Catfish Out of Water

I've been in kind of a Mexican and Mediterranean kick. I just made a fresh Avocado Salsa and I've been obsessed with making Avocado Dip lately. So, when it came down to what to eat today? I knew that both of those would have to feature prominently. One of my go-tos might be burritos. But I wanted to mix things up a little bit. So, when tilapia was on sale I jumped at the opportunity to make a blackened tilapia salad.

I have been making blackened tilapia a few times lately. It's such a thin fish that it's incredibly easy to cook and virtually impossible to under-do. It has such a light flavor profile that it holds up well under heavy seasoning. It also just looks and tastes so much more impressive than it is that I always feel so accomplished upon making it!

I somehow thought that I was just starving and needed something else to go on the side, so I threw in Sweet Potato Fries for good measure. Which go well with both a salty fish and creamy avocados.

Gallery

Variations of Blackened Tilapia

I am a fan of seafood salads. I don't tend to eat much meat, but I did grow up on the West Coast and salmon was a large part of holidays and special occasions. In my adulthood, I still hold seafood in high regard. I don't always grab tilapia, but there are definitely some seafood salads that are well worth the effort!

Blackened Tilapia w/ Avocado Salsa & Dip

This blackened tilapia salad combines a fresh avocado salsa, avocado and Greek yogurt dip, and sweet potato fries. It's a showstopper of a dish that takes no time at all to put together. It's really quite a simple dish for how impressive it looks. And a great place to start if you're new to cooking fish. All of the colors and flavors just go gloriously with one another. I highly recommend it!

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Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Salad

Cuisine American, Mediterranean

Servings 1 serving

Equipment

• Large Bowl
• Skillet
• Stovetop
• Air Fryer

Ingredients

  

Avocado Salsa

• 1 cucumber diced
• 1/4 red onion diced
• 2 tomatoes diced
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 serrano minced
• 1 lime juiced
• 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• dash salt
• dash pepper
• 1 avocado diced

Avocado Dip

• 2 avocados
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 limes
• 1/2 c. Greek yogurt
• 1 ½ tbsp. tahini
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• dash salt
• dash pepper

Blackened Tilapia

• 2 filets tilapia
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. coriander
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• dash salt
• dash peppeer

Sweet Potato Fries

• 1/2 sweet potato sliced
• spritz olive oil
• dash salt
• dash pepper

Tilapia Salad

• 1 filet blackened tilapia
• 1/4 c. avocado salsa
• 1/4 c. avocado dip
• sweet potato fries
• dash salt
• dash pepper

Instructions

 

Avocado Salsa

• Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and stir to combine.It can help to mix all of the other ingredients well and then gently add in the avocado. This will prevent the soft avocado from disintegrating into the salsa. But it is that easy! Just mix and voila.

Avocado Dip

• Add all of the avocado dip ingredients to a food processor. Process for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides occasionally.

Blackened Tilapia

• Let the tilapia rest until it reaches room temperature.I usually let it sit while the skillet preheats. However, for particularly large fillet's, you may need to remove the tilapia from the fridge a little while before you preheat the skillet. Exactly how long varies widely based on room temperature. Although 15-30 minutes is usually sufficient.
• Preheat skillet on medium heat.
• Mix the spices together in a small dish or bowl.
• Sprinkle spice mix evenly over the tilapia. You can also lay them out across a plate and roll the tilapia in it. The goal is simply to evenly coat the fish with a thin layer of spices. As long as the flesh doesn't directly touch the skillet, you have enough seasoning.
• Add tilapia, one or two fillets at a time, to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the spices have begun to blacken and the tilapia begins to fir.
• Flip the tilapia and cook another 2-3 minutes, or until the spices have begun to blacken and the tilapia flakes with a fork.

  If you have any question about whether your tilapia is cooked, official recommendations are to cook until an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. At this point the tilapia, much like a salmon, will begin to fall apart at the fat junctions and "flake" off of a fork. When you've done it enough times, you start to notice this particular type of firmness when the pieces ever-so-slightly begin to separate.

Sweet Potato Fries

• Cut potatoes lengthwise into roughly 1 inch wedges. For smaller potatoes, quartering them should be adequate. For larger potatoes, you might need to cut them into 6 pieces.
• Lightly coat on all sides with salt, pepper, and oil.
• Arrange potato wedges in the basket of the air fryer, making sure that there is space between them. It's okay if they touch a little because you will end up rotating them. However, there does need to be some air flow between the potatoes for them to crisp properly.
• Cook at 400°F for 7-10 minutes, or until the edges have begun brown.
• Rotate the potatoes, either by flipping them one by one or shaking the basket until the have turned over. If they're starting to brown or blacken too quickly, spritz with more oil.
• Cook at 400°F for another 5-7 minutes. Cooking times will vary based on the size of the wedges and amount of oil.

Assemble Salad

• Place tilapia on a plate and add avocado salsa, avocado dip, sweet potatoes, and a dash of salt and pepper.

Tips, Tricks, & Notes

• For a more in-depth article and tips and tricks on avocado dip, I have a distinct recipe for Avocado Dip w/ Greek Yogurt, Walnuts, & Lime as well as a double recipe for Potluck Avocado Dip w/ Greek Yogurt & Walnuts.