Blackened Tilapia

Tilapia is not eaten frequently in our household since we tend to gravitate toward Halibut or Salmon. That said, since we had some in our freezer, I was looking for ways to make it palatable, and was pleasantly surprised when we loved coating the fish in blackening spice and cooking them over the stovetop. Not only were the fish flavorful and tender, we devoured them in no time flat!!! This is definitely a keeper for us now.

Blackened Tilapia

(Source: Aaron McCargo)

Blackening Spice:

3 tablespoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon dried ground thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

For Fish:

4 tilapia fillets

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1/2 lemon, juiced

In a small bowl combine all of the spices. Press a heaping tablespoon of the spice mix onto each fillet so that both sides are liberally coated. Allow the fish to sit for 15 minutes at room temperature prior to cooking. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is almost smoking, add the fillets and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with lemon juice and transfer the fillets to serving platter.