Keep your meals delicious, interesting, and healthy with one of the best fish recipes – Grilled Tilapia!
Have you tried the tilapia before? It’s a freshwater fish that’s known for its mild flavor and dense texture. Each year, about a billion pounds of tilapia is produced from all over the world.
Tilapia is now cooked all over the world because of how well it adapts to any cuisine. I suggest baking, sauteing, stewing, braising, poaching, and pan-frying tilapia to give them the best flavor and texture.

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In this recipe, I will show you how you can grill the tilapia while infusing it with the best flavors you can ever imagine. It will have an amazing fusion of sweet, savory, and smoky flavors for a hearty meal.
Bake it perfectly with the right marinade, vegetables, and seasoning to serve in family gatherings, weekends, and celebrations!
How to Make Grilled Tilapia
If you’re looking for a satisfying fish dish you can cook in under an hour, then the Grilled Tilapia recipe is the one for you. Just marinate the tilapia and cook it until you get the doneness that you prefer.
Get ready to be blown away by this fantastic dish!
Ingredients
Once you taste the Grilled Tilapia, you’ll be surprised to know that it’s made of simple ingredients!
Tilapia
Why should you include tilapia in your diet?
The tilapia is a freshwater fish that has black, white, green, or red stripes on its scales. It has a dense texture that will turn fork-tender when you cook it properly. You can also make it as flavorful as you want with herbs and spices.
It is popularly consumed in Asia, Africa, and even in the United States. With its mildly sweet flavor and firm yet flaky texture, there is no wonder that tilapia is a go-to fish for many!
There are almost 100 species of tilapia and the most popular ones include black tilapia, blue tilapia, and red tilapia. You can buy fresh whole tilapia but it also comes in boneless and even skinless variants.
Aside from grilling the tilapia, you can also bake, broil, steam, deep fry, or saute it to bring out its natural flavors. It can be seasoned with just salt and pepper, and it will still taste delicious.
Health Benefits of Tilapia
- With its omega-3 fatty acids, tilapia is guaranteed to be good for your heart.
- According to WebMD, tilapia has good effects on your bones too.
- The vitamin D from tilapia can also boost your immunity and nerve function.
- Everyday Health mentioned that tilapia is low in calories and it can help with weight loss.
- Tilapia can also improve brain function for better memory and focus.

No matter how you cook it, the tilapia is certainly going to give you a great dining experience. I’m sure the Grilled Tilapia is going to be one of the many tilapia recipes you will love!
Bell peppers
Intensify the flavors of the tilapia with bell peppers.
In this recipe, you will need red, green, and yellow bell peppers for sweet, earthy, and vegetable flavors. The red and yellow bell peppers add a saccharine taste while the green bell peppers give it a milder flavor.
Once cooked, the bell peppers will add a wonderful fragrance. You can also use bell peppers to cook dishes to pair with the tilapia. I suggest trying Stick Meat, Okra Soup, and Coconut Fried Rice!
Sweet peppers
Where there are bell peppers, there are also sweet peppers.
Aside from their sweet flavor, these peppers also add a vibrant red color to the dish. Just like bell peppers, the sweet peppers are going to give the dish an appetizing aroma. These can also give a slight crunch to the tilapia.
Adding sweet peppers can also give the dish a fruity and pleasant flavor that goes so well with the fish. These are also my go-to peppers for Ewa Agoyin Pepper Sauce, Beef Skewers, and Moi Moi.
Scotch bonnet
You can’t go wrong with a hint of spice in your tilapia dish.
Whenever I want to taste something hot and spicy, I make sure to use a scotch bonnet. It is hotter than a jalapeño but it’s not too hot either. The scotch bonnet even has a touch of floral and fruity flavor, too.
It also enriches the flavors without overpowering the sweetness of the other ingredients. You will surely get a better experience with the scotch bonnet in your fish. Just store your scotch bonnet properly and you can have it anytime!
Aromatics
Never forget about the aromatics.
I love using onion, garlic, and ginger with my fish recipes. They’re not just about flavor, but they also give dishes a fragrant aroma to make fish so much more appetizing than it already is.
The onion and ginger are great sources of pungent and peppery flavor. On the other hand, the ginger adds a warm and spicy quality that improves the flavor of the fish.
Seasonings
In any grilled recipe, you will always need seasonins.
Give the Grilled Tilapia the best flavors with the right aromatics, herbs, and spices. Aside from the onion, garlic, and ginger, you will also need seasonings that will balance the overall flavors.
Meanwhile, I suggest seasoning the dish with mixed herbs, smoked paprika, curry powder, fish stock cube, and sea salt. Every bite will taste absolutely divine!
Oil
This recipe uses two kinds of oil: sunflower oil and coconut oil. The sunflower oil will be used to make the marinade, while the coconut oil is best used for the marinade.

Can you imagine how rich, flavorful, and fragrant the Grilled Tilapia will be? The ingredients are truly the best ones to use for this dish.
Directions
Let’s start grilling tilapia for an excellent meal!
- Slice the bell peppers, sweet peppers, onion, scotch bonnet, garlic, and ginger with a knife.
- Mix the chopped ingredients with the fish stock cube, mixed herbs, smoked paprika, curry powder, and sea salt.
- Puree everything together in a blender with sunflower oil.
- Fry the mixture in coconut oil in a frying pan for ten minutes.
- Remove the fish scales and clean the tilapia.
- Then, use a knife to score it on both sides.
- Marinate the fish with the sauce.
- Cover the fish with cling film.
- Let it marinate for at least one hour or overnight.
- Grease the oven rack and preheat the oven to 250°C.
- Baste the fish with the leftover sauce.
- Cook it in the oven for ten minutes on each side.
- In a pan, cook the mixed bell peppers in the sauce for three minutes.
- Pour the bell pepper garnish on the tilapia.
- Finally, you can now serve the Grilled Tilapia!

Slice into it to reveal the tender, smooth, and aromatic quality of the Oven Grilled Tilapia Fish. Eat each spoonful with the deliciously sweet sauce and devour this dish within minutes!
Tips
Tilapia
Buying tilapia
- According to the United States Food and Drug Administration, the fish should smell fresh.
- It should also have clear and shiny eyes and firm flesh.
- Buy whole fresh tilapia for better texture and taste.
Storing tilapia
- Eat Pallet suggests wrapping the tilapia in cling film and storing it in a container.
- Keep it in the fridge only if you will use it within two days.
- Do not mix it with other seafood.

Cleaning tilapia
- Clean the tilapia with cold water.
- Then, use a knife to scrape the scales from the tail toward the head.
- Slice about ⅛ inch along both sides of the fins.
- Then, hold and pull out the fins.
- Cut the tilapia’s belly and stop once you reach the gills.
- Pull out as many of the innards as you can.
- Rinse the tilapia again.
At this point, it is ready to use for the recipe!
Peppers
Buying peppers
- The Produce Moms suggests buying peppers with vibrant and shiny skin color and a fragrance near the stem.
- It should not have any bruises or soft spots.
- The stem should also be green in color, and the peppers should feel heavy for their size.
Storing peppers
- Place the peppers in resealable bags and refrigerate them for up to a week.
How to Make the Marinade Without a Blender
Instead of a blender, you can use a food processor, an immersion blender, a chopper, or a grinder. You can also grate the ingredients and cook them in a pan to soften.
Grilled Tilapia Variations
If you love Grilled Tilapia, then you will also love other versions of this recipe.
Aside from tilapia, you can also cook this dish using catfish, bass, red snapper, trout, or mullet. Moreover, tilapia pairs well with broccoli, brussels sprouts, asparagus, and carrots.
Tilapia can be pan-seared, grilled, smoked, steamed, air fried, poached, stir-fried, sauteed, or braised. You can use different ingredients to marinate the fish. It will taste delicious even if you season it with salt and pepper.
In addition to the herbs and spices suggested in this recipe, you may also use oregano, lemon, tabasco sauce, honey, butter, and more. Every time you cook tilapia, you can make a Grilled Tilapia recipe of your own!

No-Oven Grilled Tilapia
There are plenty of ways to cook this dish; you won’t need an oven!
Pan
- Heat oil in a killer over a high fire.
- Cook the fish on both sides for up to ten minutes.
- Then, shake it a bit so that it won’t stick to the pan.
- Drizzle some oil on the other side of the fish to cook.

Griller
- Wrap the seasoned tilapia in foil.
- Then, grill it for 12 minutes on each side.
- Once done, remove it from the grill and serve!
Steamer
- Pour water into the steamer pot.
- Place the tilapia in a heat-resistant bowl or plate.
- Drizzle the sauce and marinate all over the tilapia.
- Then, steam it for up to 20 minutes.
- It can be served immediately for a hot meal.
Air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 205°C.
- Then, cook the fish for ten minutes on each side.
- Let it cook until the fish becomes opaque and the flesh is soft.
Recommended Tools
- Oven: Cook the Grilled Tilapia in the oven.
- Blender: Use a blender to convert ingredients into a sauce or marinade.
- Frying pan: Make the marinade and garnish in a pan.
- Knife: Slice the ingredients and fish using a knife.
- Cling film: Wrap the fish in cling film.
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How to Serve Grilled Tilapia
Get ready to experience just how delicious Grilled Tilapia can be!
You can serve Grilled Tilapia for lunch or dinner for a hearty meal. Make it a more enjoyable meal by pairing it with vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, carrots, brussels sprouts, beans, and more.
For an enriched flavor, you can have it with sauces and dips, too. Sometimes, I serve it with soups and stews for a warm and extra savory flavor. Here are also more side dishes you will love with the fish:
For drinks, you may opt for:
In an article by Live Strong, two servings of tilapia each week will be safe for people in high-risk groups. People without health restrictions can have one tilapia every other day.
Storage Tips
- At room temperature: According to Recipe Tips, cooked fish should not be left for longer than two hours.

Frequently Asked Question
How do you grill tilapia without sticking?
Wait until you see touches of brown at the bottom of the fish before flipping it over. Otherwise, wrap the tilapia in aluminum foil to seal in the flavors. Also, be sure that you preheated the oven.
How much protein is in grilled tilapia?
According to Healthline, tilapia has about 26 grams of protein. Once you grill it with other ingredients, the dish can have up to 44 grams of protein, depending on the vegetables you add.
Is tilapia a healthy fish to eat?
Of course, it is! Tilapia is a good sources of nutrients for your overall health. For instance, eating tilapia can lead to lower chance of getting cancer. The omega-3 fatty acids are also good for your heart, blood pressure, and lungs.
What does Grilled Tilapia taste like?
It depends on the seasoning you use. In this recipe, the Grilled Tilapia will have a good balance of sweet, smoky, and savory flavors. The bell peppers and sweet peppers also give it a fruity flavor.

Grilled Tilapia (VIDEO)
Equipment
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 1 red bell pepper (roughly diced)
- 1 sweet pepper (roughly diced)
- 1 onion (roughly diced)
- 1 scotch bonnet
- 2 garlic cloves
- Thumb-sized fresh ginger
- 1 fish stock cube
- 1 tsp mixed herbs
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp curry powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ cup sunflower oil
For prepping the fish for grilling
- 2 fresh tilapia (small-sized)
- marinade (as shown above)
For the garnish sauce
- ½ marinade (as shown above)
- ¼ coconut oil
- ¼ red bell pepper
- ¼ green bell pepper
- ¼ yellow bell pepper
Instructions
- Slice the bell peppers, sweet peppers, onion, scotch bonnet, garlic, and ginger with a knife.
- Mix the chopped ingredients with the fish stock cube, mixed herbs, smoked paprika, curry powder, and sea salt.
- Puree everything together in a blender with sunflower oil.
- Fry the mixture in coconut oil in a frying pan for ten minutes.
- Remove the fish scales and clean the tilapia.
- Use a knife to score it on both sides.
- Marinate the fish with the sauce.
- Cover the fish with cling film.
- Let it marinate for at least one hour or overnight.
- Grease the oven rack and preheat the oven to 250°C.
- Baste the fish with the leftover sauce.
- Cook it in the oven for ten minutes on each side.
- In a pan, cook the mixed bell peppers in the sauce for three minutes.
- Pour the bell pepper garnish on the tilapia.
- Finally, you can now serve the Grilled Tilapia!
Video
Notes
- Store the fish as soon as you get home to preserve them.
- Cook the sauce if you don’t have a blender.
- Use other methods of cooking the fish in case you don’t have access to an oven.