple tarter sauce

    If you want a homemade tartar sauce, combine ⅓ cup mayo, 2 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish, and ¼ teaspoon onion powder. Mix well.

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    📝Recipe

    flacking Blackened Tilapia on a white plate

    Baked Blackened Tilapia

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    Blackened Tilapia is a delicious way to have healthy baked tilapia in the oven bursting with taste and spicy goodness. With a great flavor profile, you can easily adjust or eliminate most of the heat—a super easy 20-minute dinner recipe.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.25 from 505 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 4 servings

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 1 pound Tilapia fillets - about four
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

    Blackening Rub- More than you need - Keep sealed for future use.

    • 3 tablespoons paprika - of your choice
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoons onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper
    • ¼ to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper - to taste
    • 1 teaspoon thyme
    • 1 teaspoon oregano
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

    Simple Tartar Sauce - optional

    • ⅓ cup mayonnaise
    • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish
    • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional.
      Spices for blackening seasoning
    • Line a sheet pan or baking sheet with foil. Spray the foil with PAM or add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and brush over the foil.
      brushing oil on baking tray
    • This makes more blackened seasoning than you need. Store the extra for later sealed airtight.
      In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper, ¼ to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon dry thyme, one teaspoon dry oregano, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder. The cayenne heat level will be 9/10 at 1 teaspoon, 7/10 at ½ teaspoon, and 3-4/10 at ¼ teaspoon.
      mixing rub ingredients in metal bowl
    • Rinse and pat dry with paper towels 1 pound of tilapia.
      drying tilapia filets with paper towel
    • Brush the tilapia with olive oil.
      brushing tilapia with oil
    • Cover the fillets with the spice mixture and rub it on both sides. You will only need about ¼ to ⅓ of the spice mix you made. DO NOT USE ALL THE MIX.
      rubbing spices onto tilapia
    • Place on the oiled pan and give the fish a light spray of PAM. Place in the preheated oven.
      spraying tilapia with PAM
    • Cook until nicely brown and flaky. This is 8-9 minutes for big fillets and a minute or two less for small to medium fillets. For safety, fish needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of 145°
      cooked blackened tilapia on the baking tray
    • If you want a homemade tartar sauce, combine ⅓ cup mayo, 2 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish, and ¼ teaspoon onion powder. Mix well.
      ingredients for simple tarter sauce
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

    Your Own Private Notes

    Click here to save your own private notes only you will see. These will print and be saved for your next visit.
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    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips

    1. The spice mix makes more than you need. You only need ¼ to ⅓ of the mix for one pound of fish. Save the rest sealed tightly for another cooking.
    2. The cayenne heat level will be 9/10 at 1 teaspoon, 7/10 at ½ teaspoon, and 3-4/10 at ¼ teaspoon. Or skip it if you want.
    3. Use a cajun seasoning or any other seasoning you want.
    4. Remember, you can cook fish with different seasonings on the same tray.
    5. Generally, there will be about four filets of tilapia per pound.
    6. You may use other fish. Be sure frozen fish is completely before using these instructions. If you want to cook frozen fish, cook by temperature.
    7. Fish needs to reach 145° for safety and should be flaky when done.
    8. Cooking time is about 5 minutes per half-inch thickness of the fish.
    9. The oven temperature should be 400° to 450°. I like 425° convection, which gives a better texture.
    10. A light spray of oil (PAM) helps prevent a dry surface.
    11. Check the fish a minute or two early.
    12. Nutritional information does not include the tarter sauce.

    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

    Nutrition Facts
    Baked Blackened Tilapia
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 178 Calories from Fat 90
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 10g15%
    Saturated Fat 2g10%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
    Monounsaturated Fat 5g
    Cholesterol 40mg13%
    Sodium 563mg23%
    Potassium 60mg2%
    Carbohydrates 5g2%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 1g1%
    Protein 21g42%
    Vitamin A 300IU6%
    Vitamin C 4.1mg5%
    Calcium 50mg5%
    Iron 2.3mg13%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Fish|Main Course
    Cuisine : American

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

    Editor note: Originally published August 3, 2012. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.

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    More Fish Recipes

    • Baked Parmesan Crusted Tilapia
    • Grilled Blackened Tilapia
    • Baked Lemon Butter Salmon in a Convection Oven
    • Lemon Butter Tilapia—Grilled or Baked

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    1. Graham

      February 02, 2022 at 7:52 pm

      Hello DrDan:

      I am a baby boomer from Canadian Maritimes and I appreciate your publicity for my homeland. I have used your method for cooking fish many times since I discovered your recipe, and it gives wonderful results with tilapia and every other type of fish I've tried.

      I have a favour to ask. I would like to get my millenial daughter hooked on your recipe to get her to eat more healthy but text and photos are not her style. Is there any chance of you adding a small video to your page for this recipe?

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        February 02, 2022 at 7:59 pm

        Hi Graham,

        Welcome to the blog.

        Even a small video requires hours of work. Although my ad agency and other bloggers want me to do video, I just can't get into it. At my age (older boomer also) I have no interest in learning a new trick. This is my retirement hobby.

        But most younger food bloggers add video for most of their recipes.

        Dan

    2. Asraf abid

      January 23, 2020 at 12:25 am

      I never cook telapia fish like that, But i think it will be so delicious.
      I must try it .

      Reply
      • Alexis Gore

        December 22, 2021 at 9:08 pm

        5 stars
        Beautiful

    3. Ellie

      November 24, 2019 at 1:01 am

      5 stars
      Thank you! Excellent!
      I forgot about Pam, omitted cayenne (don't like it),halved dry ingredients, baked at 425 convection and was totally surprised how moist and tasty the pieces of tilapia turned out.
      Who knew :-)
      P.S. Beautiful pictures of your dog. My dog got baked tilapia too minus all the spices. He's still licking his chops lol. Thank you again :-)

      Reply
      • Samantha Chase

        May 06, 2020 at 7:58 pm

        4 stars
        Love love!!! I added coriander, slap your momma, and magic shrimp seasoning. I also soaked my tilapia in butter for about 30 minutes before seasoning/cooking. Turned out AMAZING ( I always tweak recipes and I never really measure, just how I was taught ) but the base you have posted is wonderful, and I will be making this again. Btw kids loved it too. Also I added dill weed and Dijon mustard to the tarter sauce.

    4. Laura

      June 20, 2019 at 7:09 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent recipe. Cooked on grill at 425.next time I'll leave it on a bit longer for the blackening effect, but the spices were perfect. We used the full amt of cayenne because we love spicy!!
      Thank you!

      Reply
    5. Pat Dougherty

      March 08, 2019 at 6:31 pm

      Sounds great. I've tried cast iron on the stove, but the smoke alarm was not happy.
      A couple of questions: Can I use un-oiled silicone baking pads instead of foil? If I'm doing a smaller quantity of fish, does the cooking time change?

      Thanks!

      Reply
      • DrDan

        March 08, 2019 at 7:29 pm

        Hi Pat,
        Welcome to the blog.
        So your questions. The silicon mat. Yes, but I think it needs a bit of oil. So a light spray of PAM in both sides of the fish would probably be better. But you can try without.
        Cooking time would be unchanged for smaller quantities.
        Dan

    6. Krystal Alley

      November 13, 2018 at 7:20 am

      Dr.Dan, will the recipe be messed up if I don't use the Cayenne pepper at all? My husband is allergic to it.

      Reply
      • DrDan

        November 13, 2018 at 7:55 am

        Hi Krystal,

        Welcome to the blog.

        There is a lot of tastes other than the cayenne so go ahead. Of course, there will be no heat.

        Dan

    7. Colleen

      November 10, 2018 at 6:27 pm

      Loved the recipe! I like seafood and I'm always looking for new fish recipes. Baking is way better than cooking on the stovetop. Less mess and more reliable (for me at least).

      Reply
      • DrDan

        November 10, 2018 at 7:34 pm

        Hi Colleen,

        Welcome to the blog.

        I do love this recipe. The seasoning is just right. I have issues with stovetop fish, it is always fried, makes a mess and I always break the fish somehow. Plus I don't seem to get it done correctly. Baking or grill are much more reliable for me.

        Thanks for the note.
        Dan

    8. Elizabeth G.

      July 22, 2018 at 4:20 pm

      Ohhh I'm excited to eat this blackened tilapia again tonight. It is VERY good! I've made your tartar sauce as well and it's just as good. My question is if I double the tartar sauce how long will it keep in the fridge?

      Reply
      • DrDan

        July 22, 2018 at 4:26 pm

        I would only keep it for about 3 days just like most leftovers.
        Thanks for the note.
        Dan

    9. Tammy

      July 12, 2018 at 10:46 pm

      I usually make our tilapia with fresh lemon and pepper, but didn't have any lemons. So I did a quick google search for recipes with Tilapia, and found yours. Very very good. Happy to not only stumble upon this recipie, but will notlw check out your others. Thanks!

      Reply
    10. Idriceanu

      March 10, 2018 at 8:13 am

      Thank you ! Lots of great ideas, love it !!

      Reply
    11. Judy Uhl

      March 09, 2018 at 3:33 pm

      Made for dinner tonight and it smells delicious! Yummy. Used 1/4 tsp. Cayenne. Just right!

      Reply
    12. Donna

      March 04, 2018 at 5:23 pm

      I'm new to your cooking for 2 recipes (you had me at the oven baked Iowa pork tenderloin recipe a week or so ago! Will be trying that soon!). I haven't searched a lot, but this blackened tilapia recipe made me wonder if you had an oven baked blackened salmon recipe? I'm all about oven baking, too, as it's so much easier than standing over a stove and then cleaning up the grease spatters. Glad to have found a (former) Iowan providing recipes! (I'm nestled halfway between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. Born and raised an Iowan... GO HAWKS! LOL!)

      Reply
      • DrDan

        March 04, 2018 at 6:54 pm

        Hi Donna,

        I do love the baked pork tenderloin. I always get disappointed anymore with the Iowa restaurant versions. They seemed better years ago. Also, I try to bake and not fry if I can. It probably helps that I use real tenderloin and HyVee "tenderloin" is really loin.

        I don’t have much seafood on the blog. I'm from deep in farm country (Chariton) and if it didn’t moo, oink or cluck, you didn’t eat it. Having said that, I’m learning to love less “fishy” things like this recipe. About blackened salmon, no I have never done it but if you find “The 10-Minute Rule for Cooking Fish” which should help adapt this to salmon.

        Nice to hear from somebody from Iowa. GO CYCLONES ;)

    13. Kenneth

      January 29, 2018 at 2:58 pm

      Dr. Dan, I am not sure what to say other than excellent. I was looking for a fish recipe for fish tacos and found your blackened tilapia on a grill. However it was 1*F and my gill was covered in snow so I when noticed a link to the oven baked blackened tilapia I had to give it a try as my wife does not like me to blacken things on the stove top due to the mess and the smoke.
      I had 1 lb of halibut fillets (3) just over an inch thick. I used your recipe as written with one change. I was out of cayenne powder so I sub'd 1 teas of NM chili powder. I cooked 6 minutes per side and it came out great. Cooked but still moist and flaky. We made fish tacos with flour tortillas, cole slaw, and your easy tarter sauce. My wife was suitably impressed. This is another recipe that goes in the "do it again" stack. Thanks from Alaska.

      Reply
    14. Teresa C

      January 26, 2018 at 1:04 pm

      Question: do I need to defrost the fish first?

      Reply
      • DrDan

        January 26, 2018 at 1:14 pm

        Hi Teresa,
        A general role is to double cooking time for frozen fish. I think that is a bit much for something this thin. I would thaw mainly since I don't think the seasoning would penetrate the fish well. Froze is usually vacuum packed so it won't take long in a pan of cool water.
        Dan

    15. Lori

      November 06, 2017 at 7:23 pm

      My husband and I both thought this was too salty. And coming from me that's saying a lot because I even put salt on my pizza. I put about 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper and still too salty. I would put 1/2 tsp salt next time. Otherwise it was tasty and thanks for sharing the recipe.

      Reply
    16. Jessica

      September 17, 2017 at 8:57 pm

      Truly one of my favorite recipes! I feel like I'm a pretty good cook and can handle very complex recipes...but this is so simple and the result is amazing! I have shared this recipe with so many friends and coworkers and they all love it too! I have done this with frozen tilapia filets straight from the bag (cooking temp/time on the bag) and this works great too. Even the tartar sauce is great!

      Reply
    17. Dawn Scotland

      August 31, 2017 at 4:28 pm

      I tried the Oven Baked Blackened Tilapia last night. It was SUPERB!!! I definitely will cook it again. Thanks so much for this Easy to Prepare, Easy to Clean Up recipe. The fish was perfectly Delicious; my Mom and I loved, Loved, LOVED it!

      Reply
    18. Kat

      August 17, 2017 at 4:55 pm

      I have to say, Dr. Dan, you're the only other person I've run across who sprays the top of meat or fish before baking. I believe it's a must-do for keeping things moist and helping with browning, especially at higher temps. Love the spice combo for the tilapia, hits just the right taste buds especially with the
      tartar sauce. AIas, couldn't stop myself from adding sour cream, finely diced purple onions, and lime juice to the tartar sauce but, Wow! It was perfect!

      Reply
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