Pan Seared Tilapia with Shrimp is an easy Mexican restaurant style seafood classic which includes rice and quash side dishes as well.
Pan Seared Tilapia with Shrimp
By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime
Pan Seared Tilapia with Shrimp is my recipe of the day with the blogging group Sunday Funday. We post on Sundays with the host suggesting the weekly topic. Camilla wants us to post something for Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). So here we are.
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I originally made Mexican Chocolate Horchata and even had that in a day of the Dead cup. But like an idiot I misplaced the recipe.
So you will have to settle for my Pan Seared Tilapia with Shrimp and Cheese sauce. And sides of squash and rice as well. (As if that is some kind of punishment. Ha!)
Restaurant Recipes Made at Home
My husband and I had been out somewhere earlier this year for dinner and he had something like this. Oh “ooh and ah” (he was raving) and I told him how easy something like that was to make at home actually. So I did. I think he likes when I recreate restaurant classics at home. Saves him money. I’m not saying he’s cheap. But who doesn’t love saving money? I know I do.
Versatile Fish Choices
You can change out the fish for another if you don’t want to use tilapia. It is a remarkably sustainable fish as it spread throughout Florida one hurricane season. With the storm helping to escape their farmed pens. Now try to get rid of it. There are likely more tilapia in Florida than there are gators. Ha!
I don’t mind eating it and I also enjoy catfish. They are fairly similar with an earthier taste. You know the seasoning and cheese sauce in this will work with most any fish you have, firm or flaky. Or you can opt to use it on the shrimp by itself.
Sautéed Squash Side Dish and Easy Rice
This does come with a couple of sides, both included in the recipe. Both are quick and what you might get at a restaurant with your fish and shrimp.
You can see the squash there in the photo. The rice is used as a bed for the fish.
Sunday Funday
Dia de Los Muertos
- Atola- East Indian by Sneha’s Recipe
- Caldo Tlalpeño by Food Lust People Love
-
Dia de Los Muertos Sugar Skull Cake by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
-
Enfrijoladas de Pollo by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Fiambre Rojo for Día de los Muertos by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Pan de Muerto (Mexican Day of the Dead Bread) by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Pan Seared Tilapia with Shrimp by Palatable Pastime
- Taco Casserole by Making Miracles
- Vegetarian Tortilla Soup by Mayuri’s Jikoni
Pan Seared Tilapia with Shrimp
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Pan Seared Tilapia with Shrimp

Pan Seared Tilapia with Shrimp
Ingredients
Tilapia and Shrimp:
- 3/4 pound tilapia fillets
- 1/4 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- seafood grill seasoning (to taste)
Yellow Squash:
- 1 yellow squash (sliced)
- 2 cloves garlic (sliced)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and black pepper (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon minced cilantro
- 2 scallions (thinly sliced)
- 1-1/2 cups warmed Queso Cheese Sauce
Easy Skillet Rice:
- 2-3 cups cold cooked rice
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup diced fresh tomato
- 2 tablespoons diced green chillies
- 1/2 cup black beans (rinsed and drained)
- 1/2 cup frozen corn (thawed)
Other:
- 4 warmed corn tortillas
Instructions
Fish and Shrimp:
- Season fish and shrimp with grill seasoning (use purchased or I have a recipe linked to this blog post, see above).
- Heat butter and oil in skillet and add fish, cooking on both sides until browned and it flakes easily.
- Add shrimp to pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until opaque and lightly curled.
- Heat queso cheese sauce for food and set aside until ready to spoon on food (use purchased or I have a recipe linked to this blog post; see above).
Yellow Squash:
- Heat butter in small skillet and saute the squash and garlic until crisp-tender, seasoning with oregano, salt and black pepper.
- Stir in the scallions and cilantro just before it is done.
Rice:
- Separate the rice grains before you start since cold rice sticks together but crumbles easily.
- Heat the butter and oil with the garlic in a skillet.
- Add the onion and cook until transparent.
- Add the remaining ingredients, including rice and continue cooking until heated and rice is slightly browned.
- Place bed of rice on the plate and top with the fish and shrimp. Drizzle cheese sauce over. Serve yellow squash on the side with warm corn tortillas.
Notes
Nutrition
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Thanks for this. Tilapia is not my favorite, but your recipe looks delicious.
As I said, you can sub out as you like. Everyone has their own tastes.
I love copy cat recipes from restaurants. So much fun to make and often times even better than you had at the restaurant.
Many restaurants are a low bar. There are the treasured few to which I aspire. But most not.
That sounds out of this world. I’ll take it over the horchata any day (although I can’t wait till you post that one too).
Love this restaurant style recipe, looks so good and delicious!