Nigerian Tilapia Tomato Stew
Make this rich, hearty Nigerian Tilapia Tomato Stew with simple ingredients. It's delicious, spicy, and fresh! Serve with rice, plantain, or swallow.
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This Nigerian fish stew is made by slow-cooking fresh tilapia in a rich tomato stew seasoned with simple ingredients. The addition of scotch bonnets makes it slightly spicy, and the onions, herbs, and sweet peppers add a more savory flavor. Serve it with white rice and Fried Plantain Recipe (dodo) or swallow it for dinner.
You'll also enjoy this Best Nigerian Beef and Chicken Stew and Nigerian Jollof Rice.
Why This Recipe Works
- This stew is a great family dish that can be served with various sides for dinner.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge. When you are ready to serve, just reheat them in the microwave.
- You can adjust the seasoning to suit your taste.
- You only need seven ingredients to make this flavorful stew.
Nigerian Tilapia Tomato Stew Ingredients
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Tilapia fish: Select fresh fish for this recipe. Descale and clean the fish with salt before cooking.
- Scotch bonnets: These peppers will add heat to the stew. If you don't have scotch bonnets, use habanero peppers.
- Red bell peppers
- Onions: Use white onions for this recipe.
- Plummed canned tomatoes: Select a good-quality brand for the best flavor.
Tips and Substitutions
- Heat: Do not cook the stew on high heat, as this will result in burning.
- Stirring: Be careful not to break the fish when stirring the stew. Instead of using a spoon, lift the saucepan and swirl the stew gently in a circular motion.
- Fish: If you want a substitute, you could substitute tilapia with another type of white fish, like halibut or red snapper. But just make sure that it is firm. A buttery, flaky fish won't work well in a stew, as it will likely just crumble apart in the mixture.
How to Make Nigerian Tilapia Tomato Stew
- Start by descaling the fish. Then, remove the fins and gill.
2. Then, chop the tilapia into equal-sized pieces and clean with salt and water.
3. Add Scotch bonnet, red bell peppers, onions, and plum tomatoes.
4. Blend everything until it's smooth.
5. Heat some vegetable oil in a saucepan, then pour in the blended mix. Let it cook until it starts bubbling and the oil rises.
6. Add salt to taste and a pinch of thyme, then stir. Lower the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes.
7. Now, gently add the tilapia pieces.
8. Let the stew simmer for around 20 minutes, or until the fish is fully cooked.
9. Serve this delicious Nigerian tilapia tomato stew with rice, or your favorite swallow! You may also enjoy this Grilled Tilapia Fish.
Recipe FAQs
Remember to freeze it in airtight containers if you want it to last a while. It can last in the refrigerator for up to four days, but remember that the quality of fish can
degrade quite rapidly.
More Flavorful Nigerian Recipes
Nigerian Tilapia Tomato Stew
Equipment
- 1 Blender
- 1 Saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 whole tilapia fish cleaned and sliced into 4-5 pieces
- 2 scotch bonnets
- 2 red bell peppers
- 2-3 onions
- 3 tins of plumbed tomatoes
- salt to taste
- A pinch of thyme
- vegetable oil
Instructions
- If going with the blender method: Add scotch bonnets, red bell peppers, onions, and plummed tomatoes to a blender. Blend until totally smooth.
- In a saucepan, add some vegetable oil and heat it up. Add the blended vegetable mix and heat it until the oil is boiling and bubbling. Add some salt to taste and a pinch of thyme, and stir the ingredients together. Turn the pan down to a low/medium heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Lastly, add tilapia fish pieces to the saucepan. You can cut it into pieces beforehand if you prefer. Slow-cook this stew for about 20 minutes or until it's nice and hot all the way through.
- Serve with rice, bread or swallow!
Notes
- Stirring: To avoid breaking the fish, gently swirl the saucepan in a circular motion instead of using a spoon.
- Fish: You can substitute tilapia with other firm white fish, such as halibut or red snapper. Avoid using buttery, flaky fish, as they tend to crumble in the stew.
- Heat: Keep the heat at medium or low to prevent the stew from burning.
Love your recipes! I only have one question. When you say 1 or more cans of plum tomatoes what size are you referring to? Like the 10 oz or 15 oz? I made your Nigerian rice recipe and it came out soggy because I didn't know what size can of tomatoes to get and it was too much for the three cups of rice.
Hi Raiah, thanks! The average size of the cans that I use ranges from 13-14.5 oz. I hope this helps! 🙂