Grilled Tilapia With Creamy Piccata Sauce

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Notes

Nutrition Label

–+ servings

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

▢ 4-5 tilapia fillets thawed (or use halibut)
▢ 2 tablespoons oil any neutral tasting oil like vegetable oil, canola, safflower
▢ salt and pepper to taste

Pat all the tilapia filets dry with paper towels. Coat the fish with oil, and season all sides with a little salt and pepper.
Preheat the grill. Make sure all the grates are clean and they’re oiled well, too. This keeps the fish from sticking.
Grill the fish for a few minutes on each side. Be sure not to flip or move the fish too much or too early. Wait until you see browned sides of the fish before flipping. Remove onto a plate.

Sauté the garlic in melted butter briefly before adding vegetable stock. Bring the mixture to a boil.
Whisk cornstarch and cold water together until dissolved. Whisk the slurry into the stock and continue whisking until thickened.
Once the sauce is slightly thickened, add the lemon juice and heavy cream to the mix. This helps stabilize the butter and keep it from separating. Season with salt and pepper, and cook a couple minutes more until it’s thickened.
When the sauce is done, remove it from the heat and add the rest of the butter. Swirl it around until it melts into a velvety smooth sauce. Taste the sauce and adjust flavors as needed.
Spoon the piccata sauce over the grilled tilapia filets and sprinkle with capers and parsley.

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 foil packets. Remember the nonstick side of foil is the dull side, not the shiny one! 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.