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Tilapia in Guajillo Chilli Sauce

Name: Tilapia in Guajillo Chilli Sauce
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 3 Tomato (charred); 2 tbsp Vegetable oil; 1 White onion; 800 g Tilapia (fillets); 3 cloves Garlic; 6 Dried guajillo chilli; 1 tsp Cumin; 400 g Nopales (cooked and drained); 2 Lime (juice)

45 min (20 prep + 25 cook) Easy 4 servings Nacional

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 27 Mar 2026 · Updated: 13 May 2026

Tilapia in red guajillo chilli sauce with nopales, a simple and nutritious national Mexican dish.

About this recipe

Tilapia in guajillo sauce is a national Mexican dish that combines the most widely consumed freshwater fish in Mexico with guajillo sauce, one of the most versatile chillies in Mexican cooking. The nopales add texture, vegetable acidity and nutritional value that make this stew a complete meal. It is an economical recipe, very easy to prepare and with a highly satisfying result, popular in the kitchens of the central highlands where tilapia is the everyday fish.

History & Origin

Tilapia arrived in Mexico in the second half of the 20th century as part of government aquaculture programmes to guarantee accessible animal protein for rural populations. Of African origin, the fish adapted extraordinarily well to the rivers, reservoirs and ponds of the Mexican highlands and today is the most cultivated and consumed freshwater fish in the country. Guajillo sauce, for its part, is of genuinely Mexican and pre-Hispanic origin: the dried guajillo chilli, with its bright red colour and fruity flavour without excessive heat, is the best-selling chilli in Mexico after jalapeño and the base of countless regional sauces. The combination of tilapia with guajillo and nopales represents everyday Mexican cooking: accessible, nutritious, colourful and full of flavour.

Estimated cost

£7.50

Total cost

£1.88

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

280

Calories

32g

Protein

14g

Carbohydrates

Fat

Fibre

480mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Toast the guajillo chillies on a dry comal for 20 seconds per side. Soak in hot water for 15 minutes. Blend with the charred tomatoes, garlic, onion, cumin and a cup of the soaking water until smooth. Strain.
💡 Straining the sauce removes the guajillo skins and seeds, leaving a perfectly smooth-textured sauce.
2
Cook the nopales in boiling salted water with garlic and a bay leaf for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse well under cold water to remove the slime. Cut into strips or squares.
💡 Rinsing the nopales under cold water after cooking removes the slime completely - do not skip this step.
3
In a wide frying pan with oil, fry the guajillo sauce over high heat for 5 minutes, stirring until it thickens and darkens. Season with salt. Add the drained nopales.
4
Season the tilapia with salt and lime. Place the fillets over the sauce, cover the pan and cook over low heat for 8–10 minutes until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily. Serve with rice and tortillas.
💡 Tilapia is a delicate fish - cooking it in the sauce with a lid prevents it from drying out.