Chili Lime Pan-Seared Tilapia

Ready in just 15 minutes, Pan-Seared Tilapia delivers on flavor and FAST!  Seasoned with a sweet and spicy rub and finished with fresh fruit salsa, this easy tilapia recipe is wholesome and delicious.

Made with a simple spice rub, this Chili Lime Tilapia can stand alone, but when topped with Fresh Apple Salsa or Pineapple Mango Salsa and a side of Cilantro Lime Rice, this humble pan-fried fish becomes a memorable meal. 

Flavor reigns king in this recipe for Pan-Seared Tilapia.

Tilapia is a mild fish that needs bold seasoning. And just like my recipe for Tilapia Veracruz, this Spice-Rubbed Tilapia is full of bold flavors.

A simple spice rub forms a sweet and spicy glaze that coats the fish and leaves it full of flavor. Finished with lime juice to brighten the flavors, this simple recipe is humble yet impressive.

And while delicious served fresh out of the skillet, this dish is taken over the top when topped with a crisp tart apple salsa. The texture of the tart apples paired with the sweet and savory, flaky tilapia is just a perfect combination.

But the best part of this entire recipe is ---It is ready in under 15 minutes! Now that is what I call WINNING!

Key Ingredients

• Tilapia Fillets: 6-ounce tilapia fillets are standard, but this recipe will work with 4-ounce as well, you will just need to decrease cooking time by 1 minute per side. As for purchasing tilapia, I find frozen fillets are best as they are frozen right away and often the freshest. Unless of course, you live near an area that you can purchase fish fresh caught. As for which tilapia to purchase, here is a bit more information about the best tilapia to buy.
• Seasoning: I use a simple mixture of chili powder, brown sugar, and garlic for a sweet and spicy rub that is so flavorful!
• Limes: The zest and juice of fresh lime really help to make the flavors pop in this easy tilapia recipe.
• Apple Salsa: A tart granny smith salsa made with apples, onions, cilantro, and lime juice is the perfect finish to the tilapia. It is bright, fresh, tart, and adds texture to the overall dish. You can easily omit the salsa or serve it with Mango Pineapple Salsa instead, but the apple salsa is a delicious touch.

How to Pan Fry Tilapia

Pan searing tilapia is the easiest, quickest way to cook tilapia. Not to mention that the crispy exterior that pan-searing achieves is a great contextual element to the final dish.

To easily pan-sear your fish, follow these steps:

1. Pat dry your defrosted fish fillet (to absorb moisture that may cause your grease to splatter).
2. Season both sides of the tilapia with the seasoning blend.
3. Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. You want relatively high heat so that the fish sears in the oil instead of absorbing the oil.
4. Place seasoned fish in skillet gently and leave it alone for 4 minutes.
5. Gently flip the fish fillets and finish cooking on the remaining side. This will take anywhere from 2-4 minutes depending on the thickness of the tilapia fillet.

Keep in mind to NOT overcrowd the pan, if your nonstick skillet is on the smaller side, cook the tilapia in batches (as shown pictured below.)

How do you know if tilapia is done?

Tilapia is such a thin fish, that by the time a good sear is achieved on both sides of your fish fillet, your fish should be cooked perfectly.

However to be sure, poke the tines of a fork into the thickest portion of the fish and gently pull up some fish. If your fish is cooked perfectly, it will flake easily and be translucent.

Can you pan-fry frozen tilapia?

It is never a good idea to try to pan-fry anything frozen. One, you won't be able to achieve a golden crust on the tilapia (or whatever you are cooking) and the seasoning will not adhere well to frozen meat. Secondly, you can easily burn yourself if you place a piece of frozen meat into the hot oil, as immediately frozen crystals will begin to defrost and cause the oil to splatter up at you.

Fortunately, frozen tilapia defrosts very quickly. Simply, place the frozen fillets in a freezer-safe bag and submerge the bag into a bowl of cold water and leave them out on the counter for about 20-25 minutes. Alternatively, you can defrost the frozen tilapia overnight in the fridge.

More Seafood Recipes

• Easy Avocado Tuna Salad
• Easy Fish Tacos
• Easy Baked Salmon
• Tuna Cakes
• Easy Skillet Tilapia Veracruz

This 15-Minute Fish dinner has restaurant appeal--just minus the high price tag! I hope you give it a try and would love for you to leave a comment and review below.