Grilled Coconut Lime Tilapia Tacos with Kiwi Salsa.
Let’s pretend we’re going somewhere tropical.
Um, if you are already somewhere tropical? Or if you live somewhere tropical, like permanently? You can’t play.
You’re eliminated by my jealousy.
We’re lying on the beach! Isn’t it wonderful? I’m hogging 3 towels and dumping a full water bottle on myself because even though I really want to go somewhere steamy, I turn into Medusa when hot. I’m also reading whatever chick lit I can get my hands on that many of you smart people would classify as trash but I consider real life serious advice. And sometimes I think book characters my real life friends which is probably, uhh… half my problem.
We drink a pitcher (or four) of margaritas and listen to waves crash and skip showering and eat ice cream everyday because that is what you do when you’re away.
You’re pretty fun, you know that? I like vacation with you. I don’t even care about all of this sand in my swimsuit.
I whine and complain that I want fish tacos and ONLY fish tacos for dinner but not just annnnny fish tacos… some that sort of taste coconutty and tropical like this pretty place we’re in and like, do you think you can make this happen? So you do your darnedest to please my high maintenance palate and make me THESE fish tacos, which taste all sorts of delicious with kiwi salsa piled on top. It’s official: I’m never going home.
Grilled Coconut Lime Tilapia Tacos
serves 4
6 tilapia filets
1/3 cup light coconut milk
1 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
whole wheat tortillas
for topping: chopped avocado, shredded lettuce, cilantro
2-24 hours before serving, add tilapia filets to a large ziplock bag. Combine coconut milk, lime zest, salt, pepper and garlic in a bowl, stirring to combine, then pour over tilapia, shaking the bag to coat. Let marinate for 2-24 hours.
Preheat your grill (or a skillet or oven – make this how you choose) to a medium-high heat and add tilapia. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until fish flakes with a fork. Serve with warm tortillas and toppings of you choice.
Simple Kiwi Salsa
4 kiwi fruit, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1/2 jalapeno, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix!
Unless there’s no dessert here. Then I’ll go home.
116 Comments on “Grilled Coconut Lime Tilapia Tacos with Kiwi Salsa.”
These look wonderful! Now I’m singing you put the lime in the coconut and shake it all up… Thanks! :) Have a great day!!!
I am SO going on this getaway with you! I can hear the crash of the waves…
Not gonna lie, I have used your Honey Lime Tilapia in tacos, with home made tortillas, lettuce, cheese, salsa, cilantro, and extra lime juice. They are absolutely one of our favorite dinners. Thank you for inspiring me to be food creative every day. <3
fish tacos in any form always make me feel like it’s vacay…and yes, let’s get away and drink fruity coconutty girly drinks.
all day :)
So beautiful, vibrant and green. Fish tacos always trump any other kind. They just feel classy. And the others just feel like taco bell.
Count me in on this tropical vacation and these fish tacos! Oh- and the margaritas, too! ;-)
Now i want to go on vacation! This is such a fun take on mexican
That’s what Max’s had Sunday for his birthday dinner! We marinated the tilapia in a lime dressing and finished the tacos with corn salsa and fresh lime. The kids devoured them! Yours look delicious!
I just saved this to my ‘gotta eat’ tab!!! I LOVE THE COMBO!!!!
Beautiful pics too!
Ooooh YES take me away!! I like vacations with you too ;) Around this time 2 years ago, I was headed to Punta Cana with a bunch of friends for our university grad trip. It makes me sad to think I’m not going anywhere hot this month, but I do love the sounds of this kiwi salsa and might just make it this weekend to make myself feel better!
That looks delish. Bring on the tropical holiday tacos!
I would LOVE it if you did a post listing your fav chick lit. It’s just about all I read these days… when I’m not busy cooking your recipes:)
Haha! Well quickly – some of my favorites are Kristin Hannah, Emily Giffin and Elin Hilderbrand.
I’m totally going to play along with your game and make these tacos. I love fish tacos but for some reason I’ve never made them at home. Time to change that!
Please tell me Erin McCarthy books are among your chick lit. If not, I’ll bring mine. I’M NOT EVEN EMBARRASSED.
Looks wonderful!!! It is summer here and I do live on the coast….but I don’t ever actually go to the beach…….I think I want a vacation too! :D haha
I had my first fish taco about a month ago and I have to say that it was pretty darn delicious, so I’m all for these.
And I like the vacation idea, but not the sand in the swimsuit.
*shudders*
I despise sand even though I was raised on the beach and lived a street away from it. It makes my skin crawl now. Must’ve have been buried in it as a kid and traumatized.
Kiwi!! YES!
Please, please, please let me go on this little tropical getaway with you?! I was just thinking this morning that if I don’t get some sun and warmth on my skin, margaritas, and fish tacos soon I may just loose my mind OR drive every one around me crazy with my whining and complaining about wanting sun, warmth, margaritas, and fish tacos.
Maybe I’ll break down and go to the tanning bed then go home and make margaritas and fish tacos. :)
Totally want to get away. Coconut and lime is the best way to do it. Sounds delicious!
read the hunger games!!!!! it’s not really chick-lit, but it’s amazing. and everyone is obsessed with it (even my dad, who does NOT read).. the movie even comes out next month!
that vacation seems amazing. i’m freezing my fingers off right now
also i like your second picture up there, with a banana peel in the corner :P
You had me at “lying on the beach.” Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for the proper English usage!!!!! I would not have read further with a {{{shudder}}}}”laying.” Now I shall go to the market and buy tilapia and kiwi and make these for my family tonight. Happy Wednesday!
Oh, we are having dessert on my beach :) Where do you actually travel to if you want to go to the beach? I live 45 minutes from a beach..so I’m planning a picnic there with these tacos :)
Jealoussss… pretty sure the closest to an actual beach for me would be like Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, etc… but some people consider Lake Erie a beach. I do not.
I don’t think Lake Erie qualifies either, lol.
These look AMAZING!!! And I really wish I was on that tropical vacay right now…
** LOVE ** your back-story for these tacos, which look totally de-lish! absolutely the best tropical getaway taco ever.
Considering every day between Jan 1-April 1 all I can think of is “oh my god I need to go on a tropical vacation stat” this doesn’t help. Haha
yum yum yum!! can’t wait to make these and dream about warmer weather!
You always have the best fish recipes! Maybe I’ll use this recipe for my next Top Chef competition since the first ones went over so well :) These look delicious, can’t wait to try them!
YUM! I JUST picked up some tilapia from the store, now I know what I’m going to do with it :) Thank you!
While I’m NOT a fan of fish anything…I’m hooked (pun intended) on anything Nora Roberts right now, well like for the last 8 months. Sadly, I’m running out of titles and need some new authors. Any ideas?
Have you read anything by Kristin Hannah or Elin Hilderbrand? I could never get into Nora Roberts… don’t know why!
I love going on vacation with you. Except for when you make me cook.
All of your tacos/tostadas/enchillada posts make me crave Mexican like crazy…WITHOUT fail.
chick lit makes my world go ’round. Whoever says it isn’t educational hasn’t read Something Borrowed.
Yeah, book friends? That happens to me, too. I actually morn the loss of my “friends” when the book is over sometimes. I feel like we’ve probably had this conversation…but I just wanted you to know you’re not alone.
And I really really could use a huge plate of these little tacos in front of me.
OMG we’ve definitely had this conversation before. I love it.
I need to try fish tacos, I feel like everyone’s always talking about how great they are and these ones look particularly amazing!
I will be honest… I will try anything once but something about fish taco’s never interested me… I love my fish simple and my taco’s covered in quacamole and very spicy salsa.. then I tried a bite of a friends at Border Cafe… (my fave mexican place in Boston- great food and cheap drinks) and I completely flip flopped my view on fish tacos… I will have to make this recipe!
There’s nothing like a good piece of chik lit with the sound of waves crashing in the background drinking an adult beverage while under an umbrella … (hey I’m a pale Irish girl- I make like the sun but it don’t like me)
Right there with you Valerie… I’m so pale!
I’m packing my bags RIGHT NOW! Or, er… just making these beautiful fish tacos instead.
I’ve been looking for new ways to cook tilapia and this looks perfect!
When I was pregnant I ate so much tilapia. It’s very low in mercury and was full of protein and something I could keep down. I never really ate it before or since, but during, it was a god send and I would have loved this creative way to jazz it up b/c it’s so neutral-tasting on it’s own. Looks awesome!
My husband would so love me forever for these!
Wish I wasn’t so scared of eating fish!!!
You’re KILLING me with all this talk of a tropical vacation…while I live in Maine..which is very possibly the LEAST tropical spot in the entire continental US. So thanks..for starting my day off right! ;P
Oh, btw, these look AMAZINGG!
These sound delicious! I was going to make your roasted vegetable tostadas tonight for dinner, but now I want to make these! How will I ever decide?
I live in the Bahamas. But I’m not really a big fish fan lol
Oh i forgot to add that you should read Emily Giffin if you haven’t before !!!!!! Her books are amazinggg
The kiwi salsa looks so good! I have never used kiwi in a salsa, but I already know that this is awesome.
i’ve got a drawer full of kiwis that a friend gave me from a friend of his’ farm. thank YOU for giving me something to do with them :)
If only a few tortillas could REALLY take me away to the islands…! However, the way you make these babies look…they’d appear to do WAY more than event what fairy dust could do! beautiful Jessica!
Can we get cabana boys to bring us those margaritas? I don’t know how Mr. How Sweet would like that going down your way, but as for me, I will take myself a Mr. Ryan Reynold’s please with two pina colada’s! Anything with coconut in the title I will eat, especially if it’s on a tropical island anywhere but in hot, humid Texas. Thanks for the getaway Jess! I need to make these asap! My hair looks like a bomb just hit it from all of the humidity!
Oh my goodness, I cannot tell you how much I am in love with fish tacos! I cannot wait to make these!
I don’t know if I’ve ever had fish tacos so I’m going to have to change that with these!
Also – great chick lit recommendation. The 1 book I need to bring on all beachy vacations is “How to Sleep with a Movie Star”. There’s love and cattiness and drama and wonderfulness – and the title is a bit misleading.