There are so many amazing grilling recipes to make in the summer, but sometimes I just want a quick and easy grilled dinner. This Grilled Tilapia is served with a creamy, lemony piccata sauce your family will love! If you’ve ever made tilapia on the grill and watched the flaky fish fall apart, I’ve got the tips you need for the perfect grilled white fish in a flash. If you love this grilled tilapia recipe, try my succulent smoked turkey, grilled garlic shrimp skewers, watermelon and feta salad, and grilled chicken tenders. You can also make Pan Fried Tilapia, or Fish Piccata on the stovetop if you’d rather not grill today!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
The Ingredients
Tilapia: This flaky white fish is a great budget-friendly dinner that absorbs any flavor you add to it! Halibut also works really well with this grilled fish recipe. Oil: This is the key ingredient to keep your grilled tilapia from sticking to the grates! You’ll want to add some olive oil to the fish and the grill itself for the flakiest white fish that doesn’t stick. Salt and black pepper: I like to keep the seasoning simple on this grilled tilapia. Kick it up a notch with a little paprika, garlic powder, or onion powder, too.
For the piccata sauce
Butter: For the most luscious sauce, you need a little butter. It really helps everything bind together, too. Garlic: Everything’s better with garlic! Stock: I use a little chicken stock for the best sauce flavor. You can also keep this dish pescatarian with a vegetable broth, too. Cornstarch: Skip the flour and make this gluten-free piccata sauce with cornstarch. It thickens this bright lemon sauce without the gluten. Lemon: I use lemon 2 ways in this sauce with the lemon juice and the zest. Heavy cream: The creamiest sauces use a little heavy cream. You can always use half and half if you’d rather, but it won’t be quite as thick. Capers: You can either add the capers to the sauce directly or garnish the grilled tilapia with them at the end. Either way, you can’t have piccata without capers.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Grill tilapia
Follow these steps for the best grilled tilapia that does not stick:
Tips and Tricks
To keep your tilapia from sticking to the grill, follow these easy tips every time:
Use indirect heat. When you’re working with thin fish filets, you don’t need high heat! A grill over medium heat will still get the beautiful grill marks without burning the filets. Oil everything. To get the best grilled tilapia that doesn’t stick, you want to use plenty of oil! Cover the fish in oil, and be sure to oil the clean grill grates, too. Use foil packets. If you want to be positive your fish won’t stick to the grill, use aluminum foil packets. Remember the nonstick side of foil is the dull side, not the shiny one! You can also use a grill basket which seems to work well. You’ll get that same grilled flavor without the broken filets. Remove from the grill sooner than you think. One of the best tricks I’ve learned for grilled tilapia is to take it off the grill sooner than you’d imagine. Once the fish is brown, you can flip it. When it’s completely opaque, it’s done! You can always check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer, too. It should be at least 145°F/63°C.
Follow these tips for the best grilled tilapia that doesn’t stick or break! This super easy summer dinner is one of my absolute favorites. Make sure to Pin this recipe so more people can enjoy it! © Little Sunny Kitchen
