Grilled Lemon Garlic Basil Tilapia

Grilled Lemon Garlic Basil Tilapia is a quick weeknight dinner. Nutritious, and full of lemon & herb flavor.

We all need quick and easy dinner recipes. Days get busy, evenings get busy and somethings there’s hardly time to sit down and eat, let alone cook. Even though I love to cook, on a busy day I’m definitely tempted to go through the Chick-fil-A drive through or just buy a GF frozen pizza. There are better options than fast food, though!

Which brings me to this Tilapia. It’s so speedy to make. I mean, really quick. Turn the grill on and 5 minutes later you have dinner. A healthy dinner. Fish has tons of nutrients and health benefits, and the flavors come from real, whole foods, too. Nothing artificial here!

Grilling fish seems a bit intimidating, but it’s actual very simple. An important step is to spray the grill with cooking spray or olive oil just before you put the fish on. Yes, the oil will cause the flames to flare up for a minute, but it will also keep the fish from sticking to the grill.

I’ve heard different opinions on whether or not you need to flip fish while it is grilling. Personally, I like to flip tilapia, especially the thicker filets. Mostly, I just like to see the nice grill marks on the top of the fish, but I think the flipping also helps the fish to cook a touch faster. Maybe that’s just in head, and it feels faster because I am more actively involved during the cooking process. Flip or no flip, just be sure to grill the fish until it reaches 145° F. Then it’s off the grill and onto dinner plates!

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4 tilapia filets, 4-6 oz each
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 4 Tbs lemon juice
• 1 tsp garlic powder (you can use fresh garlic, but I found the garlic powder stays on the fish better during cooking)
• 2 Tbs minced, fresh basil

Directions

1. Preheat the grill.
2. In a small bowl combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, and minced basil.
3. Spray the grill with cooking oil/spray and place the tilapia filets on the prepared grill space (it should be over direct heat).
4. Spoon a bit of the lemon juice mixture onto each fish filet, and use a cooking brush to spread it out over the top of the fish. Cover, and let cook for 3 or 4 minutes.
5. Flip, and brush the second side with the remaining lemon juice mixture.
6. Cook for an additional 3 or 4 minutes on the second side. Check to make sure fish has reached at least 145° F before serving.

Serve this with:

• Lemony Quinoa & Spinach (a 15 minute side dish)
• Green Beans Almondine or Simple Steamed Broccoli
• Quinoa Pilaf
• Lemon Risotto