Cajun Blackened Tilapia
with Red Beans & Lemon Rice
- Fish
- Milk
Cue the brass band, because your taste buds are about to take a trip to the Big Easy! We’re talking blackened tilapia and saucy, smoky red beans piled atop fluffy, lemon-scented rice. It’s all finished with a drizzle of spicy crema and some extra hot sauce, if you’re really looking to have a wild night. Now if we could only perfect our Hurricane cocktail...
Ingredients
1 unit
Bell Pepper
2 unit
Scallions
1 clove
Garlic
1 unit
Lemon
13.4 ounce
Kidney Beans
½ cup
Jasmine Rice
1 unit
Veggie Stock Concentrate
1 teaspoon
Smoked Paprika
11 ounce
Regal Springs Tilapia
(Contains: Fish)
1 tablespoon
Blackening Spice
2 tablespoon
Sour Cream
(Contains: Milk)
1 teaspoon
Hot Sauce
Not included in your delivery
2 teaspoon
Vegetable Oil
2 teaspoon
Olive Oil
2 tablespoon
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
Salt
Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Wash and dry all produce. • Core, deseed, and finely dice bell pepper. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens. Peel and mince garlic. Zest and quarter lemon (for 4 servings, zest 1 lemon and quarter both). Drain and rinse beans.
• In a small pot, combine rice, ¾ cup water (1½ cups for 4 servings), and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a low simmer. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes. • Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.
• Meanwhile, heat a large drizzle of olive oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and scallion whites; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 4-5 minutes. • Stir in garlic; cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.
• Stir beans, stock concentrate, paprika, ¼ cup water (1⁄3 cup for 4 servings), and a big pinch of salt and pepper into pot with veggies. Bring mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cook until thickened, 7-8 minutes. • Turn off heat; stir in 1 TBSP butter and season with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.
• Meanwhile, pat tilapia* dry with paper towels; season all over with salt and pepper. Rub both sides of each fillet with Blackening Spice. • Heat a large drizzle of oil in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium- high heat. Add tilapia and cook until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes per side.
• In a small bowl, combine sour cream with hot sauce to taste. Add water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency. Season with salt and pepper. • Fluff rice with a fork; stir in lemon zest and 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings). Season with salt and pepper. • Divide rice, beans, and tilapia between plates. Top with crema and scallion greens. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Mar 2026- Flavor: Many loved the blackened tilapia's seasoning, while some found the beans needed more flavor or spice 🌶️.
- Ease of prep: Quick and easy to make, though a few noted it used multiple pots and pans.
- Suggestions: Consider air frying the fish for crispiness; some preferred adding extra garlic or hot sauce to taste.
- Portions: Fish portions were generally praised as generous and fresh, though some wanted more beans or veggies.
- Leftovers: Several mentioned the dish reheated well, with some noting the flavors improved the next day.
Reviews from our home cooks
The blackened tilapia was SO delicious! I was nervous while preparing them that I wouldn't cook them properly as I hadn't blackened anything before (at least not intentionally haha) but the directions were perfect. Big time cooking confidence boost there! The beans were a huge hit with the whole family and would be easy to replicate based on the ingredients used. The rice was decent as well, nothing too special, but paired well with the beans. Highly recommend this recipe!
We adore Cajun/Creole cooking in our family, and this really hit the spot! The blackening spice was gorgeous, and the red beans & rice came out perfectly. We often cut salt and saturated fat, and it was very easy to do with this recipe -- smashing some of the beans before serving was a fine substitute for the butter, and we were delighted that the beans you provided were low sodium!
LOVED this and thought the red beans were a perfect match for the blackened tilapia. The lemon rice provided a good contrast to the spicy fish and beans. Definite winner around here!
The Cajun Blackened Tilapia was easy to make and very good. The bean recipe was great. We will be ordering this one every time it is available.
The Cajun Blackened Tilapia was exactly what it set out to be. The Red Beans Mixture worked well with the Lemon Rice and crema to top. The only reason it's not four stars is because the tilapia managed to still taste fishy. Maybe it's our personal preference, or maybe Barramundi would be a better fish for the dish.
Yes, we enjoyed the blackened Tilapia. I am not a big fan of any form of white rice but the zested lemon was such a refreshing addition to the rice that I really enjoyed it along with the red beans and pepper side dish. Thanks!
This was a terrific dish! Despite missing the rice (I ended up using some jasmine rice I had on hand), all the elements came together in perfect harmony. The blackening spice complimented the crispy and delicately flavored tilapia, the peppers, garlic and scallions with the buttery kidney beans were rich and satisfying, finished with the tangy sauce, lemon and fresh scallions-absolutely delicious! This was a favorite!
Definitely a favorite! The blackened tilapia is good I like that it's not fried. It's the red beans with the smoked paprika and sautéed peppers and onions that really make this dish delicious!
Awesome!! We loved this one and the cajun tilapia came out so perfectly. The red beans with the scallions and tomatoes were perfect for this cajun dish!
Surprisingly yummy and refreshing with the lemon rice balancing the Cajun seasoning. Many recipes call for adding 2T of butter, I always leave one out and never miss it. There was zero need to add more fat to the beans in this dish, they were perfect without it.
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