Ginger Soy Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus

This Ginger Soy Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus is a flavor-packed, budget-friendly dinner served with rice and made in 30 minutes. Loaded with ginger and lime, it’s a delicious weeknight meal for two with no leftovers to deal with!

What are the ingredients in this Ginger Soy Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus?

The ingredients for this dinner recipe are simple and budget-friendly. You may even have a couple of the items on hand already. Here’s a short description for each item and any special information you should know:

• jasmine rice + cooking liquid – Depending on how you cook your rice (stovetop vs. Instant Pot for example) you will need a different amount of liquid. You can also sub with your favorite kind of rice. Brown rice would be good here too!
• soy sauce – For marinating, our main component is soy sauce. This provides a salty base and helps penetrate the fish with lots of flavor!
• ginger – At my grocery store, you can buy whatever size knob of ginger you need. For this recipe, grab one that’s around the size of your thumb. I used a microplane zester (affiliate link!) to grate the ginger.
• lime – Acid, brightness, flavor, do not skip! The juice and zest from one lime makes all the difference in this recipe.
• tilapia fillets – My local grocery store sells previously frozen tilapia for a very reasonable price. I got these two fillets of tilapia for less than $6. You could also ask your local fishmonger for fresh tilapia fillets.
• asparagus – Look for the thinnest spears you can find. This ensures they’ll be done cooking at the same time as the fish.
• toasted sesame oil – For a final touch of flavor, a drizzle of toasted sesame oil gives a lovely toasty nutty savory note!

Equipment you’ll need to make this dinner recipe for two:

For this recipe, the only real requirement is a shallow dish that’s oven and broiler safe. There are also a couple of tools that can help make this recipe go a little smoother too. Here are my recommendations:

• shallow baking dish – A Pyrex 9×13 Glass Baking Dish (affiliate link!) is always a good idea if you’re looking to purchase a large shallow baking dish. Great for any kind of casseroles, brownies, etc
• zester or fine grater – I think the most multipurpose thing you can buy that does both fine grating as well as zesting is a Microplane Zester (affiliate link!). It is pictured here in this post!
• tongs – My preferred tongs are these OXO 9-Inch Silicone Head Tongs (affiliate link!) which I use for basically everything. I love that they don’t scratch any of my delicate or nonstick cooking surfaces!
• liquid measuring cup – Everyone needs at least one go-to glass liquid measuring cup: I love this Pyrex Glass Measuring Cup Set (affiliate link!). You can use this in the microwave, oven, on a warming burner, and it’s safe in the dishwasher.

How do you make this Ginger Soy Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus?

Don’t blink, because if you do, you might miss the instructions for this super simple dinner recipe! Okay all jokes aside, the instructions are simple and easy to follow. Start with the rice, marinate the fish, add the asparagus, and broil. Here’s a detailed breakdown:

Since rice takes the longest to cook out of the three components, get that started first. Use your preferred method to make the rice, whether that is one the stovetop following package directions, or in another way like Instant Pot or Rice Cooker.

My preference is to use the Instant Pot and cook the rice in chicken broth, since it’s a very hands off method. It leaves stovetop space available, and I don’t have to think about it.

Next, find an oven-safe shallow baking dish big enough to hold the tilapia and asparagus, for example a 9×13 casserole dish will work well. Whisk up the marinade ingredients directly in the baking dish. This includes the soy sauce, grated ginger, lime juice and half the lime zest.

Turn the tilapia fillets over in the marinade in order to coat both sides. Set the dish aside to marinate for 10 minutes. If the fish has skin on it, leave it to marinate skin side up so the fish stays in contact with most of the marinade.

While the fish marinating for only *10 minutes*, wash and prep the asparagus. Make sure it’s dry or it will add water to the baking dish, which we don’t want! Snap the woody ends off of the asparagus after they’re washed.

Add the spears to the baking dish with the fish. Use tongs to turn the spears over in the marinade, so they’re completely coated. Drizzle the toasted sesame oil over both the tilapia and the asparagus.

Broil the fish and asparagus uncovered for approximately 10 minutes on high until the asparagus is just tender and slightly charring on the ends, and the fish is just cooked through.

Serve the fish and asparagus alongside the rice, and spoon excess marinade from the dish over each tilapia fillet. Sprinkle the leftover lime zest on top and garnish with toasted sesame seeds or furikake if you prefer.

Best tips for making Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus:

Here are my best tips for making this tilapia dinner successfully in your own kitchen:

• If possible, get two fillets of similar size so they take the same amount of time to cook.
• In the same way, try to look for asparagus spears of all the same thinness, which helps them cook evenly as well. Be sure to place them in a single layer when broiling.
• To test the fish for doneness, use a fork to flake the thickest part. If it flakes easily, the fish is done!

Ways to customize Ginger Soy Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus:

Here are a couple of ways to customize or change this recipe to make it your own:

• change the flavor profile – Use this recipe as a cooking time template and make the fish and asparagus any flavors you like, for example, lemon pepper.
• swap the veggie – You could always skip the asparagus and cook another veggie in the air fryer or stovetop if you’d like.
• use a different fish – Another white fish like halibut or cod would also work in this recipe, if those are available to you.

How to store Ginger Soy Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus:

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 3 days.

How to freeze Ginger Soy Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus:

This recipe was designed to serve two and make little to no leftovers, so you shouldn’t have any leftovers to freeze. However, cooked tilapia and rice are both freezer-friendly and could be frozen if needed. Store in a labeled and sealed container with as much air removed as possible. For best quality, enjoy within 2 months.

How to reheat Ginger Soy Tilapia and Broiled Asparagus:

Reheat carefully in the microwave on Medium heat with 30 second blasts, or in place in a cold oven for 15 minutes and turn it to 350F, letting the fish heat with the oven.

Recipe developed by Rachel Phipps.