Baked Tilapia

By Ali Slagle

Published September 26, 2023

  • A baked fillet of tilapia is coated in an herby oil with a squeezed wedge of lemon and silver fork sitting next to it on a white plate.
    Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Rating
5(1,383)
Comments
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Tilapia has a flaky texture and a sweet, mild taste, so it welcomes assertive seasonings. This baked, sheet-pan recipe coats the fish with butter, lemon, garlic and parsley, but feel free to switch up the flavor as you like; paprika, Old Bay, ginger, lime and tarragon would all be great. Keep in mind that there are environmental issues around tilapia farming, so use resources such as Seafood Watch when selecting fish. This recipe also works with trout, flounder or other thin filets.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, or extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, plus more for serving

  • Pinch of red-pepper flakes (optional)

  • Salt

  • 1 garlic clove

  • 1 lemon

  • 1 ½ pounds fresh or frozen tilapia filets (4 to 6 filets), no need to thaw if frozen

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

2 grams carbs; 95 milligrams cholesterol; 223 calories; 3 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 11 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 417 milligrams sodium; 30 grams protein; 1 gram sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together the butter, parsley, red-pepper flakes (if using), and salt (about 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher or ½ teaspoon fine sea salt). Finely grate the garlic and zest the lemon into the bowl, and stir to combine. Cut the lemon into wedges for serving.

  2. Step 2

    If using fresh tilapia, pat it dry with paper towels. Arrange fish on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Using the back of a spoon, coat the tops of the fish with the butter mixture. Roast until the fish is opaque and flakes easily in the thickest part when gently pressed, 10 to 12 minutes for fresh or 17 to 22 minutes for frozen. Serve with more parsley on top and lemon wedges for squeezing over the fish.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,383 user ratings
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Comments

Martha

An even better option is mayonnaise in place of the butter or olive oil. The mayonnaise clings much better to the fish thereby doing a better job of keeping it moist.

h

Antonia, Just checked Seafood Watch and it is farmed tilapia from China that is a problem. Most other tilapia is fine.

Frank Mosher

This is so basic with any farmed white-fleshed fish with little or no taste, such as both Tilapia and Basa. It is even a basic recipe for Haddock, cod, or even Halibut. But, with respect, the recipe could be so much tastier with the addition of herbs and chile oil, sooo much better. Cheers!

Cece B

In a pinch, I've used mayo, too, but I usually coat the filets with ranch dressing on both sides. Then the filets are covered with Panko mixed with garlic, shredded or grated Parmesan/Reggiano/Asiago, parsley, paprika, bit of salt & pepper. How much of each depends on your taste. Bake filets on a cookie sheet. I use a high temp 'cause Tilapia is cooked through fast; also depends on how quickly I want to get dinner on the table (gets a nice crust).

EB

Can this be made with Orange Roughy?

Matt M.

I thought this recipe was pretty good but I will make some tweaks when I try it again. I used 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp mayo as others suggested and thought that was a very good tweak. I also added a little Old Bay seasoning and a bit more parsley than called for. I would try adding a teaspoon or two of dijon mustard next time just to give this recipe a little more bite. The flavor was nice as prepared this time though, but was missing that spark.

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