Tilapia Veracruz

This Tilapia Fish Veracruz recipe is fresh, flavorful, and cooked in just one skillet in less than 30 minutes.  The result is a delicious and healthy fish dinner that's filled with peppers, onions, tomatoes, olives, and capers.  Make it with tilapia or your favorite flaky white fish.

Love healthy fish recipes? Also try my Parmesan Panko Halibut, Blackened Mahi Mahi, and Oven Baked Salmon.

Tilapia Fish Veracruz recipe

This Tilapia Fish Veracruz recipe is an explosion of delicious flavors and textures featuring tilapia or your favorite white fish (halibut, mahi mahi, snapper, or grouper,) peppers, onions, tomatoes, olives, and capers.  The fish is simmered in the sauce keeping it tender and rich.  The tender fish pairs perfectly with the brine of the olives and capers and the final product is a flavor explosion!

It's all made in one pan in less than 20 minutes, making this a perfectly healthy fish dinner.

This Mexican-style fish recipe is inspired by the Veracruz style of cooking fish.  The State of Veracruz is a popular seaport in Mexico located along the coast and Gulf of Mexico so the focus of a lot of food is fish and seafood.  In Spanish, it's called Pescado a la Veracruzana which means "fish in the style of Veracruz."  Fish Veracruz traditionally features tomatoes, capers, and olives... just like this recipe does!

What is a Veracruz sauce made of?

If you aren't familiar with Veracruz sauce, it is a tomato-based sauce from Mexico.  It features tomatoes, capers, olives, oregano, and bay leaves.

The sauce and dish are technically Mexican but the flavors are reminiscent of Mediterranean flavors too.

Why You'll Love this Tilapia Fish Veracruz recipe...

• This Tilapia Fish Veracruz is a healthy 30-minute fish dinner.
• I featured Tilapia in the photos, but you can make it with whatever type of fish you have.  A white fish is best including snapper, mahi mahi, halibut, or grouper.
• It's a dairy-free, gluten free and low-carb dinner idea too.
• The tomato sauce is bursting with flavor from the olives and capers.
• It's super tasty and unique! Such a fun twist on the fish night.
• The recipe is made in just one pan.
• It's only 225 calories a serving!

Ingredients:

Here's an overview of what you'll need to make this Tilapia Fish Veracruz recipe, but keep scrolling for the full recipe amounts.

• Fish Fillets: You'll need four fish fillets around 4-6 each.  I featured Tilapia for this recipe, but you can use another white fish like red snapper, mahi mahi, or grouper.  Just be sure to adjust the cooking time for thicker fish.  Thicker fish like mahi-mahi or grouper will take closer to 10 minutes to cook in the sauce.  To prepare your fish, make sure it is thawed and fresh.  Don't shy away from buying frozen fish either.  Unless you live near the coast most fish has been frozen already so if you buy it frozen you can just thaw it out when you need it.
• Onion: Use a sweet onion and slice it into strips.
• Bell Pepper: Use your favorite color of bell pepper and slice it into strips.
• Tomatoes: Use two medium tomatoes and chop them into bites.  You can use whatever type of tomatoes looks best.
• Garlic: A touch of fresh garlic cloves adds to the rich flavor.
• Spanish Olives: Add sliced Spanish or green olives to really replicate the true Veracruz style of cooking fish.
• Capers: Capers are another necessity for this dish! Find them in the grocery store near the olives.
• Tomato Sauce: I use canned tomato sauce to get a rich sauce for the Veracruz sauce.
• Oregano: Dried oregano or Mexican oregano adds lots of flavors.
• Bay Leaf: Using a bay leaf is another addition to the sauce that makes this more of a traditional Veracruz dish.  You'll want to take it out before serving.
• White Wine:  Some recipes call for chicken broth, but I use a touch of white wine to add flavor and create the sauce.  You can substitute chicken or vegetable broth if wine isn't your thing or you don't happen to have it.
• Salt and Pepper: To taste
• Garnish: Lime wedges and sliced green onions or fresh cilantro.
• Optional Rice: You can serve the dish as is and keep it low carb or serve it over your favorite rice like this yellow rice.

Instructions:

This is an overview of the instructions to make this Tilapia Fish Veracruz recipe, but the full detailed printable recipe is below in the recipe card.

1. In a large cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil with medium heat.  Put the bell pepper, onion, and tomato in the skillet and cook until they start to get tender or about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for just 30 seconds.
2. Add the tomato sauce, white wine, olives, capers, jalapeno peppers, oregano, and bay leaf.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Stir until well combined.  Allow the sauce to simmer for 5-10 minutes.
3. Season both sides of the tilapia or fish with salt and ground black pepper.  Place the fillets on top of the tomato mixture. 
4. Cover with a lid and continue to cook over medium for about 6-7 minutes or until the fish is opaque and flakes with a fork.  Remove the bay leaf.
5. Serve as is or over your favorite rice.  Garnish with lime wedges and green onions.  Add a touch of lime juice to finish it off.

Variations

I love this Tilapia Fish Veracruz recipe as written, but here are some fun variations.

• Mix Up the Fish: This classic Mexican Veracruz sauce can be the perfect base for any fish Veracruz dish.  Pick your favorite including red snapper, halibut, barramundi, flounder, catfish, cod, wahoo or more.  Tilapia is a thin fish that cooks fast, so any fish that is thicker will take longer to cook. You could even add shrimp or scallops to the sauce for a tasty seafood dinner.
• Mix Up the Veggies: While not traditional,  you could add in carrots, celery, pickled jalapenos, or even zucchini.
• Make it Spicy: Make this a spicy dish by adding more jalapenos or a splash of hot sauce.

FAQ

Storage and Leftovers

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.  I would not recommend freezing this dish.

Do you cook tilapia frozen or thawed?

You need to thaw out the tilapia or fish you use before cooking it in this way.  The best way to thaw it out is to put it in the fridge overnight.  You can also run it under cool water to thaw it quickly.

Is tilapia a healthy fish?

Yes! Tilapia is a healthy source of protein and is packed with vitamins like choline, vitamin B12, vitamin D, selenium, and phosphorus.  It's low in mercury too!

How do I know if the fish is done?

The fish is done with it turning white and flakes with a fork.

Tilapia Fish Veracruz recipe is a Tasty Fish Dinner!

This Tilapia Fish Veracruz recipe is such a tasty fish dinner.  I love how it's simply cooked in one pan and comes together in less than 30 minutes.  The mild fish pairs perfectly with the rich olives and capers.  It's a perfect flavor combination.

You can serve it as is for a low-carb meal or add a side salad.  It's also super delicious with plain white rice or spanish yellow rice as shown.  You could even serve it over pasta.

Here are some ideas to round out the meal.

Serve it With:

• Cilantro Lime Brown Rice
• White Rice
• Spanish Rice
• Pasta
• Mexican Chopped Salad

More Mexican Seafood Dishes to Try:

• Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos
• Honey Lime Shrimp Skewers
• Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas
• Shrimp Taco Bowls
• Blackened Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa
• Ahi Tuna Tacos
• Goat Cheese and Shrimp Quesadilla
• Ahi Tuna Tostada
• Fresh Shrimp Salsa

If you make this Tilapia Fish Veracruz recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and a star rating ★ below. Make sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook too!

Tilapia Fish Veracruz

Julie Wunder

This Tilapia Fish Veracruz recipe is fresh, flavorful, and cooked in just one skillet in less than 30 minutes.  The result is a delicious and healthy fish dinner that's filled with peppers, onions, tomatoes, olives, and capers.  Make it with tilapia or your favorite flaky white fish.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine Mediterranean, Mexican, Spanish

Servings 4

Calories 225 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ½ tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
• ¼ cup white wine
• ¼ cup spanish olives, sliced
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 tilapia or fish fillets, about 6 ounces
• salt and pepper, to taste
• Garnish: lime wedges and sliced green onion
• 1 teaspoon optional: jalapeno pepper , seeded and chopped
• optional: Spanish Rice

Instructions

 

• In a large cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil with medium-high heat.  Put the bell pepper, onion, and tomato in the skillet and cook until they start to get tender, or about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for just 30 seconds.
  
• Add the tomato sauce, white wine, olives, capers, jalapeno peppers, oregano, and bay leaf.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Stir until well combined. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
  
• Season both sides of the tilapia or fish with salt and ground black pepper.  Place the fillets on top of the tomato mixture. 
  
• Cover with a lid and continue to cook over medium for about 6-7 minutes or until the fish is opaque and flakes with a fork.  Remove the bay leaf.
  
• Serve as is or over your favorite rice.  Garnish with the lime wedges and green onions.

Nutrition

Calories: 225kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 35gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 152mgPotassium: 787mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1458IUVitamin C: 49mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 2mg

Keyword Fish Veracruz, Tilapia Recipe Pan, Tilapia Veracruz

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