Creamy Lemon Grilled Tilapia
Grilled tilapia fillets served with a creamy lemon-caper sauce and chopped parsley.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
Ingredients
- ?4-5 tilapia filletsthawed or use halibut
- ?2 tablespoonsoilany neutral tasting oil like vegetable oil canola, safflower
- ?salt and pepperto taste
- ?2 tablespoonsbutterdivided
- ?2 clovesgarlicminced
- ?1/2 cupchicken or vegetable stock
- ?1 teaspooncornstarch
- ?1 lemonjuiced and zest of half a lemon
- ?1/4 cupheavy cream
- ?1/4 teaspoonsalt
- ??teaspoonground black pepper
- ?1 tablespooncapers
- ?1 tablespoonfresh parsley leaveschopped
Instructions
Instructions
- Pat the 4–5 tilapia fillets dry with paper towels. Pour the 2 tablespoons neutral oil over the fillets and rub to coat both sides. Season all sides with salt and pepper to taste.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high. Clean and oil the grates. Grill the fillets 3–5 minutes per side (depending on thickness), flipping only once when the edges look browned and the fish is opaque and flakes easily. Transfer the cooked fillets to a plate and keep warm.
- In a skillet set over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the 2 minced garlic cloves and sauté briefly until fragrant, about 20–30 seconds; do not let the garlic brown.
- Add the ½ cup chicken or vegetable stock to the skillet and bring to a gentle boil.
- Whisk the 1 teaspoon cornstarch with just enough cold water to dissolve it into a smooth slurry. Whisk the slurry into the boiling stock and continue whisking until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Once slightly thickened, stir in the juice of 1 lemon, the zest of half a lemon, and the ¼ cup heavy cream. Reduce heat to low and cook 1–2 minutes more until the sauce is thickened to a coating consistency. Stir in ¼ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, swirling the pan until the butter melts into a smooth, glossy sauce.
- Spoon the sauce over the grilled tilapia fillets. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon capers and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley over the fish and serve immediately.
Equipment
- Grill
- Skillet
- Paper Towels
- Tongs
- Whisk
Notes
Use indirect heat.When you’re working with thin fish filets, you don’t need high heat! A grill over medium heat will still get the beautiful grill marks without burning the filets.
Oil everything.To get the best grilled tilapia that doesn’t stick, you want to use plenty of oil! Cover the fish in oil, and be sure to oil the clean grill grates, too.
Use foil packets.If you want to be positive your fish won’t stick to the grill, use foil packets. Remember the nonstick side of foil is the dull side, not the shiny one! You’ll get that same grilled flavor without the broken filets.
Remove from the grill sooner than you think.One of the best tricks I’ve learned for grilled tilapia is to take it off the grill sooner than you’d imagine. Once the fish is brown, you can flip it. When it’s completely opaque, it’s done! You can always check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer, too. It should be at least 145°F/63°C.
Oil everything.To get the best grilled tilapia that doesn’t stick, you want to use plenty of oil! Cover the fish in oil, and be sure to oil the clean grill grates, too.
Use foil packets.If you want to be positive your fish won’t stick to the grill, use foil packets. Remember the nonstick side of foil is the dull side, not the shiny one! You’ll get that same grilled flavor without the broken filets.
Remove from the grill sooner than you think.One of the best tricks I’ve learned for grilled tilapia is to take it off the grill sooner than you’d imagine. Once the fish is brown, you can flip it. When it’s completely opaque, it’s done! You can always check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer, too. It should be at least 145°F/63°C.