How to Cook Tilapia

Fish is a great source of lean protein and Omega-3 fatty acids, it cooks quickly, and it doesn't require a lot of preparation. If you tend to shy away from eating strongly flavored fish, there are several varieties, tilapia among them, that are mild and not "fishy" tasting. Tilapia, also known as St. Peter's Fish, is white-fleshed, low in fat, and light in texture. You can grill, broil, steam, or bake it, or even make a tilapia ceviche from it without actually cooking it. If you want to know how to make ceviche in a variety of ways, just follow these steps.

Ingredients

  • 4 tilapia fillets
  • 1 tbsp. melted butter
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 juiced fresh lemon
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • Sea salt to taste
  • Black pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp. chopped parsley
Method 1
Method 1 of 4:

Baked Tilapia

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    Gather your ingredients. For the fish, fresh is best.
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    Preheat your oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
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    Spray a 13 x 19-inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Alternately, you can lightly brush the dish with olive oil.
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    Rinse the tilapia fillets in cold water. Pat the fish dry between layers of paper towels.
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    Place the fillets in a baking dish.
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    Combine the melted butter and olive oil in a small bowl. Melt 1 tbsp. of butter in a microwave safe covered dish for 30 seconds and combine it with 1 tbsp. of olive oil until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
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    Brush the butter mixture over the tilapia fillets. Drizzle the juice of 1 juiced fresh lemon over the fillets.
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    Sprinkle the filets with minced garlic, sea salt, and pepper. Sprinkle the fillets with 2 cloves of minced garlic and sea salt and pepper to taste.
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    Bake the fish on a rack for 20-25 minutes. Bake the tilapia until it's white and opaque and the flesh flakes when it's tested with a fork. Then, remove the tilapia from the oven.
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    Serve. Sprinkle the tilapia with 2 tbsp. of chopped parsley and serve it with an additional lemon wedge for garnish. Enjoy this tasty dish while it's warm.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 4:

Pan-Seared Tilapia

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    Gather your ingredients. Here's what you'll need to make pan-seared tilapia:
    • 4 oz. tilapia fillets
    • Salt to taste
    • Pepper to taste
    • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
    • 1 tbsp. olive oil
    • 2 tbsp. melted unsalted butter
    • 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
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    Rinse the tilapia fillets in cold water. Pat them dry with paper towels when you’re finished.[1]
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    Season both sides of each fillet with salt and pepper to taste.
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    Place ½ cup all-purpose flour in a shallow dish.
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    Press each fillet into the flour to coat it and shake off the excess flour.
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    Heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
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    Cook the tilapia in the hot oil until the fish flakes easily. It should take about 4 minutes per side to cook the tilapia.
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    Melt 2 tbsp. of butter. You can do this while you’re cooking the tilapia. To do this, just place the butter in a covered microwave-safe dish and microwave it for at least 30 seconds, or until the butter is completely melted.
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    Brush the melted butter onto the tilapia right before you remove it from the skillet.
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    Serve. Squeeze ½ tsp. of lemon juice over the tilapia and enjoy it while it’s hot. You can eat it on it’s own or enjoy it with some mixed greens, fingerling potatoes, or another side dish.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 4:

Broiled Tilapia

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    Gather your ingredients. Here's what you'll need to make broiled tilapia:
    • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
    • 1/4 cup softened butter
    • 3 tbsp. mayonnaise
    • 2 tbsp. lemon juice
    • 1/4 tsp. dried basil
    • 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
    • 1/8 tsp. onion powder
    • 1/8 tsp. celery salt
    • 2 lbs. tilapia fillets
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    Preheat your oven’s broiler.[2]
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    Grease a broiling pan. You can also line it with aluminum foil instead.
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    Mix the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise, and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Mix together ½ cup of Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup of softened butter, 3 tbsp. of mayonnaise, and 2 tbsp. of lemon juice. Mix the ingredients until you’ve created a smooth, creamy mixture.
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    Season the Parmesan mixture with dried basil, pepper, onion powder, and celery salt. Season the creamy mixture with ¼ tsp. of dried basil, ¼ tsp. of ground black pepper, 1/8 tsp. of onion powder, and 1/8 tsp. of celery salt. Mix the seasonings well with the creamy mixture and set it aside.
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    Place the tilapia fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Place 2 lbs. of tilapia fillets on the prepared pan so that they cover the whole pan and do not overlap.
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    Broil the fillets. First, broil them a few inches from the heat for 2-3 minutes. Then, flip them over and broil them for 2-3 more minutes. When you’re done, remove the fillets from the oven.
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    Cover the fillets with the Parmesan cheese mixture on their top sides. Use a spoon to layer on the mixture.
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    Broil the fillets for two more minutes. Broil them until the Parmesan mixture is browned and the fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to overcook it by making the mixture too rubbery or burned.
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    Serve. Enjoy this broiled tilapia while it’s nice and warm. You can serve it on its own, or with some brown rice, asparagus, or a variety of other side dishes.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 4:

Tilapia Ceviche

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    Gather your ingredients. Here's what you'll need to make tilapia ceviche:
    • 8 tilapia fillets
    • 15 juiced limes
    • 1 finely diced large tomato
    • 1/4 diced red onion
    • 2 diced cucumbers
    • 1/2 bunch chopped cilantro
    • Salt to taste
    • Pepper to taste
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    Chop the raw tilapia into small pieces. Cut it into strips that are at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) long and place them in a large bowl.[3]
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    Cover the fish with lime juice. Juice 15 limes and cover the fish with the juice until they are fully covered. You don’t need to use all of the lime juice as long as the amount in the bowl fully covers the tilapia pieces.
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    Mix the tomato, red onion, and cucumbers into the bowl. Toss 1 finely diced large tomato, 1/4 diced red onion and 2 peeled, seeded, and diced cucumbers in with the tilapia pieces until you’ve combined the ingredients. Don’t over-toss them or the tilapia pieces can get a mushy look and texture – just do it enough to incorporate the ingredients.
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    Stir in the cilantro, salt, and pepper. Stir in ½ of a bunch of finely-diced cilantro and salt and pepper to taste.
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    Place the ceviche in the refrigerator for at least an hour. This will be enough time for it to begin to marinate with the juice and spices. You can leave it in the refrigerator for even longer – a few more hours or even overnight.
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    Serve. Taste the ceviche before serving and add more salt and pepper to taste if it’s necessary. Place this tilapia ceviche in a glass bowl or martini glass and enjoy it while it’s nice and cool.
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Expert Q&A

  • Question
    How do you fry fish in an air fryer?
    Anne Lloyd
    Anne Lloyd
    Professional Chef
    Chef Anne Lloyd is a Professional Chef and the Owner of Nolavore in New Orleans, Louisiana. Chef Anne has had a career in the restaurant and food service industries for over 30 years and has traveled and cooked on both coasts of the United States as well as in Europe and Southeast Asia. She specializes in utilizing local and regional foods to create dishes featuring international flavors. She also provides full-service catering, prepared foods, gourmet packaged goods, pantry items, and kids' cooking camps and classes for all ages. She received a BA in Anthropology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and her Associate of Arts, Culinary Arts degree from the California Culinary Academy. Anne is an alumna of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Summit.
    Anne Lloyd
    Anne Lloyd
    Professional Chef
    Expert Answer
    You could just do salt, pepper, squeeze of lemon olive oil, put them on the rack and cook them like that. There's really no secret. Be careful with the time and temperature, or they might end up on the dry side, depending on the quantity or on your air fryer.
  • Question
    Can I bake tilapia with only salt, pepper, and butter?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Yes, always better to under-season than over-season, you can always add something to it during the meal if you need to.
  • Question
    How long do I bake it for if it's frozen?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Do not bake it if it is frozen. Let it thaw out or defrost it in the microwave. The salmon will not taste good if you bake it frozen.
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Warnings

  • Do not marinate fine-textured fish like tilapia for longer than 30 minutes or the flesh will start to break down and get soft.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
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References

  1. ↑ http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pan-seared-tilapia/
  2. ↑ http://allrecipes.com/recipe/broiled-tilapia-parmesan/
  3. ↑ http://allrecipes.com/recipe/tilapia-ceviche/

About This Article

Anne Lloyd
Co-authored by:
Anne Lloyd
Professional Chef
This article was co-authored by Anne Lloyd. Chef Anne Lloyd is a Professional Chef and the Owner of Nolavore in New Orleans, Louisiana. Chef Anne has had a career in the restaurant and food service industries for over 30 years and has traveled and cooked on both coasts of the United States as well as in Europe and Southeast Asia. She specializes in utilizing local and regional foods to create dishes featuring international flavors. She also provides full-service catering, prepared foods, gourmet packaged goods, pantry items, and kids' cooking camps and classes for all ages. She received a BA in Anthropology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and her Associate of Arts, Culinary Arts degree from the California Culinary Academy. Anne is an alumna of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Summit. This article has been viewed 160,188 times.
2 votes - 50%
Co-authors: 12
Updated: September 13, 2022
Views: 160,188
Categories: Fish and Seafood
Article SummaryX

To bake tilapia, start by pre-heating your oven to 375 °F and lightly brush a glass cooking dish with olive oil. After washing the tilapia in cold water, dry the fish with paper towels. Then, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and combine it with 1 tablespoon olive oil before brushing the mixture over the fish and drizzling the juices from one fresh lemon. To finish, sprinkle the fish with minced garlic, salt, and pepper before cooking for 20-25 minutes. Garnish the fish with some parsley and serve with a lemon wedge. For tips on how to pan-sear or broil your tilapia, read on!

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