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Mango-licious Tilapia

My son's girlfriend, Nicole, named this recipe "mango-licous tilapia." The mango salsa is great over the tilapia, as a dip, or on cottage cheese. Try serving the tilapia over brown basmati rice or lightly dressed salad greens for a complete meal. Then generously top with the salsa — it's mango-licious!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course lunch/dinner
Cuisine caribbean
Servings 4 people
Calories 1346.2 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Shallow Baking Dish For marinating and baking tilapia
  • 2 Mixing Bowls One for marinade, one for salsa
  • 1 Chef's knife For dicing, peeling, and chopping ingredients
  • 1 Cutting Board For safe and efficient ingredient preparation
  • 1 Microplane or Zester For grating orange and lime zest, and mincing ginger

Ingredients
  

Main

  • ¼ cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 ½ tablespoons grated orange zest
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • crushed red pepper flakes to taste
  • 4 tilapia fillets
  • 3 Roma tomatoes peeled, seeded, and chopped
  • 1 mango peeled, seeded, and diced
  • 1 small red onion finely chopped
  • 1 avocado peeled, pitted, and diced
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 jalapeño pepper seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 lime zested and juiced
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  • Combine orange juice, olive oil, orange zest, salt, black pepper, and pepper flakes in a shallow baking dish. Rinse and pat dry tilapia fillets; place into the baking dish and turn to coat with orange juice mixture.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until tilapia easily flakes with a fork, 10 to 12 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, mango, onion, avocado, cilantro, jalapeño, lime zest and juice, ginger, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a glass bowl; set aside at room temperature while tilapia cooks. Place fillets on a platter; spoon salsa over top to serve.

Notes

Tilapia cooks quickly; watch carefully to prevent overcooking, as it can become dry. The fish is done when it just begins to flake. For the salsa, ensure your mango and avocado are perfectly ripe for optimal flavor and texture. A firm yet slightly yielding mango works best. To elevate the salsa further, consider adding a pinch of finely chopped red bell pepper for extra sweetness and crunch. Always taste and adjust the lime and salt in the salsa – the acid is crucial for brightening all the fresh components. When serving, a bed of steamed brown basmati rice or a light quinoa salad provides an excellent complement to the vibrant flavors.