Honey Lime Tilapia – Crispy pan-fried tilapia with a sweet honey lime marinade. This tasty recipe is good enough to convert any fish hater!
Michael and I talk all the time about how being married and eating together has changed the foods we eat.
For instance, I didn’t eat much in the way of potatoes, hardly ever bought red meat, and had NEVER cooked steak of any kind before we were married. Now, potatoes find their way into our menu once every week or two and one of my favorite meals we’ve discovered together is a sort of steak stir-fry.
Michael, on the other hand, never really ever ate fish. Not that he didn’t like fish, he just never really ate it. Now, he really likes tilapia and shrimp (he can’t get enough of our cajun fish sandwiches and shrimp po’boys).
Because I love fish so much, and I’m always looking to expand our seafood recipe repertoire, I hunted down this REALLY easy method for cooking tilapia. After eating this for dinner, Michael said it was the best fish he’d ever eaten. Woo hoo!
Now, I know it looks like fried fish. It isn’t. In fact, all the ingredients required for this dish are pretty healthy and straightforward. I even used whole wheat pastry flour for dredging the fish! Also, I found that it was a great balance of flavor and not too sweet. I loved the combination of lime and honey.
One of the beauties of fish is that it cooks very quickly. With only a little bit of preparation beforehand, this meal comes together in about 10 minutes. Seriously. You did read that right. 10 minutos, dear reader.
I tried an experiment with the recipe, which originally called for marinating the fish about an hour ahead of time. I wondered if it would work to marinate it longer than that, so we cooked half the fish one night after about an hour of marinating time, and waited 24 hours to cook up the rest for dinner the next night. I couldn’t tell any difference in texture, and the flavor was, if anything, better.
Because of that, you could easily mix up the marinade, pour it in a zip-top bag with the fish fillets and keep it in your freezer until you’re ready to eat it. You just pull it out of the freezer, pop it into the refrigerator for the day, and by dinner time, all you have to do is dredge it and cook it up. Easy-peasy!
As for what to serve it with, we tried it with a simple squeeze of lime juice, and it was delicious. Or, you could certainly serve it with some peach salsa. I loved it!
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Print
Honey Lime Tilapia
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
For the fish and marinade:
- 4 (4-5oz) tilapia fillets (thawed if frozen)
- Juice and zest of 1 lime
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 Tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
For dredging and cooking:
- 1/2c flour (I tried both white flour and whole wheat pastry flour with good results)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1–2 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Assemble marinade by combining lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, honey, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a gallon-sized zip-top bag or shallow container with a lid. Add fish and marinate in the refrigerator anywhere from 1 hour up to 24 hours*.
- When ready to cook, combine flour with salt and pepper on a plate. Remove each fish fillet from the marinade and dredge lightly with the flour on both sides (just a light, light coating).
- Heat 1-2 Tbsp olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook fillets 2 at a time for 3-4 minutes per side or until opaque and browned (this works best if you don’t disturb the fish much while letting it cook).
- Serve with lime wedges or peach salsa.
Notes
*If you want to plan this meal in advance, you can prepare the fish and marinade in a large freezer bag and keep it in the freezer. Move frozen fish and marinade to the refrigerator the morning you plan to serve the fish and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator. It will marinate while it thaws!
- Category: Main dish, seafood
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Seafood
Keywords: tilapia, honey lime, honey lime tilapia,
Adapted from How Sweet Eats
Kim says
August 17, 2011 at 7:13 amLooks delish! I have tilapia in my freezer just waiting to be marinated and dredged!
JA says
February 23, 2018 at 6:12 pmThis is delicious. Followed the original recipe to the dot! Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Emily says
February 24, 2018 at 5:36 amSo, so glad you’re enjoying it! Thank you for sharing!
Rhoda says
September 15, 2018 at 6:23 pmDon’t know what I may have done wrong but the breading did not stick to the fish. As soon as I flipped the pieces the breading came off. The fish tasted good but it looked awful
Emily says
September 15, 2018 at 6:45 pmRhoda – Oh dear! I’d love to help. Sometimes if your pan isn’t fully pre-heated you can have sticking. If the pan isn’t hot enough at the onset, it won’t “seal” the breading onto the fish quickly, and instead will sort of cook the breading onto the pan. (That’s true for just about any breaded recipe)
I also try to use a fish spatula or metal spatula which can easily get under the fish without tearing the breading (vs. a plastic one that can sometimes pull it off). Lastly, I’ve found not skimping on the oil in the pan can help. I hope one of those tips is helpful and makes a difference for next time! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment 🙂
Emma says
November 11, 2018 at 12:33 pmI’d say I’ve had the same issue as Rhoda, the first time I figured was just “the first time” mistakes, second time I made sure to use a little extra oil and waited til it was hot and my breading still wouldn’t hold. I’m not upset tho, regardless the fish tasted amazing both times. This time I’m kinda just winging it on different flavors and without the breading, I’m excited to see how it turns out
★★★★★
Kurly says
April 6, 2019 at 8:01 amYour fish was probably too wet, I’m guessing from frozen. When you thaw frozen fish put a paper towel over it with a plate or something on top for a few min to wick out the extra moisture, then your breading will stick. I’m trying this recipe tonight with some Walmart frozen tilapia and cilantro lime rice. I’ll let you know what the wife and kids think. I like any fish, they are more finicky about it.
★★★
Tina says
August 17, 2011 at 10:02 amYUM! I’ve been eyeing up that recipe since I saw Jessica post it! Glad to hear the good review! Adding it to the meal plan! 🙂
Kelly says
August 17, 2011 at 10:14 amOh wow this looks fantastic and your presentation is gorgeous! How am I JUST NOW finding your blog?! I LOVE it!! New follower! xoxo
Andrea says
August 17, 2011 at 10:51 amAwesome. I wanted tilapia tonight, but was growing weary of our favorite recipe (I make it once a week). This will be perfect cause I have all the ingredients! Thank you!
Cookie says
August 17, 2011 at 4:29 pmThis dish looks so yummy.
I wonder if you could bake it. The honey would caramelize in the oven from the natural sugars. Alternatively, maybe use a non-stick pan.
Chanda says
September 29, 2016 at 4:22 pmDid you try it in the oven?
★★★★
Emily says
September 29, 2016 at 7:50 pmYes! Skip the breading part, and put it on a baking sheet lined with foil You can bake it or broil it! Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes, or broil for 8-10 minutes, or until done.
Ann says
February 25, 2018 at 7:55 pmTonight we hadn’t planned in advance and needed something fast, so when your tilapia recipe came up on Google, instead of marinating the fish, I put the marinade ingredients into a bowl and used it as a glaze, broiling them in the oven for 5-ish minutes per side. It was delicious and fast!! My husband said this was his favorite tilapia he’d ever had. 🙂 Thanks for the inspiration, Emily!
Emily says
February 26, 2018 at 7:34 amThat glaze idea is brilliant! So glad you enjoyed it!!
JehanP says
August 18, 2011 at 7:26 amThis looks so good, I have tilapia in my sink defrost and have no clue what to do with it. Thanks for the recipe, I will be trying this today.
GastroStu says
August 18, 2011 at 9:12 amLooks great, sometimes the best fish recipes are the simplest ones.
Lindsay @ Pinch of Yum says
August 18, 2011 at 12:20 pmWhat a lovely blog! 🙂 I’m happy to have found you, and this recipe for tilapia looks amazing. I have some tilapia in the freezer right now…!
Paula Jo @ Home and Garden Decor says
August 18, 2011 at 12:34 pmThe tilapia looks delious!! I will have to try this recipe. My hubby and I love fish, and he has been talking about buying some tilapia, so I’m going to give this recipe a try. Yummy! Also, you are so right about when we marry and how the different foods come into play. I cook and eat more German meals now, and he enjoys American meals. It is lots of fun trying new foods.
Janet J. says
August 18, 2011 at 5:51 pmI cooked this for dinner tonight. Simply delicious and it was as quick and easy as you described. This is a keeper! The lime juice was a perfect compliment. The green slices of lime looked cool and refreshing on the serving plate. I used whole wheat pastry flour and a small amount of olive oil. Not greasy at all.
Gigi says
August 18, 2011 at 6:01 pmHi. I just tried your Honey Lime Tilapia. I did not have any Tilapia so I used what I had which was catfish. It was so good. Thank you for such a light and healthy recipe for fish.
Meg's Everyday Indulgence says
August 18, 2011 at 6:06 pmMy husband absolutely loves fish…I’m not a huge fan but I have been trying to branch out and give it a try. This sounds and looks really delicious. You may just make me a fish convert!
Kat says
April 18, 2012 at 5:49 pmI totally feel the same way. Been trying out some tilapia recipes to make myself like fish and so far only found one. But am excited to try this one too!!!
Myra says
August 20, 2011 at 10:53 amThis recipe does look delicious and easy. I’ll be making it for dinner tonight!
Candice Le Noury says
August 24, 2011 at 3:24 amOh my, what a beautiful blog! Have just discovered it, and it’s all sorts of lovely! Am so inspired…thank you!
Liz says
August 24, 2011 at 4:30 pmThis is a fantastic recipe! I made it for dinner tonight and my husband and I both loved it. I served it with roasted corn salsa and black beans and rice…very tasty and very simple! Thanks for the post!
Nicki says
August 27, 2011 at 5:27 pmEmily, this recipe is SO yummy! I made if for dinner tonight and adapted it into fish tacos. DELISH! Thanks for sharing!
emily says
August 27, 2011 at 6:24 pmOoooh! I LOVE the idea of using it for fish tacos. YUM! I’m DEFINITELY trying that.
TFree says
August 27, 2011 at 9:44 pmThis looks delicious! Could it be baked instead of fried?
emily says
August 28, 2011 at 4:51 amI’m sure you could bake it without losing any flavor, but I don’t think the texture would be the same. I’m not one for deep-frying, and these didn’t feel greasy or heavy at all, since you don’t use much oil in the pan for pan-frying.
Naija News says
October 7, 2016 at 3:20 pmforgot to leave a rating emily 🙂
★★★★★
Allison says
August 30, 2011 at 6:12 pmI made this tonight with the peach salsa and OMG! It was a total hit in my house. Even my picky eater husband loved it! Thank you so much 🙂
kim says
September 1, 2011 at 7:13 pmI made this for dinner tonight and I can’t believe how flavorful the fish was! I was a little skeptical at how few ingredients were in the marinade but this is one I will make again!
Charlotte Ferreux says
September 9, 2011 at 8:19 pmI love your blog and your recipes! I posted your blog on my foodie blog above…come check it out:)
C
Ann Williams says
September 10, 2011 at 7:08 pmYou sound a lot like me and my husband! Thanks for the recipe–I printed it off and will try it this week.
Helen says
September 12, 2011 at 9:24 pmGreat recipe! I made it with cod, and used butter in the pan instead of oil and it was delish. I also boiled up the marinade while the fish was cooking and poured it over to serve. The sweet taste of the honey and the sour taste of the lime were great together.
Susan McAlinden says
September 19, 2011 at 6:47 pmThank you for the recipe! We are not “fish people”, and we are trying to be….and your recipe is VERY appreciated!
This is an unusual question, but I would really appreciate an answer if you don’t mind. I found a blog that had 5 main course suggestions for a week, plus one dessert, plus one snack. The blog used to list the recipes on it’s blog, but now it links to other blogs. It picked your fish recipe to link to, and that’s how I found this fish recipe. I lost the website for that blog, and I wondered if you know it? I didn’t know if it linked to your blog without your knowing, or if you were aware that another blog linked to yours for the fish recipe.
Thank you SO much for your response! It is OK to e-mail me!
Susan
emily says
September 19, 2011 at 6:51 pmSusan, no worries! I’ll email you as well, but the blog is called Can I Get the Recipe. The post you’re talking about can be found here. They do a great job of giving lots of good ideas!
Carmen says
October 8, 2011 at 6:09 pmI used this recipe today for fish tacos, with some fresh corn salsa. It was tasty and filling!
Chelsea says
October 24, 2011 at 5:32 pmI had some limes sitting on the counter, staring at me, begging me to do something great with them. I made these tilapia filets tonight (minus the honey, I have a thing about sweet and savory). Awesome! Thanks for posting!
Brandi says
October 29, 2011 at 1:25 pmThis is one of the best/easiest tilapia recipes I’ve seen! Looking forward to making this for Sunday dinner tomorrow!
Kate @ Stripes and Polka Dots says
November 4, 2011 at 3:24 pmI LOVE this recipe! This is my husband’s favorite fish- and he doesn’t normally like fish! Although I can never seem to get it to look as crispy as the picture, it still tastes delicious!
ash says
January 16, 2012 at 8:03 pmi am eating this as i write this and the recipe is AMAZING !!! sooo good! i needed a new way to cook tilapia and this is it!
Laura says
January 31, 2012 at 4:43 pmI could cook for a year with your recipes!! Love them!
Jana says
February 8, 2012 at 4:56 pmI can’t believe I have no limes on hand, but I need to cook my tilapia tonight! I do have a lemon, so I’m trying it with that…I’m pretty sure it will be almost as amazing! 🙂
Amy says
February 11, 2012 at 6:35 pmWhat is a good side dish suggestion? I really struggle with low-fat because I always want to choose a rice or pasta.
emily says
February 12, 2012 at 10:07 amAmy–We often eat ours with refried black beans (Rosarita brand is our favorite). You can also pair it with a salad or a corn and black bean relish. Or sometimes we just go simple and serve it with fruit and fruit dip. Best of luck!
Katie Dobbins says
February 15, 2012 at 7:32 pmI made this tonight and added chili powder to the flour mixture. It added a little kick! Very good recipe! Kids and hubby gobbled it up!
Stephanie says
February 16, 2012 at 3:18 pmI got this off of pinterest, made them tonight and they are so good… Thank you for this refreshing recipe.
Patricia says
February 25, 2012 at 5:50 pmMade this tonight…it was absolutly delicious! First time I havent messed up a fish recipe. Thanks 🙂
Shannon says
March 14, 2012 at 6:29 amThis was really good!
Shannon says
March 29, 2012 at 1:49 pmThis was so easy to put together & the flavors really blew me away. It was awesome. Takes a lot for fish to be a “wow” entree for me but this did exactly that. Will be on a regular rotation in my recipe box. Thanks so much!!!
Courtney says
March 30, 2012 at 7:58 amHi, Emily,
I made this tasty dish last night! Thank you so much for such an easy delicious recipe. I posted it about it on my blog, gave you credit and linked back. 🙂 In case you are interested: http://cookingmisadventures.com/2012/03/30/honey-lime-chicken/
Erin says
April 3, 2012 at 5:41 pmMade this tonight and it turned out beautifully!
Melissa says
April 5, 2012 at 3:04 pmBest dish ever! This has become one of our family favorites. Thank you so much!
Cindy says
April 6, 2012 at 9:05 amI’m going to try this Monday for dinner. Sounds great!
Felicia says
April 7, 2012 at 8:52 pmAMAZING!!! I made this yesterday and tonight… I definitely agree that the 24 hour marinated fillet turned out so much better and had tons more flavor. I also have to remember from now on to only cook it on medium heat… my stove gets way too hot! :-p
Absolutely delicious!!! Will be making this again and again (and again!)
Cindy says
April 10, 2012 at 7:43 pmAll I can say is “WOW”! I really enjoyed the citrus-y sweetness of the marinade. I won’t do a single thing different the next time I make this. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Vanessa says
April 24, 2012 at 6:09 pmMade this for dinner and it was a hit! Both me and my boyfriend loved it! I’ll be making this again soon. Thank you!
★★★★★
Faygie says
April 26, 2012 at 7:06 pmI made this for dinner tonight. I don’t usually get excited about fish, but this was awesome!!
★★★★★
Jill Porter says
May 4, 2012 at 10:32 pmI’m so going to try this. I reblogged and linked to your site about your recipe. Check out my blog to see what I paired it with! YUM!
acountrygirlsrecipes.blogspot.com
★★★★★
Heather Abernathy says
May 21, 2012 at 6:23 pmFor a gluten free version, substitute the flour with Maple Grove Farms Gluten Free Pancake & Waffle Mix…..it was super yummy!!!;-) What a great recipe, thanks for sharing!!
★★★★★
emily says
May 21, 2012 at 6:26 pmHeather – Thanks for the suggestion! I’ve had lots of gluten-free readers hoping for a substitution like this. THANKS SO MUCH!
Mary says
April 7, 2017 at 7:16 pmI substituted with almond flour which also worked well 🙂
Julie says
May 23, 2012 at 5:34 amThis is a regular in our dinner rotation now! We use the marinade and grill the fish! So good! Thanks!
★★★★★
Amanda says
June 13, 2012 at 6:37 pmI’ve been meaning to try this recipe for a while, and I finally got around to it tonight. My husband and I loved it! The flavor of the fish was fantastic. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Erin says
June 18, 2012 at 4:40 pmI found your blog through Pinterest and just printed this off to make for tomorrow. I’ve never really liked fish, but my husband does. Though, recently I tried tilapia and fell in love with it. I can’t wait to try this recipe. We fix a lot of tex-mex type meals in our family, and my husband is on a gluten free diet. I’m going to try using brown rice flour instead of the regular flour for him, and pair it with a black bean, corn, and avacado quinoa recipe we’re wanting to try as well. 🙂 Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Alicia says
July 15, 2012 at 4:47 pmI bought a package of 10 tilapia today at Costco. I went online and found this recipe. This was seriously easy to fix. I only marinated it for an hour, but the subtle lime and honey mixture was just right. It was a big hit with my husband and 13-yr-old son. Take care not to overcook the fish. It really only needs 3 1/2 minutes per side on a medium heat. I plan to marinate, then freeze the 6 filets that I did not cook today. My husband wants me to add this one to the lineup, and I agree. Yummy!
★★★★★
Kay says
September 3, 2012 at 3:11 pmSpectacular! Thank you. I’m very popular tonight thanks to your recipe!
★★★★★
Monique @ Ambitious Kitchen says
September 10, 2012 at 7:51 pmMaking this right now! 🙂
Amanda says
October 1, 2012 at 9:03 pmJust made this, and it was AMAZING! Easy to make, and some of the best fish I’ve ever had!
★★★★★
Safia says
October 16, 2012 at 2:06 pmHow cute is your site!! 🙂 I am attempting this fish tonight, wish me luck! Thank you for posting this great recipe!
Teresa G says
October 16, 2012 at 5:59 pmI made this tonight and this was HANDS DOWN the BEST FISH RECIPE EVER!!!! I couldn’t believe how good this was. Mine marinaded for about 6 hours and it was really sweet (I think any longer and it would have been too sweet). We are Paleo, so I used a mix of coconut and almond flour and sautéed in butter. YUMMMY!!! I will make this many, many more times!
★★★★★
Rita says
November 12, 2012 at 2:00 pmWhat side item would you recommend?
emily says
November 12, 2012 at 2:09 pmRita – we love fruit or fruit salad and bread, but you could keep the theme going and serve it with beans and rice. Best of luck!
Sunshine says
December 10, 2012 at 5:06 pmThanks for the awesome recipe! I had everything on hand except flour. I had whole wheat bread crumbs but it didn’t seem to stick to the fish well. Aside from that, the taste was amazing! Full of flavor & I only marinated it for 1 hour. It was a last minute dinner idea I whipped up so I’m sure if I have flour the bedtime around it will be better & also I will marinate it longer. I will most definitely make this again!
★★★★★
Sarah Hawkins says
January 19, 2013 at 7:11 pmJust made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! I made white rice and a green salad to go with it. My kids (read: picky eaters) even liked it!
★★★★★
McKenzie says
January 19, 2013 at 7:22 pmThis fish is amazing! I just made it for my husband and he loves it! I’m usually not the best of cooks, but this was both easy and delicous! Thanks!
lovetocook says
January 21, 2013 at 1:30 pmI have 100% whole wheat flour but it doesn’t say pastry flour. Is it the s
ame thing.
emily says
January 21, 2013 at 4:46 pmLovetocook – It’s not the same thing, sorry! Pastry flour is more fine and has less protein in it. I’d just use white flour.
Meghan says
January 29, 2013 at 7:49 amTilapia used to be my favorite fish, but divorced it for salmon 🙁 Lately I haven’t been liking Tilapia too much, so I am super stoked to try out this recipe. I’m going to emit the flour part, but I plan on marinating the suckers for a long time 😉 Thank you!!
★★★★★
Cass says
February 10, 2013 at 10:58 amDelicious! Just made it for lunch 🙂
★★★★★
Jennifer says
March 2, 2013 at 1:56 pmDelicious! I’m making it again for the second time in two weeks! We like to serve it with spaghetti squash (we put a little butter and brown sugar in the spaghetti squash). A very healthy and low carb meal. Thanks!
★★★★★
Sheila says
March 2, 2013 at 8:27 pmThank you. The recipe is pretty basic with nice flavor. A do over for sure. I added more lime zest and used 1/2 and 1/2 butter and oil to fry. Served with an Asian type salad and dinner was a hit.
Emma Mead says
March 7, 2013 at 5:47 pmI’ve made this recipe 3 times, once with just the marinade and twice with the flour coating. Usually serve it on a bed of quinoa. YUM! Thank you for sharing this!
★★★★★
Stephanie says
March 10, 2013 at 3:08 pmWould I get the same results if I baked it? Should I omit the flour if I do? Recipe sounds great but I don’t have a non stick pan to use and I’m afraid it will stick to my skillet (cast iron). Thanks.
emily says
March 10, 2013 at 7:16 pmStephanie – I don’t think the results would be the same if you baked it, as far as the crispy coating is concerned. You could probably get delicious results from the marinade, but I wouldn’t attempt the flour coating if you don’t plan on cooking it in your pan on the stovetop. Love to know how it turns out!
Ashley says
April 30, 2013 at 9:53 pmMy boyfriend abd I are making this now but we dont have any type of flower so we are using breadcrumbs
★★★★★
Melissa says
May 2, 2013 at 10:52 amThanks for the great recipe! I’m assuming I could throw them in the oven with the same result..?
Melissa says
May 2, 2013 at 10:53 amOops…just saw the comment/reply above. Will try without the flour mixture. Thx! 🙂
Diane says
June 2, 2013 at 1:13 pmThis was yummy! We had it with quiona and salad.
★★★★★
Teri says
June 12, 2013 at 4:27 amVery yummy! Thank you for an amazing tilapia recipe. Made it without the flour (no wheat or dairy here) dredging in a hot cast iron skillet with a little olive oil.
★★★★★
diane says
June 15, 2013 at 10:23 amdinner tonight
Aliz says
July 1, 2013 at 1:21 pmI just marinated everything and am going to let it sit in the fridge for about two hours.
Can’t wait to cook and serve and EAT tonight 🙂
thank you
Alexandrah says
July 3, 2013 at 6:22 pmMade this for dinner tonight and I am so happy I did. My fiance and I are not big fish eaters but this we both absolutely loved! Thank you for posting it!
★★★★★
EllenL says
July 22, 2013 at 9:36 pmThis recipe was in my “to try” folder for ages. I finally made it this past weekend – marvelous!!
Easy and quick to prepare, too. Thanks for another winner!
★★★★★
Jessica says
August 4, 2013 at 4:31 pmI made this for me any by hubby, and we both absolutely loved it! I added mango salsa on top for a little kick, and it was the perfect pairing. Thanks for this amazing recipe!
★★★★★
Alan R. says
September 19, 2013 at 7:42 pmExcellent, eating it now! I made extra marinade to splash on top, and a nice pineapple rice for the side dish. Delicious! This goes into my recipe stash!
emily says
September 19, 2013 at 7:58 pmYum! Pineapple rice sounds AMAZING!
Alan R. says
September 20, 2013 at 1:38 pmIt was pretty good. I’ll leave the recipe right here in the comments section for you to put up if you’d like:
Pineapple Thyme Fried Rice.
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked white rice
1/4 cup crushed or finely diced pineapple
1 cup pineapple juice
Juice of 1 small lime
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon Thyme
2 tablespoons oil (Olive or Canola works best)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter.
Heat Oil in skillet on high until near very hot and add rice. Stir rice constantly until it takes on an opaque milky quality (Or you can brown it if you like).
Mix pineapple, juices, water and thyme and add to mixture. Cook on medium until rice is tender and all moister is gone. Mix in brown sugar and butter and stir well. Let set 2-5 minutes and serve.
Sorry it my recipe formulation lingo leaves something to be desired. Never had to write a recipe for anyone other than myself.
emily says
September 20, 2013 at 1:59 pmYum! I can’t wait to try it!
Alan R. says
September 30, 2013 at 3:45 pmI just tried the honey lime marinade as a dressing on a salad with mixed greens, garlic pepper sauteed shrimp, sliced avocado and sliced toasted almonds. It worked so well! This honey lime dressing is fast becoming my favorite thing to put on anything and everything! It works with chicken, it works with white fish, it works with shrimps!
Thanks so much for posting it, I’m never gonna stop cooking this stuff!
Alan R. says
September 30, 2013 at 3:45 pmAlso, forgot to leave a rating.
★★★★★
Not a very good cook says
April 3, 2014 at 3:13 pmHi, I have some questions about the rice. Do you drain the pineapple before you add it to the rice? Can you use that juice as your “1 cup pineapple juice” or do you recommend buying the juice separately? This sounds delish and I can’t wait to try it.
emily says
April 3, 2014 at 7:52 pmOh, no worries! I use the pineapple juice that comes with the pineapple. You can drain the pineapple, but save the juice (I set a colander over a liquid measuring cup). Hope that helps!
DyMond says
January 3, 2014 at 6:03 pmI’m eating this now and I must say I absolutely love it! I marinated the tilapia over night and added a few dashes of tobasco after it was cooked. It was amazing!
★★★★★
emily says
January 5, 2014 at 7:22 pmYum! I’ll have to try Tabasco the next time around!
natasha says
January 11, 2014 at 4:48 pmI must have done something wrong… I just made this for dinner, and it just doesn’t taste at all like I expected it to. I didn’t marinate for a full hour… I only had about 40 minutes. Maybe that’s it?
emily says
January 11, 2014 at 7:33 pmNatasha – Hmm… I’m sorry it didn’t turn out how you expected. I’m not sure what you were expecting. What was the trouble? Were you hoping for something sweeter? tangier? More lime-y? I’d be happy to try to help troubleshoot, if you like.
Phil says
January 18, 2014 at 2:25 pmThank you for this recipe. I have been a bbq, meat and potato’s kind of guy my entire life. The only fish I ever ate or cooked usually has been beer battered and fried. That being said I just turned 49, so I have been hoping to eat and cook for my wife and son in a more healthy manner. I typed in the best tilapia recipe in google and thank God I did. Found this site and this wonderful recipe. Just served to the fam today. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT! Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Jenn says
January 22, 2014 at 9:00 pmThanks for the recipe! Husband and kid approved 🙂
★★★★★
emily says
January 23, 2014 at 1:04 pmYay! I’m so glad you liked it!
Amanda H says
February 13, 2014 at 5:51 amLet me preface with the fact that I was not a fish fan. My husband and I wanted to eat healthier and fish is something that should obviously be a regular on our menu. I found this super easy recipe and I love honey so I gave it a shot. Not ten minutes after I sat down, every single plate was completely cleared! I have two super picky toddlers and I actually had to stop them from eating too much of this. Thank you for the recipe and being that extra little step I needed on my way to eating healthier. Can’t wait to try to try the other recipes.
★★★★★
emily says
February 13, 2014 at 11:57 amAmanda – I’m SO glad to hear it! Thank you for telling me. Yay! Hope you find many more toddler-approved favorites!
Kendra says
February 20, 2014 at 4:17 pmI made this today. I made a few changes and it turned out fantastic! I omitted the garlic powder (onion/garlic allergy in my house), used agave instead of honey, and used rice flour to make it gluten free. I will definitely make this again.
Karla Buist says
February 26, 2014 at 8:42 pmWonderful. Wonderful. Thank you for sharing. I added the extra marinade on top of the fish while cooking and it was fantastic! If your going to do frozen filets, Costco is the way to go!
★★★★★
Jamie Lynn says
February 28, 2014 at 9:41 pmI am NOT a fish fan. I cannot stand the smell, let alone attempt to eat it. HOWEVER!! I have been eating much healthier and losing weight the last few months and I’ve been eating chicken every way to Thursday so now I’m trying to venture out and try new things. I know fish is supposed to be great for you. I hunted around and found tilapia is probably the mildest tasting fish, and read multiple times that it will take on the flavor of any marinade you put it in. That said, this is the first recipe I’ve found that actually sounds good (I’m PICKY as heck with food!!). I’m going grocery shopping either tomorrow or Sunday and I’ll be getting some tilapia and I plan on making this dish with it. Wish me luck and I will have to check in again to let you know if I actually like it 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!!
Cassandra says
March 8, 2014 at 4:01 pmMaking now with a blueberry salsa to top it off! Can’t wait to try it. I’m hoping it will help me like fish, I didn’t grow up eating fish but want to start. Thanks!
Cassandra says
March 8, 2014 at 6:13 pmIt’s was amazing! My husband is already talking about using this marinade on everything.
emily says
March 8, 2014 at 7:24 pmCassandra – Blueberry Salsa sounds yummy! I’m so glad you liked the fish. Thank you for letting me know how it went!!!
Diane says
March 9, 2014 at 9:52 amTrying this today!
Angela says
April 7, 2014 at 3:53 pmHi Emily! I just came to say this is one of our favorite recipes in our house, I have made it SO many times since you posted it. We never get tired of tilapia with this awesome recipe. Thank you!
★★★★★
emily says
April 7, 2014 at 6:51 pmOh, Angela, THANK YOU for this sweet comment today. I needed it. So glad you enjoy it! It’s one of our favorites.
Shawn Dietzer says
April 8, 2014 at 3:35 pmThis is one of my favorite tilapia recipes of all time! It combines two of my favorite things, honey and limes! I would love to be able to share this one on my website!
★★★★★
Suki Simpson says
April 22, 2014 at 7:17 pmI didn’t have time to marinate it and it was delicious. 8 can only imagine what an over night would do. Super yum!
★★★★★
emily says
April 22, 2014 at 7:47 pmSo glad you liked it Suki!!!
momfromaz says
May 7, 2014 at 9:46 amBest fish I have ever had. I printed this recipe off a year ago and have been making it since. Husband loves it too. I have also used cod.
★★★★★
emily says
May 7, 2014 at 7:23 pmI’m so glad you enjoyed it. THANK YOU for telling me!!!
michele says
May 28, 2014 at 8:12 pmThis was DELICIOUS!! We had to make ours gluten free so we just used better batter flour for the coating. It was so good that even the kids had seconds. Thanks for a great recipe! Quick, Easy and Tasty!
★★★★★
emily says
May 28, 2014 at 8:32 pmI can’t wait to try it with better batter flour! We’re gluten free now, and I’d love to try it this way!
chelsea says
June 16, 2014 at 6:52 amHi Emily, I found this recipe on Pinterest and was curious if you could replace the lime juice/zest with lemon? Another question was whenever I cook fish like this the breading usually falls off even if i don’t touch the fish while it’s cooking.
nicole says
July 23, 2014 at 7:43 pmI have never made Tilapia before. this was so delicious! great recipe! will add it to my favorites list !
Deb Kennedy says
July 28, 2014 at 4:46 pmGotta tell you …this fish and peach salsa was AMAZING – a total hit with everyone in our family. In fact, I’m going to make another recipe of the marinade and get some more tilapia ready for another meal. Love the idea of freezing the fish in the marinade and pulling it out for a quick dinner (of course, you have to remember to defrost it). LOL.
Thank you so much for sharing.
★★★★★
emily says
July 28, 2014 at 8:09 pmOh, I’m SO glad you liked it! Hooray!
tina says
September 20, 2014 at 1:36 pmI thought we couldn’t use honey for whole 30?
emily says
September 20, 2014 at 3:14 pmTina – You’re right! This recipe is not Whole30 approved.
Stacey says
November 6, 2014 at 11:20 amI made this about a month ago and it was sooo delicious. It’s marinating in the fridge as we speak for dinner tonight.
Thank you so much for this wonderful, delicious and simple recipe!
★★★★★
emily says
November 6, 2014 at 12:59 pmStacey – Thank YOU for your sweet note! I’m so glad you liked it!
Marnie says
February 15, 2015 at 12:17 pmThis marinade sounds delish, however, my husband is deathly allergic to all seafood. Would this work, as written, with boneless chicken breasts?
emily says
February 15, 2015 at 4:06 pmMarnie – Sorry to hear that! The marinade and coating DO work on chicken. You will have to cook the chicken longer than you would fish, adding a few minutes to the cook time for each side. Hope that helps!
AMY says
March 29, 2015 at 12:46 pmI left my tilapia marinate over night and had it for lunch and it was absolutely amazing! This recipe is gold!
★★★★★
Misty says
April 14, 2015 at 7:09 pmI made this for supper tonight and my 5 and 6 year old girls loved it. Not to mention my man. He suggested that I make this way all the time. The girls love tilapia but we were getting burned out cooking it the same way all the time. Now I have another awesome recipe to break it up. Thank you so much.
emily says
April 14, 2015 at 8:14 pmMisty – I’m SO glad you liked it! It really is so flavorful. Thank you for your sweet note! It made my day.
Beth Nielsen says
April 20, 2015 at 6:19 amMade this for dinner last night for myself, my husband and adult son (who seems to always drop by at dinner time!). Served it with Aglio e Olio as I couldn’t find peaches and we all absolutely loved it! I will surely make again and again! I’m a “seasoned” cook at 68 years old and humbly thank you for “teaching” me some new tricks!!!
★★★★★
Sylvia Martinez says
March 22, 2017 at 1:07 amI tried it without flour, used both lemon, and orange juice, and it was a HIT! SO GOOD!! I served it with Farro “risotto.” Perfect dinner date. Thank you so much for the inspiration!
★★★★★
Emily says
March 22, 2017 at 4:19 pmYum! I’ll have to try it with lemon and orange juice next!
Janine says
May 31, 2017 at 5:56 pmI just made this for my husband tonight and he absolutely loves it ! He moaned all through dinner. I will definitely be keeping this recipe.
ps, I tried to rate it a ” 5 ” star but it wouldn’t let me rate at all, but know that i am rating it as high as possible !
Emily says
May 31, 2017 at 6:08 pmJanine – Oh, this makes me so happy! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!!
Amber says
June 7, 2017 at 12:40 pmI googled nutrition information. Am I missing something? Does this recipe have nutrition info?
Amber says
June 7, 2017 at 12:47 pmLooks like no. Maybe consider adding that to your little blog. Also you should really list the most recent comments first. I have no interest in 6 year old comments.
Amber says
June 7, 2017 at 12:51 pmI mean I have to scroll all the way down to accurately track my comment that was made in the last hour….
Emily says
June 7, 2017 at 3:26 pmAmber – Thanks for all of your comments on “my little blog.”
Nope! You didn’t miss anything. Nutrition software and plug-ins aren’t in my budget. In the meantime, I use MyFitnessPal (the app or the site) for a great free resource that lets you import recipes from the web.
Also, thanks for the suggestion about the comments. It usually works best in situations like this for the oldest comments to be first, since *most* of the time, questions have been asked before and the reader can answer their own question from the comments section. I’m sorry that wasn’t the case for you this time and that it required more scrolling. Hope you have a great day!
Amber says
June 7, 2017 at 12:45 pmLooks like no. Maybe consider adding that to your blog thing.
Kimberley says
September 10, 2017 at 3:19 pmThis recipe is awesome. Ive useed it for both talapia and flounder with great results. Ive also marinated for 24 hrs and 8 hours. Just as good either way.
Thanks for sharing!
Emily says
September 10, 2017 at 4:20 pmKimberley – I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you for sharing!
Yadira Bieneme says
April 10, 2018 at 5:21 pmDef the BEST tilapia receipe out there! Tried it step by step really easy and fast!! Love it!!
★★★★★
Emily says
April 10, 2018 at 7:47 pmI’m SO glad you enjoyed it! We LOVE this one!
Katie Lain says
July 8, 2018 at 11:35 amhi Emily!
I am wondering if you have tried this GF too?!? If so, is there a flour you would recommend instead of white or whole wheat?
I am excited to try this tonight and love all your recipes!
Emily says
July 8, 2018 at 2:34 pmKatie – I’ve done it with GF All-Purpose Flour (like Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Mix) and it works great!
Rayna says
August 24, 2018 at 8:18 pmSo I’ve made fish maybe twice? In my life. I had some tilapia filets from a friend who wasn’t going to use them. They sat in my freezer until yesterday when I found this recipe. Holy tilapia, so good!!!! In addition to being incredibly proud of myself for preparing something soooo good, I am incredibly thankful for this recipe! I can’t wait to add it to our meal list and it is so easy to prepare and cook. I’m disappointed I didn’t make more!
★★★★★
Emily says
August 25, 2018 at 6:58 pmRayna – You made my day! What a wonderful review. Thank you so much for sharing!
Conner says
February 20, 2019 at 5:51 pmThis wasn’t good at all to me or my family. After leaving it on the pan for the time instructed, there was nothing left of any honey or lime flavors.
★
Emily says
February 21, 2019 at 5:32 amI’m sorry to hear that Conner!
Sarah says
March 5, 2019 at 7:59 amWow…This was so good and easy… going straight into the regular rotation! I fried it in coconut oil… omg 🤤 I think the last dude didn’t follow the directions, ha.
★★★★★
Emily says
March 5, 2019 at 9:09 amI’m SO glad you enjoyed it! It’s one of our favorites 🙂