This grilled tilapia is completely seasoned and straightforward to make! It’s a lightweight and flaky fish that’s stuffed with taste for a easy, wholesome dinner recipe.

Right here’s a recipe that’s spectacular with little effort: grilled tilapia! This flaky white fish has nudged its means into my coronary heart. I eat the Mediterranean food plan, and that is the place I typically flip once I’m in search of a scrumptious seafood dinner.
In case you’re in search of a enjoyable grilled fish recipe, this flaky tilapia is bursting with savory, smoky taste. Topped with candy and tender blistered cherry tomatoes, it seems beautiful and so they add pops of candy taste. It’s the best summer season meal for entertaining or perhaps a weeknight. (Plus, my youngsters love this one: double rating.)
5 Star Reader Overview




“Simple Grilled Tilapia…I simply made this. Very yummy. I feel I’ll do that for grilled halibut subsequent. Thanks for posting this!!!
” -Steve
Substances For Grilled Tilapia
This grilled tilapia recipe is a type of back-pocket recipes that each house prepare dinner wants. When you’ve made it as soon as, memorize it and make it on repeat! Right here’s what you’ll want for this straightforward, wholesome recipe:
- Tilapia fillets: Tilapia is a light, flaky white fish that’s a comparatively reasonably priced alternative. You need to use contemporary or frozen right here. (Most tilapia is farm-raised; hold studying for selecting sustainable choices.)
- Olive oil: This heart-healthy oil is nice for grilling.
- Spices: My do-it-yourself spice mix consists of smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and celery seed.
Learn how to Grill Tilapia: Step by Step
Simply throw these stunning fish fillets proper onto these grill grates. There’s no want for any monkey enterprise with foil! The most effective grilled fish is made proper on the new grill. You need to use this technique for different white fish, like grilled cod or grilled salmon.
Right here’s what you could know concerning the warmth degree and grill time:

Step 1: Preheat a grill to medium-high warmth (375 to 450°F). Pat the tilapia dry with a clear towel. Rub it with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Combine 2 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, and ⅛ tsp celery seed in a small bowl, then pat it onto the fish.

Step 2: Grill the tilapia pores and skin aspect down for 3 to 4 minutes till grill marks seem and it releases from the grates. Flip and prepare dinner one other 3 to 4 minutes, relying on the thickness, till flaky and the inner temperature is 130°F.

Step 3: Take away from the grill to a baking sheet and permit to relaxation for a couple of minutes, then serve.
Professional Tip For When To Flip
You don’t even want to grease the grates to maintain fish from sticking on the grill. Right here’s the key: don’t flip your fish too quickly! Wait till the fish is cooked sufficient that it releases from the grates, then flip it.
Shopping for Tilapia
Many of the tilapia that can be purchased is farm-raised, so that you’ll need to search for responsibly farmed tilapia. You need to use the suggestions from Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch when in search of sustainable tilapia.
Seasoning For Grilled Tilapia
The spice mix I really like for grilled tilapia is a spin on my fashionable “magic” seafood seasoning, however simplified! Listed here are a number of notes on the substances:
- Smoked paprika: This Spanish model of paprika infuses a smoky essence to meals, and it’s certainly one of my secret weapons! Discover it in your native grocery retailer labeled as pimentón, Spanish smoked paprika, or candy smoked paprika. I like to recommend looking for it out if in any respect doable for that smoky taste, although normal paprika works in its place.
- Garlic powder and onion powder: These convey large savory notes to this spice mix.
- Celery seed: This spice is totally value stocking, and it brings a nuance that’s evocative of Outdated Bay. You too can use it once more in different recipes like my fan-favorite chickpea salad sandwich or hen tacos.
Need extra seasoning concepts? Attempt 2 tablespoons of my blackened seasoning (delicate) or Cajun seasoning (spicy). Or go Tex-Mex with fajita seasoning or taco seasoning.

Add Blistered Tomatoes
Right here’s a approach to gown up grilled tilapia: high it with blistered cherry tomatoes! These blistered tomatoes are cooked in a sizzling pan for a couple of minutes till charred and tender. The pop of candy is the proper complement to the flaky savory fish! Comply with these fundamental steps:
- Warmth a beneficiant drizzle of olive oil in a big skillet or forged iron pan.
- Add a handful or two of cherry tomatoes. Cook dinner for 1 minute with out touching the pan, then 2 to three extra minutes till blistered, shaking the pan a number of occasions to rotate the tomatoes.
- Flip off the warmth and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar, gently shaking a number of occasions. Add 2 pinches kosher salt and black pepper to style.
Take it excessive! Add a drizzle of this tangy basil French dressing for a restaurant-style meal. Or, swap out the tomatoes for a fruit salsa like pineapple salsa, peach salsa, or mango salsa.

Concepts For Sides
This grilled tilapia makes a shocking, wholesome dinner recipe! It’s a type of meals that works for a cocktail party or a weeknight meal, which is my sort of cooking! (You understand, fairly easy.) Listed here are some sides that make this a tasty Mediterranean-style meal:
- Grilled greens: When you’re grilling the fish, add some grilled greens to the grates. Attempt grilled corn, grilled broccoli, grilled inexperienced beans, grilled potatoes in foil, or grilled peppers and onions.
- Salads: There are such a lot of enjoyable summer season salads to pair with grilled fish. Attempt strawberry salad, arugula salad, corn salad, celery salad, lentil salad, or cucumber salad.
- Grains: Add a aspect of coconut rice, basil rice, or seasoned quinoa.
Dietary Notes
This grilled tilapia recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free and pescatarian.
Often Requested Questions
Sure! Tilapia’s delicate taste and delicate texture make it a implausible alternative for grilling. Simply be aware of overcooking as it could develop into dry.
Listed here are a number of suggestions:
Use medium excessive warmth: This helps sear the fish and create a crust for simpler flipping.
Watch for the fish to launch from the grates earlier than flipping. This takes about 3 to 4 minutes with tilapia.
Deal with with care: Use a large spatula to keep away from breaking the fillets.
Tilapia’s delicate taste welcomes a wide range of seasonings! Listed here are some concepts:
Easy: Salt, pepper, lemon, garlic powder
Citrusy: Lime juice, zest, chili powder, cumin
Herby: Contemporary dill, parsley, a contact of thyme
Cajun: Blackened seasoning
Grill tilapia for about 3-4 minutes per aspect, or till it’s cooked by and flakes simply with a fork. The inner temperature ought to attain 130 to 140°F (54 to 60°C).
Grilled tilapia pairs splendidly with:
Rice or quinoa: To take in the flavorful juices
Grilled greens: Asparagus, zucchini, bell peppers
Tropical salsa: Mango, pineapple, avocado
Easy salad: A lightweight aspect salad to stability the meal
Simple Grilled Tilapia
This grilled tilapia is completely seasoned and straightforward to make! It’s a lightweight and flaky fish that’s stuffed with taste, making a easy wholesome dinner recipe.
- Prep Time: quarter-hour
- Cook dinner Time: 8 minutes
- Whole Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Class: Major Dish
- Methodology: Grilled
- Delicacies: American
- Food regimen: Gluten Free
Substances
- 4 4-ounce tilapia fillets, (wild caught if doable)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika (additionally known as pimentón)*
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon celery seed
- For serving: blistered tomatoes or chopped cherry tomatoes
Directions
- Preheat a grill to medium-high warmth (375 to 450°F).
- Deliver the tilapia to room temperature for about quarter-hour.
- Pat the tilapia dry with a clear towel. Rub it with the olive oil and sprinkle it with the kosher salt and contemporary floor pepper. Combine the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and celery seed in a small bowl, then pat it on to the fish.
- Grill the tilapia pores and skin aspect down over oblique warmth for 3 to 4 minutes, till it releases from the grates. Flip and prepare dinner one other 3 to 4 minutes, till the fish is tender and simply cooked by (inner temperature is 130 to 140°F or 54 to 60°C). Enable to relaxation for a couple of minutes, then serve, topping with blistered tomatoes if desired. Retailer leftovers for as much as 3 days refrigerated in an hermetic container.
Notes
*In case you can’t discover it, you should use candy paprika. However smoked paprika brings the most effective taste with a touch of smokiness.
Extra Tilapia Recipes
Whereas I really like salmon recipes most, I really like to combine it up with tilapia, too! This white fish all the time makes a tasty dinner. Listed here are a few of my high tilapia recipes and different grilled fish recipes:
















