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This blog post was originally published on July 24th, 2019.
If I can tell you one thing about blogging, it would be this: don’t take the photos for blog posts on your iPhone. LOL. But actually. This recipe is one of my family’s favorites, but unfortunately, when I shared it during the first year of Happily Eva After, I took horrendous pics on my phone and this blog post was desperately in need of a makeover. So consider this the remix, LOL!
The recipe is just as yummy as it ever was!
It’s one of the cleanest and healthiest meals in my arsenal: Buster’s Famous Green Fish! It was named by my ex-husband (I’m Buster, FYI) since it was one of his go-to requests for dinner. Featuring bright and clean cilantro, zingy lime, and feisty jalapeño, this fish dish is perfect for the summer months.
The “green” vinaigrette can even be poured on top of chicken or tossed with grilled veggies for a summer salad. Marlowe LOVES this fish by itself or over rice (the vinaigrette is a bit too spicy for her) and will eat it by the handful. This recipe makes a little extra vinaigrette, so you can either douse the fish with it or save a little for a salad tomorrow.
I serve this over white jasmine rice that I prepare in a rice cooker well before I begin cooking (Actually, I set it up before I put Marlowe in the bath, and by the time she is down for the night, the rice is finished!). You can also serve on top of brown rice, quinoa, or even greens if you are eating low-carb. If using, I recommend preparing your starch in advance.
This recipe serves two but is easily doubled…
Ingredients…
(Serves 2)
- 2 large tilapia fillets (or 4 small)
- 2 limes, zested and juiced
- ⅓ cup seasoned rice vinegar
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 tbsp
- ½ jalapeño, seeded and chopped
- 1 medium bunch of cilantro, rinsed, stems removed & leaves chopped
- ½ cup dry roasted sunflower seeds (optional)
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Directions…
- Preheat the oven to 400º F. Rinse the tilapia fillets, pat dry, and place them in a shallow baking dish that is large enough to hold the fillets without overlapping. Drizzle with 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil on both sides, and then season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle a pinch of the lime zest on top of each fillet and place in the oven for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until cooked through, but not dried out.
- Meanwhile, prepare the vinaigrette: Pour the rice vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, chopped jalapeño, cilantro (reserve a couple of pinches for garnish), and the rest of the lime zest into a blender or food processor. Slowly increase the speed until the vinaigrette is completely smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. If you would like it spicier, add the other half of the jalapeño, seeds removed of course
- Once cooked, remove the tilapia from the oven. Place a cup of cooked rice (if using) into the bottom of a platter, and place the tilapia fillets on top. Douse with green vinaigrette! (I drown mine!)
- Sprinkle with half of the sunflower seeds and a pinch of chopped cilantro, and enjoy!
Buster's Famous Green Fish
Equipment
- Blender
- Shallow Baking Dish
Ingredients
- 2 fillets tilapia
- 2 limes, zested and juiced
- ⅓ cup seasoned rice vinegar
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, (plus one tbsp extra)
- ½ jalapeño, seeded and chopped
- 1 bunch cilantro, rinsed, stems removed & leaves chopped
- ½ cup dry roasted sunflower seeds
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400º F. Rinse the tilapia fillets and pat dry, and place them in a shallow baking dish that is large enough to hold the fillets without overlapping. Drizzle with 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil on both sides, and then season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle a pinch of the lime zest on top of each fillet and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until cooked through, but not dried out.
- Meanwhile, prepare the vinaigrette: Pour the rice vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, chopped jalapeño, cilantro (reserve a couple of pinches for garnish), and the rest of the lime zest into a blender or food processor. Slowly increase the speed until the vinaigrette is completely smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. If you would like it spicier, add the other half of the jalapeño, seeds removed of course.
- Once cooked, remove the tilapia from the oven. Place a cup of cooked rice (if using) into the bottom of a platter, and place the tilapia fillets on top. Douse with green vinaigrette! (I drown mine).
- Sprinkle with half of the sunflower seeds and a pinch of chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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Yum ! This recipe dish looks fabulous. We buy lots of fish and I’m going to try and makes this soon ! Thanks for sharing the recipe !
Hope you love it!
This is one of the best fish recipes I’ve ever made! My kids love the sauce too. I mix it into the rice for them and they always ask for more “green rice”.
yay!!! Well thank goodness you now have nicer pics to look at! LOL
I am dying to try this recipe! Of course I’ll have to leave out the jalapeños ?
This sounds and looks delicious! Could I use mahi, snapper or grouper? We live in South Florida so it’s always available.
def! I think snapper or grouper would be the best bet
Looks delicious!! I will have to use a different fish as Tilapia is a banned fish here in Queensland Australia we don’t sell it & I had to look up cilantro as I’d never heard that name before & found out it’s good old Coriander, which is my favourite herb.
Cannot wait to make this recipe!
Thanks Eva
Yay! Hope you enjoy it!
Love this recipe!! So easy and crazy delicious! You go Buster!
Ha! Thanks Jenna! xx
I made this last night for dinner, and then called my mom and told her she had to make it tonight for dinner! What an amazingly easy and delicious recipe!! Thank you!
Yay so glad you love it!
This vinaigrette is unreal! The fish isn’t even done cooking and I can already tell this will be on heavy rotation!!!!! Thank you!
NOSSA ESSE FILE VAI SER SUCESSO NESSE DOMINGO AQUI NA CASA DO MEU GENRO… OBRIGADA POR ESSA MARAVILHA DE RECEITA PARABÉNS E SUCESSO PARA VC COM SUAS RECEITAS
MARAVILHA DE RECEITA
I plan on making this tonight after seeing your Instastory snapshot last night from a user. Question though: The sunflower seeds aren’t mentioned until the end of the recipe where it says use half of them as a garnish. What happens to the other half of them? Are they supposed to be part of the vinaigrette? Hope you see this before dinner tonight!
I meant just use half per plate!
Finally made this after seeing it on your blog many times. OMG Yuma! Definitely a repeat. Thanks for sharing!
Thoughts on subbing parsley for the cilantro? I’m one of those unfortunate souls for whom cilantro tastes like soap, but the rest of this looks so good I’m wondering if that might work or will just ruin it.
I totally get that! But unfortunately the cilantro kind of makes it what it is. If you sub parsley then it would basically be a chimichurri sauce but without all the extra garlic. (I love chimichurri for steak and I have another recipe for that here) You could try it and report back?
Making this after 3 days of Thanksgiving leftovers. Totally hyping it as “Grinch Fish” for my kid since the sauce is the same green as the Grinch. This is exactly what we need after the richness of Thanksgiving food and leftovers. Thanks for such an easy fresh recipe.
omg that is an EXCELLENT idea! Grinch Hype for the win!!!! xo
Been making this since you first shared years ago! Divine! Tried it with both chicken and fish and I prefer fish:)
How long would you keep leftover vinaigrette? My first time with leftovers ;p