Fishing for Dinner

I had a craving for seafood today and so I fished out some tilapia to bake. I came across this recipe and tried my hand at making it a little healthier. It also gave me a reason to try out some Cajun seasoning I recently bought! The recipe isn’t really labor intensive… in fact I’m sure a child could do it! I served this with 2 small baked red potatoes and some steamed broccoli.


Here’s my adapted recipe for Cajun Seasoned Tilapia:

4 to 6 tilapia fillets, fresh or frozen
cooking spray or 1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
Dash black pepper

Heat oven to 400°. Lightly grease a large shallow baking dish.
Combine the seasonings in a gallon sized freezer bag.
Place one tilapia in the freezer bag and shake until fully coated.
If using frozen tilapia fillets, dip the tilapia in water to moisten before placing in the seasoning bag.
Arrange the seasoned fish fillets on the prepared baking pan.
Brush the fillets with melted butter or spray with cooking spray.
Bake the fish fillets for 15 to 20 minutes in preheated oven, or until fish is cooked through.
Fish will flake easily with a fork when done.
Carefully remove the fillets to plates with a spatula.

Cajun Seasoned Tilapia: A Well-Loved and Delicious Seafood Dish

Cajun seasoned tilapia is a delicious and zesty seafood dish with origins in Louisiana Cajun cuisine. As a variation on regular pan-fried tilapia, this variant is covered with a spicy, flavorful coating of spices which gives it its signature complexity. This dish often includes black pepper, cayenne pepper, dried oregano, and garlic powder to create a savory and flavorful finish. Of course, different chefs might use different ingredients to create their own unique flavor profiles, so it’s important to get a good understanding of the various flavors and how they come together.

What Makes Cajun Seasoned Tilapia Unique?

Cajun seasoning is also sometimes known as the holy trinity because it combines bell pepper, celery, and onions. All three of these ingredients are diced up and sautéed before being mixed into the spicy coating. This blend then gives a robust flavor that is unparalleled with your regular spice mixes. It is often this blend of ingredients that often renders this dish so much more appetizing than many other types of fried fish.

What Makes Cajun Seasoned Tilapia So Delicious?

Cajun seasoned tilapia is a rather easy dish to make and with its legendary kick, it’s no surprise why so many people love it. The spiciness of the seasoning not only makes it incredibly flavorful but also adds a nice and crispy texture to the tilapia. Additionally, this kitchen concoction is also incredibly versatile. This means that this seafood dish can be served with anything, including mashed potatoes or French fries.

How to Make the Perfect Cajun Seasoned Tilapia

Begin by creating the Cajun seasoning spice mix. To do this, gather both the dry ingredients such as garlic powder, dried oregano and pepper and mix together in a bowl. After that, combine the remaining chopped vegetables such as bell peppers, celery, and onions and mix them into the spices until you get a paste-like consistency.

Once the spice mix is ready, coat the tilapia fillets with a light layer of the seasoning. Make sure to generously cover the fish from both the inside and outside. After that, season it with some salt if desired and set aside to marinate for about 10 minutes.

Now place a pan on medium heat and add some oil. Once the oil is hot and ready, add in the marinated tilapia and cook it until it has a nice and crispy golden-brown color. Once it’s done, flip the fish over and add some more Cajun seasoning onto the other side if you desire.

Let the fish cook for another few minutes until both sides have a nice and crunchy texture and the surface is filled with gorgeous charred color. Once it is done, the Cajun seasoned tilapia is ready to be served.

FAQs

Q. What is Cajun seasoning?
A. Cajun seasoning is a spice mix used in Cajun cuisine. It consists of black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, dried oregano, and the holy trinity of bell pepper, celery, and onions.

Q. Can Cajun seasoning be made at home?
A. Absolutely! Just combine the spices and the vegetables and mix them together until they form a paste-like consistency.

Q. How should Cajun seasoned tilapia be cooked?
A. Cajun seasoned tilapia can be cooked in many different ways, such as pan-fried for a great crunch or baked in the oven to get those spices to cook into the fish for a fuller flavor.

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