Blackened Tilapia Tacos- Cajun Style

These are some of my favorite things to make these days, we constantly have them on repeat at our home. I usually try to do a 3-4 week meal turnover but these are a weekly event over here and we haven't gotten sick of them yet. Fiesta for your tastebuds right here, and not even kidding.

These are super easy, and oh so healthy for you. In the past, I have had the hardest time getting myself to eat fish. I love seafood when I am near the ocean, it's so fresh and one of my favorite things to eat. But, living in a rural area in the middle of the dessert, you don't get that fresh seafood very often. Fish has tons of Omega-3 and it is so needed for your health. It's something that you can't get as well from supplements, but I know that I can't go without the benefits from Omega-3's! So, I know that I have to eat fish to receive those benefits. Frozen seafood tastes very different than fresh, but I have finally found this recipe from The Chunky Chef and it has changed the tilapia world for me! Another great thing about this recipe is you can choose for yourself how spicy it will be!

Tilapia Tips 

Keep your tilapia frozen. When thawing out, don't defrost in microwave like other meats. It thaws out super fast! Tilapia is pre-packaged individually, keep them in the plastic when thawing out. Fill a medium-sized bowl with lukewarm water and place tilapia filets into the bowl until thaw, refreshing the water every 5 minutes (only have to replace once for a a few fish-for more, you'll have to replace more). You can also place packaged filets inside of a colander and run slightly warmed water over them until thawed. 

Take the fish out of the packaging and rinse off. This gets the not-so-good, slimy, fishy taste off of them a little more and leaves the good taste. Another way you can do this, is soak them in a brine mixture in the fridge for about 10 minutes (1 cup of water to 1 tsp. salt). This makes them taste way better!



Ingredients
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
Zest of one lime
4 tilapia filets
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 red onion, diced
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

Directions

1. Set oven to "broil" 
2. Thaw tilapia and rinse
3. Mix spices together in a small bowl until combined 
4. Sprinkle spices onto both sides of filets and pat them so the spices are sticking to the fish (if you can't handle really spicy food, just add less of the mixture to each filet)
5. If you have leftover spices, set aside for later
6. Heat olive oil and garlic cloves in large frying pan for about 3 minutes
7. Place tilapia in frying pan in a single layer (don't cram too much)
8. Cook each side about 4-5 minutes or until flaky and white throughout 
9. Place in a small casserole dish and set aside for a minute
10. Keep the frying pan on the stove with leftover spices and oil still in it 
11. Place onions in frying pan and cook for about 5 minutes
12. Add black beans and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently
13. Add corn and continue stirring until onions are cooked through and everything is heated up-you can add the leftover spices to this dish too
14. When finished cooking, remove from heat
15. Place fish in broiler for about 2 minutes, remove from oven, and then shred 
16. Add toppings, place in a taco shell, and enjoy!

Side Options

-cilantro lime rice is a favorite with a dish like this, but I usually just cook brown rice (easy cilantro lime rice recipe from Life in the Lofthouse)
-taco shells (Tortilla Land are my favorite)
-lettuce or spinach
-pico
-sour cream
-lime wedges
-cilantro
-shredded cheese
-avacodo

Sometimes, I fill it up a ton and it makes a salad (good if you're not doing carbs) and it's almost better. Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments below!

Printable link below. 

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