Spicy Grilled Fish tastes even better when you pair it with fresh citrus slaw! You’ll love how easy it is to make this grilled fish, and the tangy slaw on top is like the icing on a cake.
Love easy dinner recipes? Our parmesan crusted tilapia is so good. Paired with some lemon garlic pasta and you’ve got a delicious meal.
Why this Recipe Works
Cooked correctly, fish is one of my favorite proteins.
- It’s healthy
- Easy to prepare
- Absorbs the flavors of all kinds of marinades and seasonings.
There’s no better way to enjoy fish than when it’s grilled!
Use an outdoor grill or a grill pan on the stove, brush the fish with a spicy citrus marinade and cook it to flaky perfection.
We love our grilled fish best paired with this easy citrus slaw. Unlike my traditional coleslaw recipe, the coolness from the citrus salad combined with the spicy fish is a perfect match.
Serve the fish on a plate and top it with a generous amount of the salad for a light meal. You can also put this fish and slaw on a tortilla, I know my kids love to eat everything on a tortilla!
What Fish to Use
Tilapia is my preferred fish to use in this recipe because my kids love it! I choose 4 ounce tilapia fillets–they’re the ideal size for grilling.
You can try other types of fish like salmon or tuna too, just adjust your cooking times based on the thickness of the fillets.
Spices- chili powder, garlic salt, kosher salt, cumin and cayenne pepper. You’ll also need fresh lime juice for the fish marinade.
The ingredients list for the citrus slaw I make with our grilled fish looks lengthy, but it’s super easy to assemble and really MAKES the meal. Don’t skip it!
With crunchy cabbage, red onion, peppers, basil and cilantro the slaw is a total explosion of flavor! Jalapenos make it spicy and the fresh orange juice ties everything together.
TOOLS: I love this grill pan on Amazon!
Easy Instructions
Assemble the slaw.
Toss all the citrus slaw ingredients together in a large salad bowl. Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.
Season the fish.
Mix chili powder, garlic salt, salt, cumin and cayenne in a small bowl. Add lime juice and mix thoroughly. Brush the seasoning on both sides of the fish filets.
Grill.
Grill the seasoned fish fillets for 5 minutes on each side, or until the fish is flaky at the touch of a fork. Be careful not to overcook.
Serve immediately on a plate with a heaping portion of citrus slaw on top of each filet!
Serving Ideas
This spicy grilled fish is awesome in fish tacos, paired with cilantro lime rice, or tossed into a dinner salad!
Our roasted broccoli and zucchini pairs perfectly with today’s spicy fish recipe too.
Add a side of roasted radishes for a crunchy bite without the carbs!
Store leftover grilled fish in the refrigerator and enjoy within a day. Leftovers taste good cold in a salad or wrap for lunch.
More Seafood Recipes
Family Friendly Dinners
See all Main Dish recipes
Spicy Grilled Fish with Citrus Slaw
Ingredients
For the Fish:
- 6 tilapia fillets 4 ounce each
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 lime juiced
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
For the Slaw:
- 1 cup thinly sliced green cabbage
- ½ cup thinly sliced red cabbage
- ½ red pepper diced
- ½ small red onion sliced in thin strips
- ¼ cup fresh basil chopped
- 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 jalapeno seeded and chopped
- 1 large orange peeled and sectioned
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- For the Slaw, mix everything in a large bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- For the fish, mix chili powder, garlic salt, salt, cumin and cayenne in a small bowl. Add juice of one lime and mix thoroughly.
- Heat grill pan on medium-high heat with olive oil in pan. Brush both sides of fish with seasoning. Grill 5 minutes on each side, or until flakes with a fork.
- To serve: lay grilled fish on a plate and top with a heaping serving of citrus slaw. ENJOY.
- **you can also warm up flour tortilla and place fish and slaw inside, eat and enjoy!
Notes
- Want more spice? Add in more cayenne pepper!
- Store leftover grilled fish in the refrigerator and enjoy within a day. Leftovers taste good cold in a salad or wrap for lunch.
These look incredibly delicious!! I love the citrus slaw! Amazing!
This recipe was so good and a nice change from old classics. We loved it.
Loved this recipe. Followed the directions as stated and hubby was impressed! I don’t think there’s a better way to prepare fish.
Loved this recipe. Followed the directions as stated and hubby was impressed! I don’t think there’s a better way to prepare fish.
My whole family really enjoyed this dish! The slaw is absolutely amazing!
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This looks wonderful and I can’t wait to try that slaw.
I’ve always wanted to make a citrus slaw and this was a great recipe. Thanks for sharing with us. I added a little lime to your slaw recipe and it was so good. My husband loved this meal too! He’s not a big fan of fish. So double thank you 🙂 I shared your recipe link on my blog so I can could share with family & friends. I will be checking back for more delicious recipes.
Angel, I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! It’s so good, and I love to hear feedback from others! Thanks for coming back and letting me know 🙂
Your recipes are AMAZING! This slaw is so yummy and healthy I make it by itself, even though the fish its super yummy too! I don’ t normally leave comments, but your recipes have made me a big hit! I made the peppermint cheesecake over the holidays and my husband wants it in other flavors now. You are an amazing chef and I check your blog frequently for more recipes. Thank you for sharing your gift with the rest of us!
So glad you are enjoying my recipes! And thank you so much for the sweet words!
This slaw is one of my favorites too…I love putting it on a sandwich!
As for the cheesecake cake, I’m totally with your hubs. I am constantly running ideas through my head for more varieties!
Those look amazing! I love a good spicy fish, and the citrus slaw!!! YUM!
Your pics are gorgeous, Aimee!
Thanks Rachel. Spicy fish is the way to go! thanks for stopping by!
I have never grilled fish before. Your recipe looks very yummy so I may have to give it a try. Stopping by from Tatertots & Jello. 🙂
We (try to) eat tilapia or other fish once a week – and my kiddo loves it! But I’m always looking for different ways to change up my recipes, so this is a perfect one for me to have on hand. Pinning to make next week – thanks so much for sharing this!
These look delicious! I can’t wait to try them! I am co-hosting a new Pinterest Power Party and would love to have you share this or any other projects that you have!
http://www.thetaylor-house.com/2013/01/10/pinterest-power-party-1.html
Chrissy
I just tried to make fish tacos last night for my family and they were so no appetizing and they made me sad >_<.
This citrus slaw might've helped though! You're fish looks so crispy and flaky – this is a healthy recipe I wouldn't mind trying out! Perhaps I'll brave fish in the kitchen again 😉
Tilapia is really the only way I will eat fish. I’m thinking that I would like all that spiciness going on too!!!
This looks super healthy. I would adore that grilled fish and I love a nice spicy kick to my seafood.
Thanks Jocelyn! I’m glad there are other “spicy” friends out here!!
Is it strange that I really want this right now… at 8am. This is getting made very very soon!
Totally not strange at all!!
I love tilapia too. I have some in the freezer and now I know what to make!
Let me know if you try it! DELISH, I promise 🙂
This is my kind of dinner…I love combining grilled fish and fresh fruit, and while I’ve made lots of salsas to go on fish, I’ve never tried this kind of slaw—sounds wonderful!
I love salsa’s on my fish too! This slaw was definitely a fun twist!
I so often find myself making the same old same old recipe I usually do for tilapia. I can’t wait to try this recipe to “spice” things up! 🙂
I totally know what you mean. Let me know if you try the recipe!! Thanks for stopping over.