Tortilla Crusted Tilapia with Avocado Mango Salsa
Fast and easy, Tortilla Crusted Tilapia with Avocado Mango Salsa comes together in a snap for healthy weeknight dinners. Tender, flaky fish is topped with a crunchy tortilla crust that has a perfectly spicy bite. The Avocado Mango Salsa is the perfect balance for the subtle heat. A hit with the entire family.
Happy Friday, friends! We made it through another week! And this one was fast and furious, in my opinion. I had a Fox segment on Monday that was really weird….and hilarious….and totally not how I’d want one of those to go but sometimes you just have to laugh, move forward and not take life so seriously. Then, I had the ebola virus….but I didn’t really. I just had a cold but the funny thing about social media is if you post something out there for the world to see….even if you’re kidding….hoards of people will come out of the woodwork and take you totally seriously without even researching if what you are saying is, in deed, fact. So, I had to apologize over on Instagram in my stories to explain that I don’t have ebola…I’m not dying….I just have a horrible cold. Which, I’m happy to report…..did not stop me from going to spin class and I’m not almost over my cold entirely. And then…last night was Margarita night with the girls which made me procrastinate writing this post so now I’m rushing to get it done at the crack of dawn so it can go out in my 7 am email blast to all of you. 🙂
So….it’s Friday and for those of you that observe lent I give you this tilapia recipe. But not just any tilapia recipe, this is a Tortilla Crusted Tilapia with Avocado Mango Salsa. And I think it’s actually quite splendid. One of the best recipes I ever made, if you want to know. And it couldn’t be easier to whip up on a busy weeknight….or on Fish Friday. (Is that even a thing? Can I just call it that?) This recipe was inspired by a frozen Tortilla crusted fish I found at Costco like a billion years ago and I haven’t seen it since. The tilapia was lightly crusted with crushed tortillas that had a little bit of spice to it…..and it was simply amazing in every sense of the word. I craved it ever since then and have just gotten around to making it on my own. Which, to me, was way easier than driving to Costco…fighting for a parking spot…dealing with ALLLLLL the people in there….and winding my way back to the freezer section of the store. Then, standing in that loooooong check out line and then trying to get out the door quickly, back to my car and finally driving home. Right?
All you need for this Tortilla Crusted Tilapia recipe are the dregs of broken tortilla chips that are in the bottom of your bag….a few tilapia filets and spices….and a little olive oil. Sooooo easy. Then, while you’re baking up your tilapia, you whip up the Avocado Mango Salsa which is fantastic all by itself. And if you’re not really a fan of mangos or avocados….aside from being a real weirdo…you can use this fantastic pineapple salsa or this easy tomato salsa instead. They’re both wonderful with this fish recipe.
Well, there you go….crispy, crunchy fish that’s not fried and just in time for your Friday dinner! If you love this one….be sure to try this amazingly speedy salmon recipe or this Sweet Chili Orange Glazed Salmon that’s ready in about 15 minutes. And THIS is my absolute favorite seafood stew….also epically fast. Be sure to follow along on Facebook, too, because I’ll be sharing more fish recipes from here on out. I totally forgot how easy it was to prepare! Well, I didn’t….I was just busy eating cake over here almost every day all winter long.
Get the Recipe: Tortilla Crusted Tilapia with Avocado Mango Salsa Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tilapia filets, approximately 1 pound
- 2 cups tortilla chips
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lime zest, divided
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, divided
- 1 cup diced mango
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 avocado, seeded and diced
- 1/4 cup minced red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Pat the tilapia dry with a paper towel and place on a baking sheet. Set aside.
- In a food processor, add the tortilla chips, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and cayenne. Process until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in the olive oil, 1/2 tablespoon lime zest and 1 tablespoon lime juice.
- Divide and spoon the tortilla mixture evenly among the fish filets then press down to coat the top of the filets.
- Transfer the fish to the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
- While the tilapia is baking, make the salsa.
- In a large bowl, stir together the mango, tomatoes, avocado, onion, cilantro and remaining lime juice/zest. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Top each filet with the salsa and serve immediately.