Pinaputok na Tilapia
Filipino-style baked fish is easy to make and so tasty! Generously stuffed with tomatoes and onions, this pinaputok na tilapia is moist, flavorful, and delicious with steamed rice.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 25 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 whole tilapia, scaled and gutted
- 3 tablespoons tamarind base powder
- 2 large Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 thumb-size ginger, peeled and minced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- salt and pepper to taste
- Calamansi juice to taste
- soy sauce to taste
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 375 F.
- 2
Rinse tilapia well, rinsing cavity well. Pat dry. Make two or three slits across the body of the fish on both sides.
- 3
Rub both fish all over, including the cavity, with 2 tablespoons of the tamarind base powder. Let stand for about 10 minutes.
- 4
In a bowl, combine tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic, the remaining 1 tablespoon of tamarind powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to distribute.
- 5
Stuff each fish's cavity with tomato-onion mixture.
- 6
Liberally brush the outside of both fish with butter and Individually wrap in aluminum foil, Double wrap to prevent juices from leaking.
- 7
Place fish packets on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or until fish is cooked through.
- 8
Serve hot with dipping sauce.
- 9
Dipping sauce
- 10
Combine calamansi juice and soy sauce to taste.