Name: Tilapia in Mediterranean Sauce
Prep time: 7 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Israeli-Mediterranean
Ingredients: Juice from 1 lemon; 5 tablespoons olive oil; 2 Large onions, chopped; 2 Large red bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch slices; 5 medium (extra red) tomatoes, sliced into 1/3s or 1/5s.; 1 large shredded carrot; 6 garlic cloves, sliced into 1/3s (or a heaping teaspoon of garlic powder; 1 (14 oz.) crushed/cubed canned tomatoes (400 grams); 1 (6 oz.) can condensed sugar-free tomato paste (a bit less than 200 grams); 1 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves, tightly packed; 1 tablespoon sweet paprika; 2 teaspoons turmeric powder; 1 tablespoon oregano; 1 teaspoon of Thyme or Rosemary; 2 teaspoons kosher salt or to taste; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (more or less is optional)

Jump to Recipe

Tilapia with Red Sauce makes a flavorful, fuss-free dish that comes together in no time—perfect for busy weeknights or relaxed weekend dinners.

Sweet red bell peppers, juicy tomatoes (both fresh and canned), onions, and fragrant herbs make this sauce shine.

To Go Spicy or Not

Mediterranean food is usually mild, but this Tilapia in Red Mediterranean Sauce can go mild or spicy. Add jalapeños, chili peppers, or cayenne for heat—or skip them for a gentle version.

The sauce combines fresh vegetables, herbs, fresh and canned tomatoes, tomato paste, and date molasses for natural sweetness—no refined sugar. Flavorful, healthy, and adaptable.

Preventing the Tilapia fillets from falling apart

Just cook them for 10 minutes and no longer.

How to Serve these Tilapias in Red Sauce

This dish is a main course standout—rich, flavorful, and satisfying on its own.

But Tilapia fillets are also lovely as the starter dish of a more formal multi-coursed meals.

For sides, you’ve got plenty of great options: serve it over lovely white rice, or alongside baked potato halves.

What to pair with Tilapias in Mediterranean Sauce

Here are a few ideas cabbage rolls with red rice,

Sweet Rice in Raisins and Date-Honey, or

vegan rice stuffed in red bell peppers

Alternatively, this fish dish can serve as a great entre alongside fresh cabbage salad, or green fresh herb-cranberry salad, or with a cooked vegetable dish as these zucchini cubes and red bell peppers in tomato sauce, or Mushroom-artichoke bottoms in a yellow sauce (also easily put together).

Health Benefits of Tilapia

According to WebMD:

Tilapia is good for bone-health,
It’s beneficial for the nervous system
And it helps produce blood cells.
It’s low in fat
low in calories, as well as sodium, and carbs.

All these together make it a great fish to have on a weekly basis.

I hope you enjoy this beautiful recipe.

Feel free to leave a comment or question in the Comments section below.

Enjoy!

Yield: 6 tilapia fillets

Tilapia in Mediterranean Sauce

5.0 Stars (1 Review)

The sauce is great for any White fish you want to make in a Mediterranean sauce. It's KFP, Gluten-Free and mild (not spicy). For spiciness, check out the post above. The feature image has 2 spicy chili peppers for a bit of spiciness. You don't have to include them.

Use a thick, non-stick sautéing pan.

Prep Time 7 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

MARINADE

Juice from 1 lemon

VEGETABLES and OIL

5 tablespoons olive oil
2 Large onions, chopped
2 Large red bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch slices
5 medium (extra red) tomatoes, sliced into 1/3s or 1/5s.
1 large shredded carrot
6 garlic cloves, sliced into 1/3s (or a heaping teaspoon of garlic powder
1 (14 oz.) crushed/cubed canned tomatoes (400 grams)
1 (6 oz.) can condensed sugar-free tomato paste (a bit less than 200 grams)
1 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves, tightly packed

DRY SPICES

1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 teaspoons turmeric powder
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon of Thyme or Rosemary
2 teaspoons kosher salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (more or less is optional)

Instructions

Marinating

Rinse tilapias in running water and marinate them in a bowl for 10 minutes. If fish has a strong fishy odor, marinating them longer won't help. They could be not very fresh.

Sauce

Heat oil and sauté onions for 4 minutes, then reduce the heat and add the dry spices and garlic, and sauté 1 minute.

Add veggies and freshly some of the chopped parsley and sauté 2 minutes.

Pour in the canned tomatoes and tomato paste. Cover and cook another 1 minutes on a low heat.

Remove the tilapias from the marinade and place them adjacently and not over-lapping each other in the sauce. Sprinkle chopped cilantro or parsley on top.

Cover the sautéing pan cook above a low heat for 10 minutes.

They should be fork tender.

Notes

For a spicy dish add 3 whole green chili peppers (optional - for extra spiciness, chop them up) and 3 chopped chili peppers.

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 229Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 0mgSodium 407mgCarbohydrates 25gFiber 5gSugar 13gProtein 4g

Nutrition values are estimated.