Pan Roasted Tilapia with Tomatillo Salsa - $4.83 a serving
Every non-staple ingredient matched to a real product on the shelf, priced on 2026-07-19 at Kroger - Kroger On the Rhine (ZIP 45202). 2 pantry staples excluded. 2 matches are flagged for you to check rather than silently swapped. Prices change without notice - this is what we paid attention to on that date, not a quote.
| The recipe says | We found | Package | Uses | Costs | Left over |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 pound tomatillos | Fresh Tomatillo · 1 lb | $1.99 | 454 g | $1.99 | - |
| 1/2 cup yellow onion (peeled and finely chopped) | Jumbo Yellow Onions · 1 lb | $1.19 | 80 g | $0.21 | $0.98 |
| 2 serrano or other chiles (finely chopped)CHECK THIS | Fresh Green Serrano Peppers · 1 lb | $3.99 | 2 | $0.12 | $3.87 |
| 3 cloves garlic (peeled and minced) | Kroger® Whole Garlic Bulbs · 5 ct | $2.49 | 3 | $1.49 | $1.00 |
| 1 tablespoon Fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime) | Fresh Limes - Each · 1 each | $0.69 | 1 | $0.69 | - |
| 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves (chopped)CHECK THIS | Cilantro · 1 ctSIZE UNREAD - 1 PKG ASSUMED | $0.99 | 10 g | $0.99 | - |
| 4 tilapia fillets (patted dry with a paper towel, any inexpensive white fish can be used) | Kroger® Fresh Farm Raised Tilapia Fillets · 16 ozSIZE UNREAD - 1 PKG ASSUMED | $8.00 | 4 | $8.00 | - |
tilapia fillets drives this basket at $8.00, 41% of the total. The next biggest lines are serrano chiles ($3.99) and garlic ($2.49). $5.84 of the basket - 30% - is package remainder: food you buy because stores sell packages and recipes call for amounts. It does not vanish, it sits in your kitchen for the next meal.
- Fresh Green Serrano Peppers · about 440 g left, $3.87 of value
- Kroger® Whole Garlic Bulbs · about 2 left, $1.00 of value
- Jumbo Yellow Onions · about 374 g left, $0.98 of value
Tilapia fillets are pan-fried until golden brown and served with a fresh salsa made from roasted tomatillos, serrano peppers, lime, and cilantro.
- 1 pound tomatillos
- 1/2 cup yellow onion (peeled and finely chopped)
- 2 serrano or other chiles (finely chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
- 3 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon Fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves (chopped)
- 4 tilapia fillets (patted dry with a paper towel, any inexpensive white fish can be used)
- To prepare the tomatillos, peel back the husk from the smooth green tomatillo skin. Rinse the tomatillos with warm water and cut into quarters. (Canned tomatillo salsa can be used instead of fresh.)
- Place the husked tomatillos, onion, chilies, garlic, and 1 teaspoon oil in the baking pan, stir well and transfer to the oven. Roast about 20 minutes until the tomatillos are soft and dark green. Set aside to cool.
- Transfer the mixture to the blender; add the salt, lime juice, and cilantro. Purée.
- Place the skillet on the stove over high heat and when it is hot, carefully add 2 teaspoons oil.
- Put the tilapia fillets in the pan, waiting about 30 seconds between additions. Cook about 5 to 6 minutes, until golden brown on both sides.
- Transfer the tilapia to the serving plate and top with generous amounts of salsa. Serve right away.
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