Baked Tilapia

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Servings 4 servings

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This Baked Tilapia is light, fresh, and super healthy! It’s a 20-minute dinner that everyone will love. Serve next to rice or quinoa and your favorite roasted or steamed vegetable!

overhead image of baked tilapia with green beans and noodles

Sometimes super healthy dinners that are also quick to make are hard to come by.

But also serving boxed mac and cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or bacon jam grilled cheese every night for dinner just doesn’t cut it…although I’m never mad about a grilled cheese for dinner night. ๐Ÿ˜‰

Enter Baked Tilapia! Tilapia are one of my favorite fish to cook because they’re not very, well, “fishy.” Since they’re mild in flavor, they’re versatile, easy to prep, and really hard to mess up.

This Baked Tilapia recipe is one of my favorites. It’s so simple to make, packed with protein, and makes a delicious and good-for-you dinner next to your favorite roasted vegetables and a side of Jasmine Rice or Roasted Red Potatoes.

overhead image of four tilapia filets on a white plate

Looking for more dinner ideas? Check out the rest of my dinner recipes here!

What is tilapia?

Tilapia are a species of freshwater fish that are native to Africa and the Middle East.

They are mild in flavor, high in protein, and low in calories and fat. Tilapia are easy to prep, quick to cook, and known for their health benefits and affordability, which makes them one of the most commonly cooked fish!

When prepared properly, tilapia are light, flaky, tender, and absolutely delicious.

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Ingredients needed for this Baked Tilapia recipe:

  • Canola Oil: I use canola oil to grease the parchment paper to prevent sticking.
  • Tilapia: you can use 4 full filets or 6-8 loins. The amount of breading needed will depend on the size of your filets.
  • Milk: you can use buttermilk or regular milk, depending on what you have on hand. Buttermilk does add an extra punch of flavor!
  • Egg: coating the fish in egg helps protect it from drying out as it bakes. It also helps the flour/breadcrumb mixture stick.
  • Seasoned Breadcrumbs and All-Purpose Flour: the base for our breading. Flour absorbs moisture while the breadcrumbs give that classic golden-brown crunch.
  • Parmesan: I like to use freshly grated parmesan for the best flavor.
  • Seasonings: seasoning salt, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper
overhead image of ingredients needed to make baked tilapia

How to cook tilapia

Tilapia is super quick-cooking, which makes it great for healthy weeknight dinners. This baked tilapia recipe is ready in just 20 minutes!

  1. Prep the ingredients: Pat the tilapia dry with a paper towel. In one shallow dish, whisk together milk and egg. In other, whisk together breadcrumbs, flour, parmesan, and seasonings.
  2. Bread it: Coat the tilapia first in the milk mixture, then press it firmly into the breadcrumb mixture. Coat both sides well, then set on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  3. Bake: Spray the top of the fish with cooking spray, then bake at 425ºF for 10-12 minutes. If desired, broil for 1-2 minutes to brown the crust.

Baked Tilapia FAQs

What temperature is tilapia cooked at?

High heat is better for tilapia, so that it cooks quickly and doesn’t dry out. I cook mine at 425ºF for 10-12 minutes and it comes out perfectly!

Should I bake fish covered or uncovered?

While this depends on the thickness of the fish, baking the tilapia uncovered n this recipe works great. It cooks quickly enough that you don’t have to worry about the tops burning. Plus, when it’s uncovered, the breading is able to get nice and crispy!

Can you put frozen tilapia in the oven?

In theory, yes, but I definitely prefer to use fresh or thawed tilapia for this recipe. Since frozen tilapia takes longer to cook, the breading can burn before the inside is fully cooked. To quickly thaw frozen tilapia, place the fillets in a ziplock bag and then a bowl of cold water. Let sit until fully defrosted, then proceed with the recipe!

How to store Baked Tilapia:

Baked tilapia will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months. To reheat, thaw in the fridge if frozen, then reheat at 200ºF for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through and re-crisped.

close up image of crispy baked tilapia with green beans and noodles

Tips and tricks:

  • Pat it dry. Use a paper towel to pat the tilapia dry before breading it. Removing excess moisture helps the breading get nice and crispy.
  • Spray with oil. I like to spray the tops of the fish with spray oil or non-stick spray. This creates that delicious golden-brown color.
  • Broil. If the crust isn’t quite browned to your liking after baking, turn the broiler on for a couple of minutes to brown it even more.
  • Play with seasonings. I love the seasoning combo listed in this recipe, but you can definitely get creative with it. Try taco seasoning, cajun seasoning, old bay seasoning, you name it.

Serving suggestions

This Baked Tilapia is delicious paired with a pile of quinoa or brown rice, roasted green beans, or a simple spring mix salad. Simple, healthy, and delicious!

For a more decadent meal, you can also add this Garlic Parmesan Orzo Pasta or Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese!

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Crispy Baked Tilapia

4.94 from 16 votes
This Baked Tilapia is light, fresh, and super healthy! It’s a 20-minute dinner that everyone will love. Serve next to rice or quinoa and your favorite roasted or steamed vegetable!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Cuisine American
Course Main Course
Servings 4 servings
Calories 294cal

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons canola oil (divided)
  • 4 tilapia fillets (full fillets or 6-8 loins)
  • ½ cup milk or buttermilk
  • 1 egg
  • ¾ cup seasoned bread crumbs (Panko or fine)
  • ¼ cup all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
  • 2 teaspoons seasoning salt (reduce to 1 teaspoon if you prefer less salty)
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush parchment with oil.
  • Pat tilapia dry with paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
  • Whisk together milk and egg in a wide shallow dish.
  • Combine coating in a large glass dish (big enough so that the dish can lay flat): bread crumbs, flour, Parmesan, seasoning salt, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, paprika and pepper.
  • Coat tilapia in milk mixture and press firmly into the coating mixture, coating both sides well. Place on the prepared baking sheet and repeat until all are done.
  • Spray the top of the fish with spray oil or non-stick spray.
  • Bake at 425 degrees F for 10-12 minutes, until the internal temperature is 145 degrees F and the crust is lightly browned and crispy. You can broil for 1-2 minutes to brown the crust further if desired.
  • Serve.

Notes

Tips:
  • Pat it dry. Use a paper towel to pat the tilapia dry before breading it. Removing excess moisture helps the breading get nice and crispy.
  • Spray with oil. I like to spray the tops of the fish with spray oil or non-stick spray. This creates that delicious golden-brown color.
  • Broil. If the crust isn’t quite browned to your liking after baking, turn the broiler on for a couple of minutes to brown it even more.
 
Storage:
Baked tilapia will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months. To reheat, thaw in the fridge if frozen, then reheat at 200ºF for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through and re-crisped.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 294cal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 1099mg | Potassium: 550mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 45IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 2mg
Keywords baked tilapia

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  1. Lisa says

    Going to make tonight…..however, I don’t see egg in the ingredients only in the instructions.??? I’m assuming one egg. Can’t wait to try!

    • Chef Gregory says

      I sautรฉed some large leaf spinach with a roasted garlic basil cream sauce I found on Amazon ; it marries so well with the flavor profile and looks elegant and beautiful when plated toge3ther with the tilapia !
      Chef Gregory

  2. Ciera says

    Could I use this recipe for pacific cod, do you think the outcome would be similar? I prefer cod because itโ€™s not as โ€œfishyโ€.

    • The Recipe Rebel says

      Hi Ciera, I’ve only tested the recipe with tilapia. If you decide to experiment with cod, I’d love to know how it goes!

  3. Shalandria says

    Tried this recipe tonight and it turned out beautifully like yours. The taste and crunch was very good as well!
    Deserves a repeat!

  4. Bryan says

    The recipe looks fantastic but we don’t buy tilapia, unfortunately because of the conditions in which they are raised over in China!

    • The Recipe Rebel says

      Hi Bryan! I hear your concern, but you can definitely do some research on this and find different alternatives.

4.94 from 16 votes (14 ratings without comment)

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