Blackened Fish and Mango Salad with Chimichurri Vinaigrette
What a delicious weeknight salad this is! Fresh, healthy, filling and perfectly balanced with a little heat and a little sweetness - WOW! Don’t be overwhelmed by a longer ingredient list. This comes together super quick and the flavors are ah-mazing! A few of my handy tips: Make the blackening seasoning in a big batch and save. It’s perfect for chicken and seafood! Short on time? Swap a packet of taco seasoning instead! The chimichurri vinaigrette can easily be made ahead to speed up dinner time! I had the seasoning made up already and went from fridge to table in 15 minutes with the rest of the salad and dressing!
Serves 4
Salad:
1 - 1 1/2 lb tilapia filets
1 cup mango, sliced
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
2 heads Bibb lettuce
1 avocado, sliced
1/2 cup cotija, crumbled
Blackening Seasoning:
2 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp thyme or Italian seasoning
Olive oil
Chimichurri Vinaigrette:
1 cup parsley
1 cup cilantro
5 cloves garlic
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spread out fish.
Mix spices (paprika through thyme) in a small bowl.
Pat filets dry with a paper towel. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle blackening mixture over filets. (Note, you likely won’t need all of it). Gently press seasoning down onto filets to ensure it sticks.
Bake 10-12 minutes. Turn oven up to broil. Place sheet pan directly under broiler for 2-3 minutes, watching closely.
While fish is cooking, prepare chimichurri. Utilizing a food processor, add all vinaigrette ingredients and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. If mixture is too thick, more olive oil can be added to thin it out.
Using a medium platter, layer lettuce, mangos and red onions. Remove fish from oven and break into small pieces.
Layer crumbled fish on salad. Add vinaigrette, avocado and cotija. Serve while fish is warm!
