As I mentioned, my husband has been craving fish. This recipe called for catfish, which I thought would be a nice change since we usually eat cod and salmon. Unfortunately, my grocery store did not have any fresh catfish, however, they did have tilapia fillets. I think tilapia was the perfect substitute! They are firm white fillets that are mild in flavor. This is a nice and easy weeknight meal! I served this fish with Polenta Stuffed Poblano Peppers.
Some recipe notes:
- I decreased the original recipe intended for 8 fillets to 2 fillets. However it was still super spicy and a bit on the salty side. I have adjusted the measurements below so that hopefully you won’t have the same problem. I forgot how spicy Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning is!
- I substituted olive oil spray for the 1/4 of melted butter called for in the recipe. You could boost the flavor factor by using the butter, however, as a general rule our weeknight suppers don’t contain butter. If I were to make this for guests that would be a different story!
- I found this recipe on myrecipes.com. I am obsessed with this site!!! It is a compilation of recipes from Real Simple, Southern Living, Cooking Light and many many more. The kinds of recipes cover a wide scope of difficulty and ingredients and there are great photos and reviews. You can find recipes for just about any ingredient or occasion. You must check it out!
Cajun-Baked Tilapia:
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 tablespoon pepper
- 2 tilapia or catfish fillets
- 1/2 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (I used Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning —super spicy!)
- a drizzle of olive oil or olive oil spray
Preheat oven to 400 F. Combine first 3 ingredients. Dredge the fillets in cornmeal mixture; place fillets, skin sides down, on a greased baking sheet.
Sprinkle cajun seasoning over fillets. Spray fillets with olive oil spray.
Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until golden and fish flakes with a fork.
Kitchenbelle 
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Tilapia is a favorite of mine! I may like it even more spiced with this Cajun flair.
Hi Jen, Cajun tilapia is a delicious and fun meal! The spice definitely made us sweat! 🙂
I’m a new fan of Tilapia. My recipe is similar to the one above, except I marinade the fillets in Lemon Juice for 20 mins or so per side prior to dressing them up.