Cajun Tilapia with Southwestern Salsa

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Servings: 2
Yield: 2 servings

Description

Cajun-seasoned tilapia is pan-fried and served with a Southwestern-inspired, smoky corn, black bean, and tomato salsa and a delicious cream sauce.

Ingredients

1 ear corn, shucked
1 avocado, diced
1/3 cup diced fresh tomato
1/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup diced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper
2 wedges lime, divided, or more to taste
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 tilapia fillets
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon salted butter
1 teaspoon chicken broth, or as needed
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

1 Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil the grate.
2 Place corn on the preheated grill and cook, turning often, until charred all over, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and remove kernels when cool enough to handle.
3 Combine corn kernels, avocado, tomato, black beans, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeno in a large bowl. Squeeze 1 lime wedge over top and season with salt and pepper. Store in the refrigerator until cold, about 30 minutes.
4 Meanwhile, season tilapia on both sides with Cajun seasoning.
5 Melt butter in a medium stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat; cook until just before butter begins to brown. Add tilapia and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 more minute. Tilt the skillet and baste with the butter until fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork, about 5 more minutes. Remove fish from the skillet.
6 Pour chicken broth into the pan and scrape the browned bits of food off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Whisk in cream. Squeeze in another lime wedge, then taste and adjust for your desired level of tanginess. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat.
7 Serve fish with cold salsa, adding cream sauce to both, if desired.