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!

I have friends whose husbands love to fish.  That is a whole world I do not understand.  I personally have never fished and frankly, I do not have the desire to fish.  Often the husbands will show off pictures of all their catches and first, I’m thinking, ewe.  Then I think every single picture looks exactly the same!  I can’t tell one fish from the next but boy are their husbands excited.  I don’t know, I guess fish just do not excite me.

I’m not that adventurous when it comes to eating fish.  I love salmon, especially with greens as with this Bourbon Glazed Salmon Salad, and I devour this Southern Fried Catfish Recipe. Aside from shrimp recipes, tilapia is the only other fish or seafood that I eat.

About Grilled Tilapia

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.

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.

• I kept things simple here and used my favorite Greek-inspired flavors; lemon and olive oil.  I marinated my fish for 30 minutes then grilled them up.
• 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.
• 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.

How To Make Grilled Tilapia

To start the recipe, you will want to make a simple marinade.  In a ziptop 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.

Aioli Recipe

I love making aioli recipes and they go with just about anything.  Once you get the basics down, you can all sorts of ingredients to your aioli.  Herb and Lemon Aioli with Turkey Burgers, Harissa Aioli with Bacon Wrapped Potatoes,  Spicy Aioli with Fried Green Tomato BLT’s are just a few examples of aioli flavors and recipes they pair with.

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 food taste even better!

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, or refrigerator pickles!

Ready for more grilled fish?  Try this Grilled Halibut with Tomato Avocado Salsa or this Sriracha Grilled Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos Recipe.
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Grilled Tilapia

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 ServingCalories 932 Total Fat 82g Saturated Fat 14g Trans Fat 0g Unsaturated Fat 66g Cholesterol 138mg Sodium 1122mg Carbohydrates 3g Fiber 0g Sugar 1g Protein 46g