Baked Tilapia with Sweet Chili Glaze

I was once again thwarted by a wind storm, so I had to switch gears with this recipe.  I was actually going to grill these tilapia filets, but ended up baking them in the end.  The great thing is, though... this really isn't about the fish, it's about the sauce....  :)

And this time... this time all the credit for the sauce goes to Andrea The Kitchen Witch.  Yes, folks, I can't claim this one as my own, but that's ok, I'll let Andrea have all the thunder on this one because she very much deserves it.  I have purchased sweet chili sauce for years now.  Never again!!  That's right.. thanks to Andrea I will never have to purchase a bottle of that manufactured stuff again!! YAY!!  And you know what?  This homemade version is WAY better than the store bought and costs you even less!!  I even did a side by side comparison as I had just a little bit of the bottled stuff left... and it was spot on in appearance - but on taste, it blew the bottled stuff away.  I made mine a bit spicier than you can find in the store, but that just made it that much better!!

Thank you for figuring out the secret to this sauce, Andrea - it is DA BOMB!!!

Baked Tilapia with Sweet Chili Glaze
Fish recipe created by Jenn's Food Journey, Sweet Chili Sauce Created by Andrea The Kitchen Witch
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1-2 Tablespoons chili paste
1 clove garlic, crushed but left whole
1 small carrot, finely grated
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
pinch of salt
4 tilapia fillets
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 Tablespoon chopped nuts (I used cashews) - optional

Directions:
In a small sauce pan, combine the sugar, vinegar, water, garlic and carrot.  Bring to a boil and cook on high for 3 minutes.  Make a cornstarch slurry by adding 1 tablespoon of water to 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.  Slowly add to mixture and then add the chili paste and salt.  Boil for 3 minutes longer.  Taste for seasoning - add more chili paste if desired.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Remove garlic clove before serving.  Can be made days in advance.  Keep in container with lid in refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Rinse the tilapia and pat dry.  Top each fillet with 2 tablespoons of the sweet chili sauce.  Sprinkle the panko evenly over each fillet.  Place in oven and bake for 14-16 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.  Serve with additional sauce if desired.  Enjoy!

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