Tilapia Recipes That Are Sure to Be a Hit

Tilapia is like cream dory, but it packs more flavor. Yet, it does not overpower other ingredients. That makes it a great star of numerous meals. 

The problem is you need to know which ones to try first. That can be difficult if you do not cook often or are unfamiliar with this fish. 

Fortunately, this article will discuss the best tilapia recipes you should try for your next meal. You would be surprised by the versatility of this seafood!

1. Tilapia Sinigang
2. Pan-Seared Tilapia
3. Air Fryer Tilapia with Fresh Lemon Pepper
4. Deep-Fried Tilapia
5. Baked Tilapia With Coconut-Cilantro Sauce
6. Parmesan Crusted Tilapia Filets
7. Tilapia With Hash Browns
8. Lemon-Garlic Tilapia with Spinach
9. Spicy Fish and Olive Spaghetti

1. Tilapia Sinigang

The top recommendation should be the dish that won praise worldwide: Sinigang. It earned the 2021 Best Soup Award from Taste Atlas, beating Japan’s Shoyu Ramen by a close margin!

However, it is unusual to call it one of the best tilapia recipes. Sinigang usually uses milkfish (bangus) or pork. Still, it can work as a great meal!

Ingredients:

• Three small pieces of tilapia (cleaned, gutted, scaled, and halved)
• Two tablespoons of vegetable oil 
• Two medium red onions, peeled and chopped
• Four medium tomatoes, chopped
• One-fourth cup of tamarind paste
• One-half medium radish, peeled and sliced
• A bunch of small okra, cut in half
• A bunch of water spinach (leaves and tender stalks only)

1. Begin by heating the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Next, add the onion and tomatoes and cook until they are see-through. 
2. Add the tamarind paste, radishes, okra, and enough water to cover the vegetables about an inch high. Next, boil the water, lower the heat to a simmer, then cook until the veggies are tender. 
3. Mix the tender stems of water spinach,  then bring it back to a simmer for roughly a minute. When the mix is ready to serve, return the broth to a boil and add the tilapia.
4. Cook the fish until it is opaque. Afterward, include the water spinach leaves and let them cook until they look wilted. Finally, remove the pot from the heat. 

You may eat the sinigang by itself as a soup. On the other hand, you could turn it into a viand with steamed white rice, like how Filipinos usually eat this native dish.

2. Pan-Seared Tilapia

What if you want tilapia recipes that are easy to make? You can start by making pan-seared tilapia. It only requires a few ingredients and 15 minutes.

Ingredients:

• Four 4 oz. tilapia filets
• Half a cup of all-purpose flour
• A tablespoon of olive oil
• Two tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
• A tablespoon of lemon juice
• A half teaspoon of chopped fresh thyme
• Salt and ground black pepper
• A teaspoon of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Begin by rinsing tilapia filets in cold water and patting them dry with paper towels. Next, season both sides of each filet with salt and pepper.
2. Pour flour into a shallow dish, and gently press each filet into the flour to coat them. Shake off any excess flour onto the dish to avoid wasting ingredients.
3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Next, cook tilapia filets in hot oil. Depending on how large your skillet and fish are, you may need to do it in batches.
4. Cook the tilapia for roughly four minutes on each side until it flakes easily with a fork. Then, brush the melted butter onto the tilapia filets before quickly removing them from the skillet.
5. Finally, drizzle the tilapia pieces with lemon juice and garnish with thyme and parsley.

3. Air Fryer Tilapia with Fresh Lemon Pepper

You might be among the many who followed the air fryer trend. Fortunately, many tilapia recipes are possible with this kitchen appliance. It is low in carbs but high in flavor.

Ingredients:

• Four 6 oz. Tilapia filets
• Two tablespoons of lemon zest
• Two tablespoons of olive oil
• One and a half tablespoons of coarsely ground black peppercorns
• A half teaspoon of salt
• Cooking spray
• A pair of garlic cloves, minced
• A pinch of paprika
• Four lemon wedges
• A sprig of parsley, chopped

1. Start by preheating your air fryer to 400°F or 200°C for three minutes. Meanwhile, rinse the tilapia pieces, then pat them dry with a paper towel.
2. Mix pepper, salt, garlic, olive oil, and lemon zest in a bowl. Next, rub the spice mix over the tilapia. Sprinkle it lightly with paprika.
3. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. However, check your air fryer model to see if it needs cooking spray. Next, place the filets inside with the coated side up. 
4. Air fry for seven to ten minutes until the tilapia filets flake easily with a fork. Do not crowd the fish pieces; they may stick together while frying. 
5. Cook them in batches if you cannot fit them all inside. Afterward, transfer the tilapia to a plate, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.

4. Deep-Fried Tilapia

This recommendation is one of the tilapia recipes that are time-honored traditions. People in Wisconsin call the deep-fried tilapia the “Friday Fish Fry.” 

Ingredients:

• Ten 4 oz. tilapia filets
• One-third cup of all-purpose flour
• A cup of buttermilk
• Half a cup of yellow cornmeal
• A large egg
• Two tablespoons of seafood seasoning
• Half a teaspoon of baking powder
• A half teaspoon of baking soda
• Salt and ground black pepper

1. Season the filets with salt and pepper, then coat them with a one-third cup of flour. Next, beat the egg and buttermilk in a bowl until combined. 
2. In another bowl, stir half a cup of flour, seafood seasoning, baking powder, baking soda, and cornmeal. Then, dip the filets into the egg and seasoned flour mix.
3. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a deep fryer or large frying pan to 350°F or 175°C. Then, fry them in hot oil for two minutes per side until they turn golden brown.
4. Transfer the filets to a paper towel-lined plate to drain the oil. Lastly, season immediately with salt and serve.

5. Baked Tilapia With Coconut-Cilantro Sauce

We have been frying many of these tilapia recipes, so let us proceed with a baked option. Yet, baked tilapia with coconut-cilantro sauce tastes surprisingly cool.

Ingredients:

• Four 6 oz. Tilapia filets
• A one-fourth teaspoon of kosher salt
• Half a cup of light, reduced-fat coconut milk
• Half a cup of cilantro leaves
• A teaspoon of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• A half teaspoon of garam masala
• Two cloves of garlic
• One-half jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped

1. Start by preheating your oven to 425 °F. Next, apply canola oil spray on a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle salt on the fish and place it in the pan.
2. Mix the coconut milk, ginger, cilantro, garam masala, jalapeño, and garlic in a blender. Pulse it until the mixture is fairly smooth. 
3. Pour the mixture over the tilapia filets. Next, bake them for 15 minutes until the fish is opaque in the center. Lastly, garnish with cilantro and serve with steamed rice.

6. Parmesan Crusted Tilapia Filets

This next entry is one of the best tilapia recipes for low-carb diets. You can easily cook parmesan-crusted tilapia, and you might keep making more for seconds!

Ingredients:

• Four Tilapia filets
• A tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley
• Two teaspoons of paprika
• Three-fourths cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• A drizzle of olive oil
• Salt and ground black pepper

1. Start by preheating your oven to 400 °F or 200 °C. Then, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Also, whisk paprika, parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl.
2. Coat the filets with olive oil and press them into the cheese mix. Afterward, arrange them on the prepped baking sheet.
3. Bake them for ten to twelve minutes until you can easily flake the fish with a fork.

7. Tilapia With Hash Browns

Do you want to eat hash browns for your next meal? Use this tilapia recipe to ensure you get a delicious meal, even if you use store-bought hash browns.

Ingredients:

• One and a half pounds of skinless tilapia filets
• A 20 oz. bag of frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
• Four cloves of garlic smashed and thinly sliced
• Kosher salt
• Five tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
• Half a cup of pitted Spanish green olives, roughly chopped
• Three-fourth pounds of tomatoes, cut into one-inch pieces
• One-fourth cup of diced roasted red peppers
• Three white and light green parts of scallions, chopped
• Two tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
• A teaspoon of herbes de Provence or dried rosemary
• Freshly ground pepper

1. Begin by preheating your oven to 425 °F. Include the hash browns with the garlic and a teaspoon of salt in a bowl.
2. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Next, add the hash browns and flatten them with a spatula.
3. Cook for six and eight minutes until the bottom is golden brown. Then, mix the roasted peppers, scallions, olives, and tomatoes in a bowl. 
4. Divide the fish into 12 pieces and season them with salt, pepper, and dried herbs. Afterward, spread half of the olive mixture over the potato cake and top with the fish.
5. Scatter the remaining olive mixture and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil. Next, transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for 12 minutes until the fish cooks thoroughly.
6. Finally, season with salt, drizzle with olive oil, and serve from the skillet.

8. Lemon-Garlic Tilapia with Spinach

This tilapia recipe has the zest of lemon, a kick of garlic, and a dash of spinach. The best part is you can prepare it in 35 minutes!

Ingredients:

• Four 5 oz. tilapia filets
• Freshly ground pepper
• Kosher salt
• One-fourth cup of all-purpose flour
• Six tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Three cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• Three-fourths cup of low-sodium chicken broth
• Half a cup of dry white wine
• The juice of one lemon
• Lemon wedges
• Grated lemon zest from one lemon
• A tablespoon of unsalted butter
• One-fourth cup of chopped fresh parsley
• A 5 oz. package of baby spinach

1. Pat the tilapia dry with paper towels. Next, season them with half a teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper.
2. Spread the flour on a plate and pat the tilapia onto it while tapping off the excess. Meanwhile, heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat.
3. Add the tilapia and cook for about three minutes until golden brown. Then, transfer the filets to a plate. Keep them warm by tenting them with aluminum foil.
4. Take the skillet and heat three tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Next, add the garlic and saute for two minutes until it starts to brown. 
5. Pour the chicken broth, lemon zest, lemon juice, and wine. Next, raise the heat to high. Bring it to a boil and cook until you cut the amount of liquid by half. 
6. Then, season with salt and pepper. Add the butter, whisk for a minute until it slightly thickens, and add parsley.
7. Add the spinach with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and a few grinds of pepper. 
8. Then,  divide them among plates, top them with the tilapia, and drizzle with some pan sauce. Lastly, garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

9. Spicy Fish and Olive Spaghetti

Are you tired of frying and baking meals? This last tilapia recipe uses pasta. Be careful about the spice, though!

Ingredients:

• A large eight oz. tilapia filet, divided into three-fourth-inch pieces
• Ten ounces of whole-grain spaghetti
• Two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
• Two cloves of garlic
• Kosher salt
• A pinch of crushed red pepper
• A 28 oz. can of no-salt-added whole plum tomatoes, hand-crushed
• Half a teaspoon of dried oregano
• Ten kalamata olives, quartered
• Half a cup of loosely packed chopped parsley

1. Begin by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Next, include the spaghetti and cook according to the package instructions. Drain and reserve a cup of pasta water.
2. Toss some oil with the spaghetti and set aside. Meanwhile, add the garlic, three-fourths teaspoon of salt, oil, and red pepper in a large skillet.
3. Heat over medium-high heat and add tomatoes once the oil shimmers. Also, add the oregano and reserved pasta water. 
4. Bring to a high simmer and cook for 12 to 15 minutes until the sauce thickens. Next, add the olives and fish and cook while stirring occasionally. 
5. Wait for three to four minutes until the fish cooks completely. Then, mix the spaghetti and parsley. Lastly, toss to combine and divide among four plates.

Conclusion

Those were some of the best tilapia recipes online. Try them out and see how tasty this freshwater fish is. 

Also, you might want to try other unusual ingredients for your next meals. For example, you may check out recipes using apricots and even mangoes.

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