Description
This vibrant and flavorful Baked Piri-Piri Tilapia with Crushed Potatoes is a Mediterranean-inspired dish that combines tender white fish baked in a spicy homemade piri-piri sauce with crispy, crushed new potatoes roasted alongside peppers. Perfectly balanced with a zingy blend of smoked paprika, garlic, lemon, and chili flakes, this easy oven-baked recipe makes a wholesome and impressive meal served with a fresh green salad.
Ingredients
Scale
Crushed Potatoes and Peppers
- 600g small new potatoes
- 2 red peppers, cut into chunky pieces
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to season
Piri-Piri Sauce
- 6 hot pickled peppers (such as Peppadew)
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 2 garlic cloves
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- Salt, to taste
Fish
- 4 large pieces tilapia or cod
To Serve
- Green salad
- Extra piri-piri sauce
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Potatoes: Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan)/gas mark 7. Boil the new potatoes in salted water until tender when pierced with a knife, then drain well.
- Crush and Roast Potatoes and Peppers: Spread the boiled potatoes out on a large baking tray and gently crush them using the back of a spatula so they flatten slightly but keep texture. Add the chopped red peppers, drizzle with red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, then season generously with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes, allowing the potatoes to crisp and the peppers to soften.
- Make Piri-Piri Sauce: While the potatoes roast, combine the hot pickled peppers, chili flakes, garlic cloves, lemon juice and zest, red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, smoked paprika, and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Purée until the sauce is smooth and well blended. Transfer to a bowl.
- Prepare and Bake Fish: Place the tilapia or cod pieces on a separate baking tray. Spoon some of the prepared piri-piri sauce over each piece, coating well, and season with a little salt. Place the fish in the oven for the final 10 minutes alongside the potatoes and peppers to bake thoroughly and absorb the flavors.
- Serve: Remove the potatoes, peppers, and fish from the oven. Serve the baked fish with the crushed potatoes and peppers, a drizzle of the extra piri-piri sauce, and a fresh green salad on the side for a complete meal.
Notes
- You can substitute cod for tilapia if preferred; both work well with the spices and roasting method.
- If you cannot find hot pickled peppers like Peppadew, use fresh chili or another pickled pepper variety for a similar spicy flavor.
- Be careful not to over-crush the potatoes — they should remain chunky for the best texture after roasting.
- The green salad is optional but adds a refreshing contrast to the rich and spicy fish and potatoes.
- Adjust chili flakes according to your heat preference to make the dish milder or spicier.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: piri-piri fish, baked tilapia recipe, roasted crushed potatoes, spicy baked fish, Mediterranean fish dish, easy chicken alternative, healthy oven-baked dinner
