Caramelized tilapia is the weeknight fish that eats like a takeaway — sweet, savoury, and glossy with fish sauce and coconut water. The fillets sit in a garlic and fish sauce marinade while the sweetener bubbles into caramel right inside the Instant Pot. A quick pressure cook and a scatter of chili and spring onion finish it off.
Caramelized Tilapia
(Total Time: 55 MIN| Serves: 4)
Ingredients:
1 pound (454 g) tilapia Fillets
1 Red Chili, minced
3 tsp (15 ml) minced Garlic
¼ cup Granulated Sweetener
1 Spring Onion, minced
¾ cup Coconut Water
1/3 cup (720 ml) Water
3 tbsp. (45 ml) Fish Sauce
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Directions:
- In a bowl, combine the fish sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Place the tilapia inside and mix to coat.
- Cover and let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the water and sweetener in the IP.
- Cook on SAUTE until caramelized.
- Add fish and pour the coconut water over.
- Close the lid and cook on HIGH for 10 minutes.
- Do a quick pressure release.
- Top the fish with spring onion and chili.
- Serve and enjoy!
Per Serving (Calories 150| Total Fats 4g | Net Carbs 3g | Protein 21g |Fiber: 0.6g)
Pro Tips
- Don't skip the thirty-minute marinade — the fish sauce and garlic season the tilapia through, which is all the salt the dish needs.
- Watch the sweetener closely on Sauté; it caramelizes fast and turns bitter the moment it darkens past amber.
- Quick-release the pressure the second the timer ends — tilapia keeps cooking in the residual heat and will flake to mush otherwise.
- Coconut water does double duty here, adding gentle sweetness and enough liquid to bring the pot to pressure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use another fish instead of tilapia?
Any mild white fish works — cod, catfish, or halibut — though thicker fillets may want an extra minute at high pressure.
Is caramelized tilapia spicy?
Only mildly. The fresh red chili is a garnish, so keep it on the side if you are cooking for heat-sensitive eaters.
What sweetener works for the caramel?
A granulated sweetener like swerve gives the best caramel texture; liquid sweeteners make a thinner glaze that clings less to the fish.
How do I know the tilapia is done?
It flakes easily with a fork and turns opaque white; ten minutes at high pressure with a quick release gets it there without drying out.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- In a bowl, combine the fish sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Place the tilapia inside and mix to coat.
- Cover and let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the water and sweetener in the IP.
- Cook on SAUTE until caramelized.
- Add fish and pour the coconut water over.
- Close the lid and cook on HIGH for 10 minutes.
- Do a quick pressure release.
- Top the fish with spring onion and chili.
- Serve and enjoy! Per Serving (Calories 150| Total Fats 4g | Net Carbs 3g | Protein 21g |Fiber: 0.6g)
