Blackened tilapia is one of my favorite fish to make. It's incredibly simple to prepare and one of the fastest fish varieties to cook. For this reason, I like to refer to it as a "starter" fish. It doesn't have that ocean flavor that turns a lot of people off of fish. And it cooks in such a short amount of time, that there's virtually no way to under-cook it.
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.I use a cast iron pan, but the same basic principle applies in any skillet. If you aren't using cast iron, just make sure to lightly oil the pan to prevent sticking.
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 firm.
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.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
I roughly double and halve this recipe with regularity. For 2 filets, use 1 teaspoon per spice. For 5 filets, use 1 tablespoon per spice (1 tsp. cayenne pepper for 2 tilapia, 1 tbsp. cayenne pepper for 5 tilapia).