<p>Valorising the high-value ingredients from waste and using them as food additives is a revolutionary step that reduces environmental pollution. Thus, this work evaluates the influences of ethanolic pomegranate peel extracts (EPPx) at multiple concentrations (0–0.60%, w/w) on the gelling ability, protein configuration, microstructure, and acceptability of Nile tilapia surimi gels. The peels were used to extract with water and ethanol (40–100%, v/v), resulting in the highest yield and phenolic content at 100% ethanol. An increase in the fortified 100% ethanolic extract from 0% to 0.30% significantly enhanced the gel strength and other textural attributes. The results displayed that 0.30% EPPx fortified surimi gels had higher chemical bonding including hydrogen and hydrophobic bonding, water holding capacity and lower sulfhydryl and free amino groups. Likewise, the fortification of EPPx (0.30%) eased the unfolding of surimi protein, leading to conformational alteration from <i>α</i>-helix to <i>β</i>-sheet. Subsequently, SEM images showed relatively organized finer and denser gel network when the surimi gels fortified with optimum EPPx level (0.30%). Sensory scores revealed improved odour, texture, elasticity and overall acceptability in fortified gels. The fortification of 0.30% EPPx not only improves the gelling properties, microstructure and acceptability of tilapia surimi but is also supplemented with bioactive polyphenols, which generally persist deficit in surimi.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>