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    $5 Dinners | Budget Recipes, Meal Plans, Freezer Meals

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    Slow Cooker Sweet Balsamic Tilapia

    September 27, 2010 by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom 19 Comments

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    slow cooker balsamic tilapia

    Love. Love. I’m in love.

    For several reasons.

    1. Fish…wanting to add more fish into our diet.
    2. Made these in the slow cooker.
    3. Super easy clean up.
    4. Kids ate every bit of the fish…and wanted more. (Yes, I let them dip it in ketchup. Gotta do what you gotta do.)
    5. It only takes 2-3 hours to make so you can start it just after lunch…those of you who are at home.
    6. Delicious.
    7. Flaky, tasty, sweet goodness.
    8. It didn’t taste like fish.
    9. The kids loved it. (Wait, I already said that!)
    10. The kids loved it. (Ok…sorry, but this is super important. To get your kids to not only eat fish, but to LIKE the fish is a huge deal to this mama.)

    So that’s why I (and a few others) love this meal.

    balsamic tilapia
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    Slow Cooker Sweet Balsamic Tilapia

    My kids LOVED this!
    Prep Time10 minutes
    Cook Time2 hours
    Servings - 4 servings

    Ingredients 

    • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze
    • 1 tsp brown sugar
    • Salt and pepper
    • 4 frozen tilapia fillets
    • 1 1/2 cups brown rice
    • 1 acorn squash
    • 1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
    • 1/4 cup honey
    • Dash of cinnamon and ginger

    Instructions

    • In a small bowl, whisk or stir the balsamic vinegar, brown sugar with a few dashes of salt and pepper.
    • Place the thawed fish fillets onto a piece of foil that is large enough to wrap completely around the fish. Pour the sweet balsamic sauce evenly over the fish fillets and then wrap the foil tightly around fish.
    • Place the foil packets in the base of the slow cooker and set on low and cook for 2-4 hours. Fish will be white and flaky when it is cooked.
    • Cook the rice as directed on the package.
    • Make Honey Roasted Acorn Squash.
    • Serve Sweet Balsamic Tilapia with Brown Rice and Honey Roasted Acorn Squash.

    24 shares
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    Filed Under: Budget Friendly Recipes, Dairy Free Meal Ideas, Fish Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Slow Cooker Recipes Tagged With: acorn squash

    Comments

    1. Ginger says

      September 27, 2010 at 6:32 pm

      This looks great….. and easy too. I need to add more fish into my families diet, I may start with this one.

      Reply
    2. [email protected] says

      September 27, 2010 at 7:43 pm

      We like Tilapia too. This looks good.

      Thanks for the carnival.

      Reply
    3. Shonda says

      September 27, 2010 at 8:13 pm

      Perfect timing!!! I have fish on the menu for tomorrow night, but I didn’t know what kind – until now!! I just happen to have tilapia in the freezer, so this is what’s for dinner! Can’t wait to see if my kids like it as much as yours did…..

      Reply
    4. Sarah (Frontier Kitchen) says

      September 27, 2010 at 9:27 pm

      I’m going to have to try that! I can’t get my daughter to eat fish so hopefully this will work. 🙂

      Reply
    5. Debbi Does Dinner Healthy says

      September 27, 2010 at 9:59 pm

      I am just not a fish eater. Though I have been told that tilapia is really good. I keep MEANING to try it but I’m just too chicken!! It looks so easy and good though! Thanks!

      Reply
    6. Alea says

      September 28, 2010 at 2:20 am

      Getting my children to like fish is important to me too! They each have their favorites, but the universal favorites are Dole, White Ruffy and Ahi Tuna. But letting them dip it in catsup is truly an inspired idea!

      Reply
    7. Shelly says

      September 28, 2010 at 9:10 am

      You know what I love about you, Erin? You make things that are so simple, so real, so do-able!

      I think what has made me follow you more than anything is the fact that you always show us the WHOLE meal, not just the entree. I have a horrible time adding sides to our dinners. I’m working to get better about it. And you’re helping me.

      I’ve never been a big fish eater. I live in KS, and nothing from the sea is remotely fresh. I’ve heard good things about using frozen fish, since it was fresh when it was frozen. I think I’ll have to try this! (Though I’ll have to invest in a couple of the ingredients.) Thank you!

      Reply
    8. Queen of the House says

      September 28, 2010 at 9:30 am

      Okay, I must try this…..as soon as I read, “kids ate every bit of fish”!!!! LOL!!! (love that you let them dip it in ketchup too) What a good mom you are! 🙂

      Reply
    9. K says

      September 28, 2010 at 11:32 am

      Whats an alternative way of cooking this meal if one is without a slow cooker? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Rachel R. says

        March 20, 2015 at 4:51 pm

        K, try putting all of the fish in a single layer in a baking dish (like a 9×13 or whatever), pour the sauce over top and cover, then bake at 350. When I start my fish from frozen it usually takes around 25 minutes for a fillet to cook through, so if yours is thawed, it will take less. I’d start checking it at around 10 minutes the first time, and then just make note of how long it takes for the next time. (It will probably be somewhere around 12-16 minutes.)

        Reply
    10. Kathleen says

      September 29, 2010 at 1:06 pm

      I usually love your recipes but I have to say this was a bomb for me. It was awful and we like fish! I think it would have been better with a lot more sauce and less cooking time. But in the end I suspect slow cooking is just not the way to go for fish. My no fail fish recipe is just to bake it for 20 minutes in an oven at 350 topped with Tony Chacheres and fresh vegetables, like sliced green onions and red bell peppers.

      Reply
    11. alison says

      October 14, 2010 at 2:01 am

      What do i do with my son though, he says he’s a vegetarian now and doesn’t want to kill fishys.

      he’s only 7, i’m not sure what to do i don’t really like fish either just shrimp but he won’t even eat shrimp.

      Reply
    12. Alicia says

      February 9, 2011 at 8:55 pm

      Oh my goodness what perfect timing! I have been trying different tilapia recipes the last couple of days and now I have one more to try with the last bit of fish! thanks so much for all the great recipes & ideas! 🙂

      Alicia

      Reply
    13. Kristen says

      September 1, 2011 at 9:54 am

      I truly savor the fish dishes whether it is fried, boiled and grilled. Yes, I agree that tilapia is really flaky and tastes good. I like how you include butter or margarine in tilapia aside from vinegar. Maybe I should try preparing this dish in the near future.

      Onkyo TX-NR708 Receiver

      Reply
    14. Sam Huff says

      February 27, 2019 at 7:21 pm

      Made it, loved it! Only I used quinoa instead of brown rice made it a little healthier. I do not, I repeat I do not like fish, but this was absolutely delicious! No fishy taste at all! I will be making it again!

      Reply

    Trackbacks

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      September 28, 2010 at 10:33 am

      […] at $5 Dinners and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday // September 28th, 2010 in Food, […]

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    2. Crockpot Harvest Stew | Modern Gal says:
      September 28, 2010 at 10:33 am

      […] at $5 Dinners and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday // September 28th, 2010 in Food, […]

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    3. What To Make With What’s On Sale: Tilapia Fillets says:
      May 20, 2011 at 1:18 pm

      […] fish before, but Erin says it works – here’s the $5 Dinner Mom’s recipe for Sweet Balsamic Tilapia.  It cooks for 2-4 hours, so not a “start it before leaving in the morning” type of […]

      Reply
    4. What To Make With What’s On Sale: Tilapia Fillets says:
      May 20, 2011 at 2:01 pm

      […] fish before, but Erin says it works – here’s the $5 Dinner Mom’s recipe for Sweet Balsamic Tilapia. It cooks for 2-4 hours, so not a “start it before leaving in the morning” type of […]

      Reply

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    I’m Erin Chase…

    Also known as the
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    I have a little problem. I cannot make a meal that costs more than $5.
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