Blackened Tilapia

Start by making your rub. Combine paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, dried oregano, dried thyme, celery seed, and salt in a bowl and mix together.

Now prepare your tilapia. If starting from frozen, place fish in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours or place in a sealed zip-lock baggie and submerge under cold water for 15-20 minutes. Once fish is thawed, gently dab with a paper towel to remove some of the moisture.

Generously cover both sides of the fish with your spice rub, making sure to press it in with your fingertips. Gently shake off any extra rub and set aside. You can let the rubbed fish rest at room temperature for up to 20 minutes.

Now heat a skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Then add a tablespoon of oil, turn to coat the pan, and immediately add your tilapia. (I usually cook two at a time, but I’d suggest testing just one the first time, until you get the hang of it.) I add my tilapia immediately, because I don’t want the oil to get too hot and start smoking! The pan is hot enough if you hear it sizzle when you add the tilapia.

Cook on one side for about 2-3 minutes. Flip it over, add another half tablespoon of oil, and cook for another 2 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through. The tilapia will be opaque and can be flaked with a fork when done. Don’t forget that this is blackened tilapia, emphasis on the blackened. So don’t worry when the outside is black! Remove the tilapia from the pan, squeeze lemon juice generously over it, and repeat cooking the rest, adding additional oil for each batch. Serve immediately!

Notes: I always buy frozen tilapia in bulk. I then defrost only what I need for dinner that night. This rub recipe is for 1 pound of tilapia. If you don’t want to make a pound of tilapia, make what you like, and save leftover rub in an airtight container in your fridge!