This Blackened Tilapia Recipe is quick, smoky, and topped with juicy pineapple salsa for a fresh, flavorful dinner ready in under 30 minutes.
author’s note
Easy Enough for Tuesday, Fancy Enough for Guests!
I’ve been obsessed with that pineapple chicken, so I had to bring those same flavors back. This time with tilapia! The salsa’s basically the same, but instead of marinating chicken, I’m blackening some quick-cooking fish.
This blackened tilapia recipe is simple, packed with flavor, and so delicious. This is one of those go-to meals I make when we’re hosting and I want to impress without spending hours in the kitchen. Quick, easy, and always a hit!
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Helpful Tips & Easy Swaps |
|---|---|
| Tilapia | Pat it dry so it gets a better crust when cooked. |
| Mojo Seasoning | Cuban seasoning or your favorite blackening seasoning also works. |
| Pineapple | Use ripe pineapple—it should smell sweet and look golden. |
| Jalapeño | Remove seeds for mild salsa or leave some in for extra heat. |
| Black Beans | Drain and rinse a can of black beans or make your own. |
| Fresh Cilantro | The stems are full of flavor, so chop those too. |
| Limes | Fresh lime juice makes a huge difference compared to bottled. |
| Basmati Rice | Rinse it first to make it fluffier. |
How To Make Blackened Tilapia Recipe
- Season Tilapia: Dry tilapia fillets; season with blackening spices, salt, and pepper.
- Heat Skillet: Heat a heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) on medium-high with oil or butter until shimmering.
- Cook Tilapia: Cook fillets for 3-5 minutes each side until blackened and flaky.
- Serve: Serve hot with optional lemon juice.
chelsea’s recipe tip
Time-Saving Tips
- Cut Pineapple: Buy pineapple that’s already peeled and cored. Or use a corer/slicer.
- Cook Rice Ahead: Make a big batch early in the week. Use extras for stir fry or curry.
- Juicer Tip: A basic citrus juicer makes lime juice fast—great for this recipe and if you use limes a lot.
Storage
Blackened Tilapia Recipe Leftovers
- Store leftover tilapia in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Keep the pineapple salsa separate and refrigerate in a sealed container for 2–3 days.
Serve Blackened Tilapia With:
Blackened Tilapia Recipe
This pan seared Blackened Tilapia Recipe pairs perfectly with a simple pineapple-cilantro salsa to create an unforgettable flavor combo.
Equipment
- Large pan nonstick
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons finely diced jalapeño divided
- 1 medium red onion diced and sliced
- 1 bunch cilantro divided
- 3 limes divided
- 1 cup uncooked basmati rice
- 2-1/2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- Salt and pepper
- 3 cups diced pineapple
- 3 tilapia filets 1 pound
- 2 teaspoons mojo rub
Instructions
- Dice a jalapeño and measure 5 tablespoons. Halve a red onion and cut one half into thin strips to get about 3/4 cup, then finely dice the other half to measure 1/2 cup. Finely chop cilantro to obtain 3/4 cup for the salsa and 3 tablespoons for the rice. Zest and juice the limes to get 4 tablespoons of juice and 1 teaspoon of zest. Cut the remaining lime into wedges for serving. Cook rice according to package directions.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large nonstick pan, and heat to medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add diced jalapeño and thinly sliced red onion. Sauté, stirring frequently, until softened. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add black beans and stir until warmed through, 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and then add black bean mixture to the cooked rice. Add 2 tablespoons lime juice and 3 tablespoons diced cilantro. Season rice and beans mixture to taste with salt and pepper; I use about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss and taste for seasoning; adjust according to personal preference. Cover to keep warm and set aside.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice and 1 teaspoon zest to a bowl along with 3/4 cup diced cilantro, remaining 2 tablespoons diced jalapeño, remaining 1/2 cup diced red onion, and diced pineapple. Add salt and pepper to taste, I add about 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/16 teaspoon pepper. Stir until combined and set aside (see note 1).
- Heat 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil in the large nonstick pan you used for the beans over medium-high heat. Pat tilapia dry with a paper towel, season all over with mojo rub, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper as desired. Gently rub seasoning on all sides of the fish. When oil is shimmering, add tilapia. Fry until browned on the bottom, about 3–5 minutes. Flip and cook until spices are blackened and fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, about 3–5 more minutes. Remove fish from the heat. Season with additional salt if needed.
- Divide the rice evenly between plates and add tilapia right on top. Generously spoon pineapple salsa on top of everything. Serve with fresh lime wedges and enjoy!
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: You’ll probably have more pineapple salsa than needed for the fish, but I love a generous topping! Alternatively, you can enjoy the extra salsa with chips. While you can halve the recipe, I prefer it as written to avoid wasting any veggies.
Storage: Store Blackened Tilapia in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Keep Pineapple Salsa in a separate container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 586kcal | Carbohydrates: 70.8g | Protein: 34.3g | Fat: 22.8g | Cholesterol: 53.3mg | Sodium: 1185.5mg | Fiber: 15.2g | Sugar: 12.2g | Vitamin A: 880IU | Vitamin C: 220mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Great stuff! Although I must agree w/Dave that the directions are hard to follow. Maybe it’s a male thing.
Is the nutritional content pre serving or all together for 2-4 servings?
per serving!
Probably the most confusing recipe I’ve ever read. The way it’s written makes it seem much more confusing than it is. Haven’t even finished making dinner yet because it’s taking me so long to read and reread.
Sorry Dave!
This was good! My husband has done keto for the last 6 months, but hit a plateau so I’m migrating him to an endomorph friendly diet to include a few “good” carbs. I substituted riced cauliflower for the rice and used chicken (because I didn’t have tilapia on-hand). It turned out very well! Definitely keeping this recipe!
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks Leigh! 🙂
Hey Chelsea,
I’ve discovered Tilapia and we love it, only the frozen Parmesan crusted we’ve been buying has so much salt!
Your recipe is even higher in salt. How can I reduce the salt in this? Would I just add 1 tsp. of mojo and add no other salt?
Thanks!
Hey Catherine! Yes, feel free to reduce the salt in this to personal preference. If you’re concerned from the nutrition label, I do think the sodium amount in the nutrition facts are off a bit; the calorie counter I use counts black beans before being rinsed off which drastically increases sodium count. If you rinse the black beans, you’ll reduce the sodium by a lot
I’d give 6 stars if i could. This was wonderful! We licked the platter clean! This will
be my go-to tilapia recipe from here on. Thanks for such a fresh and easy recipe that uses staple ingredients! And no grilling! 🙂
Oh yay! So thrilled to hear this was a hit 🙂 Thanks so much for the comment Becky! 🙂
I don’t like fish but decided I’d try a fis recipe once a week to try new food. I LOVED this! I’ll definitely be making it again!
Oh yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed this Ann! 🙂
OMG!! I made this for dinner. It was amazing!!! I added corn to the beans and red bell pepper to the pineapple salsa, it was beautiful and delicious! ???? oh and supper quick!
YAYY!! I’m soo happy to hear this! Those additions to the salsa sound amazing! Thanks for the tip! 🙂
How delicious!! Ahh I absolutely love tilapia, and especially with a nice fruity salsa. YUM!
Ahh you’ll love this! Thanks for your comment! 🙂