tilapia with tangerine salsa

Tilapia with Tangerine Salsa is a fresh and tropical-inspired weeknight meal. It is ready in 30 minutes (or less!) and the flavors will take you away to a tropical vacation. It is dairy free and only 259 calories per serving.

This recipe was originally shared on February 8th, 2012. I have updated the images and text today.

When I shared this recipe the first time back in 2012, it was right after my return from a Caribbean vacation. That’s always a rough time isn’t it? I call that the Re-entry Period. I’m sure you can relate to this, particularly after being somewhere warm and coming home to snow.

I am always a little depressed to come home, and everything that seemed so important to me before I left, is suddenly put back into perspective. To make matters worse, I always am so relaxed that all the usual adrenaline that I run on is knocked away. That makes it doubly hard to get back up to my usual frenetic level of productivity. Sometimes it can take a few days.

But then there’s the comfort of my own bed, the convenience of the coffee maker in the kitchen, the re-entry shopping trip to reload all the groceries… I’m back to myself faster than you may think.

Cooking with the ingredients and flavors I experienced from my trip always helps me. Mexican, Italian and here with this tilapia recipe, Caribbean. It’s like a little bridge for a vacation sick heart.

After an inspired re-entry trip to the market I came up with this combo. I had found some fresh galangal root, and added it to a seasonal salsa with tangerines, cilantro and lime. Then I simply dusted tilapia with a little flour and cooked it in a little oil.

If you aren’t into fish, this combo is also great with marinated, grilled chicken breast. Try pounding it to an even thickness and then marinate it in grated galangal, lime zest and tamari for an hour before grilling.

If you can’t find galangal root, you can use a small amount of fresh grated ginger root in the salsa instead. Try using about 1/2 teaspoon and taste and add more if desired.

Nutrition Bonus: Tangerines and red bell pepper are great sources of Vitamin C.

Today, this recipe is part if the monthly Eat Seasonal group I am participating in. Here is a list of the other recipes in the line-up. This tangerine recipe is my contribution.

Beet Buckwheat Pancakes by Simple Bites

Citrus and Yogurt Fruit Pizza with Granola Crust by Completely Delicious

Spicy Cashew Spring Greens Soup by Letty’s Kitchen

Cauliflower Chickpea and Crispy Kale Tacos with Orange Tahini Sauce by Vintage Mixer

Lemon Poppy Seed Meringue Cookies by Project Domestication

Meyer Lemon & Thyme Semifreddo by Suitcase Foodist

Paleo Lemon Poppy Seed Bread by Joy Food Sunshine

Broccoli Cheese and Potato Soup by Foodie Crush

Tilapia with Tangerine Salsa by Healthy Seasonal Recipes

Orange and Arugula Smoothie Bowl by Floating Kitchen

Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad with Orange and Avocado by Mountain Mama Cooks

Beet and Apple Salad with Citrus Honey Yogurt by Flavor the Moments

Meyer Lemon and Honey Lassi by Kitchen Confidante

Roasted Veggie Buddha Bowls with Pesto by She Likes Food

Coconut Quinoa Bowls with Roasted Broccoli and Tahini Sauce by Cafe Johnsonia

Cilantro-Lime Chicken Soup Food for My Family

tilapia with tangerine salsa

• Author: Katie Webster
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 16 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Main Course
• Method: Stove Top
• Cuisine: American

★★★★

4 from 1 reviews

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

---

Description

This Tilapia with Tangerine Salsa is flavored with bright citrus, cilantro and lime and it is so easy to make. It’s ready in just 30 minutes!

---

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• ½ to 1 teaspoon freshly grated galangal root, preferably grated with a rasp-style grater
• ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
• 3 tangerines, peeled and diced
• 2 scallions, sliced
• ½ red bell pepper, finely diced
• ¼ cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 ½ pound tilapia fillet
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon avocado oil or organic canola oil, divided

---

Instructions

1. Whisk lime juice, honey, galangal and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Gently stir in tangerine, scallions, bell pepper and cilantro and set aside.
2. Place tilapia in a large baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Sprinkle flour over the fish and turn to coat.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon canola in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Cook about half of the tilapia in the skillet until golden brown and cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the fish to a plate and keep warm. Reduce temperature to medium-low and add the remaining 1 teaspoon canola oil to the skillet. Cook the remaining tilapia until browned and cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Serve the fish with the salsa.

---

Nutrition

• Calories: 259
• Sugar: 8
• Sodium: 544
• Fat: 9
• Saturated Fat: 2
• Carbohydrates: 17
• Fiber: 2
• Protein: 32

Here are some of the images that I shared with the original post in 2012.