Baked Tilapia with Chile and Lime

This simple, baked tilapia with chile and lime is flavorful with just the right amount of kick. Any mild, white fish would work, because it is really just a vehicle for the flavors of the marinade. The cool, tangy avocado crema is a perfect balance for the slightly spicy marinade. The entire meal came together in about 30 minutes. I served it with an arugula salad and a quinoa/brown rice blend with garlic butter sauce. This will be a great, light summer meal.

Wow, such a nice, tasty and simple dish to prepare. I made the marinade and the crema a few hours early to let the flavors meld a bit before baking the tilapia. There is more than enough marinade for the fish, and I gave the top of the fish a few coats before placing it in the oven.

The baked tilapia was cooked perfectly in 12 minutes. As the tilapia fillet tends to be both thick and thin, the thin bits were nicely browned, while the thicker parts were very moist and juicy. I served this with a baked potato and some of last summer’s corn on the cob that I had frozen. I think this recipe could also be used to make a killer fish taco. You have the fish, the crema, one just needs to add a bit of crunch.

If you are looking for a simple, quick but very tasty recipe look no further than this baked tilapia. The fact that the prep was easy, clean up a breeze and it’s a heathy, inexpensive meal are just added benefits.

The prep for both the marinade and the avocado crema took less than 20 minutes. The tilapia had a nice spiciness and complimented the citrusy avocado crema. I served this with roasted broccoli and green salad.

From the first bite to the last, this recipe really delivered. My husband would not stop raving about the tilapia. I was skeptical about using chili powder seasoning on such a delicate flavored fish; however, the fish was a nice base for the flavors of cumin, lime and chili powder.

The burst of spice flavor was nicely balanced by the avocado crema. The crema would taste wonderful on enchiladas or fish tacos. This baked tilapia with chile and lime was quick, easy and used ingredients that most people have in their pantry. I had this with a baked potato and fresh asparagus. It could be served at a dinner party and be the star of the meal.

I chose this baked tilapia with chile and lime recipe because I almost always have tilapia fillets in my freezer, but this time I bought fresh. Four fillets were just over the pound specified in the recipe, and all the other ingredients were on hand. I used regular (Penzeys) chili powder because nothing fancy was asked for. My lime reluctantly gave up just over a tablespoon of juice. The rub was fragrant, plenty for four fillets, and spread easily over the fish. I prepared the baking sheet as noted, lining with parchment. Baked the fish the full 12 minutes, the fish was flaky and perfectly cooked.

For the crema, I needed to use two avocados as mine were quite small. My cilantro weighed out at 11 grams, and again, my second stingy lime gave a tablespoon, and I used full fat Greek yogurt. I used my immersion blender to combine the ingredients. It turned out smooth and lovely but the leftovers did darken overnight in the refrigerator.

I will definitely make this again as it’s easy, uses easy to find and pantry ingredients, and delivers on the taste front. I would make some changes, though. As noted above, I would use a different chili powder and also maybe add a little dried coriander as I feel it compliments cumin. Doubtful I will heat the oven again for four fish fillets, I’d probably just sauté or maybe do a blackened type preparation, especially in the summer. I also assumed that the lime and yogurt would prevent the avocado crema from darkening, so I’ll probably take a little more care to cover closely before storing and definitely would not make it in advance.

This is a solid recipe, would recommend.