Whether you are a big fish lover or not, grilled tilapia is perfect for a fast fresh dinner! Tender white fish is lightly seasoned, grilled, and served with a simple basil aioli!

This mild tasting fish is easy to cook and easy to eat!

Grilled tilapia is a favorite of ours and it’s not hard to see why. While I’m not a big “fish” person, tilapia always has a special place in my heart.

It’s cheap, it’s easy to work with and it goes well with ANY seasoning or flavorful twist you want to add thanks to the mild fishy flavor in every bite. A perfect recipe for success if you ask me.

The basil aioli and the tilapia marinade are simple basic ingredients coming together to pack a lot of fresh flavors.

What Is Tilapia?

Tilapia is a cheap and very affordable fish farm grown in the US because its only natural habitat is over in Africa. It’s the fourth most consumed fish in the States and is farmed and served up in over 135 countries all over the world!

It can be pan-fried, baked, or grilled. It can be served on its own, flaked into dishes, or stuffed into tacos. It is quite versatile.

Grilled tilapia is such an easy recipe and for anyone is who may be lukewarm on fish, tilapia is perfect. Tilapia is a mild fish that does well with seasoning, breading, and marinades.

With so many different ways to serve up this mild flavored fish and this recipe is being kept simple with some Greek inspired flavors and a grill. A perfect summer fish recipe, if I do say so myself!

Ingredients

• Tilapia fillets
• Garlic cloves
• Salt
• Olive Oil
• Lemon juice

For the basil aioli you will need:

• Mayo
• Lemon juice
• Fresh basil
• Garlic
• Salt

For the exact measurements needed, please see the recipe card below.

How To Make Grilled Tilapia

To start the recipe, you will want to make a simple marinade. In a zip-top bag, I combined garlic, salt, olive oil, and lemon juice, then I added my tilapia. The fish doesn’t need much time to marinate; only 30 minutes. Tilapia is delicate, so you don’t want to marinate it for too long as the acidity will start to break it down.

Spray an outdoor grill or grill pan with non-stick cooking spray and set the heat to medium-high.

Place the tilapia on the grill and grill for about 4 minutes per side. You will know the fish is done with it flakes easily with a fork.

Carefully remove the fish and season with salt and pepper to taste.

How to Make Basil Aioli Recipe

For this grilled tilapia, I combined mayo, fresh lemon juice, garlic, chopped fresh basil, and salt in a bowl and whisked until combined. This recipe is simple, quick, and makes the food taste even better!

Recipe Tips

• Keep an eye on the fish. Tilapia only takes about 4 minutes per side to grill. Try to be vigilant with that time. If tilapia cooks too long it can turn a bit rubbery.
• Serving options. You could serve this fish plain, or top it with an extra splash of lemon juice, but I think the basil aioli makes a lovely compliment to the bright flavors of the fish. Plus basil and lemon are nicely matched flavors.

FAQs

What To Serve With Grilled Tilapia

Because tilapia is on the light side, I like to keep things light and fresh by serving quinoa with roasted peppers, black bean, corn, and avocado salad, Greek Caesar Salad, or refrigerator pickles!

Does Tilapia Flake Apart On The Grill?

It can but it shouldn’t. Tilapia should be firm enough in texture that when added to a properly preheated and greased grill the fish shouldn’t flake and fall apart. If you notice yourself having this issue, place a piece of foil down over the grill grates and cook the fish on the foil to prevent it from falling through.

How Do I Know When My Grilled Tilapia Is Done?

You will know that your fish is done cooking when it is nicely showing all of the signs of doneness including grill lines and a golden color on the outside, easy to flake apart with a fork, and the internal temperature has reached 145 degrees F.

Aside from shrimp recipes, tilapia is the only other fish or seafood that I eat. I love salmon, especially with greens as with this Bourbon Glazed Salmon Salad, and I devour this Southern Fried Catfish Recipe.

Continue to Content

Grilled Tilapia with Basil Aioli

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 38 minutes

Total Time: 43 minutes

Grilled tilapia is perfect for a fast fresh dinner! Tender white fish is lightly seasoned, grilled and served with a simple basil aioli!

Print

Ingredients

• 4 tilapia fillets
• 3 cloves garlic
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Juice of one lemon

Basil Aioli

• 1 cup mayo
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 ½ tablespoon chopped basil
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

In a ziptop bag, combine the tilapia, garlic, salt, olive oil, and lemon. Refrigerate fish for 30 minutes.

Spray a grill pan or outdoor grill with non-stick spray and preheat to medium heat. Place tilapia on heat source and grill for 4 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, prepare the basil aioli. In a bowl, whisk together the mayo, juice, fresh basil, garlic, and salt. Serve aioli with grilled tilapia

Nutrition Information

Yield 4
Amount Per Serving Calories 932Total Fat 82gSaturated Fat 14gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 66gCholesterol 138mgSodium 1122mgCarbohydrates 3gFiber 0gSugar 1gProtein 46g

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