34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (2024)

Looking for some new fish recipes to add to your weekly menu planning and rotating meal prep ideas? Whether you prefer fish over meat, want to add some variety to your menu or wish to learn how to make some healthy new foods, these 34 tilapia recipes will have you wanting to make something awesome for dinner tonight. The only question is going to be which tilapia recipe to make first. Whether you want to go with a homestyle recipe, Mexican, Italian or Asian inspired or even fish sticks, we have the best tilapia recipes for you, complete with photos and reviews to prove it. Stop searching Pinterest for the best recipes, we’ve done the research for you. For quick and easy meal, the three ingredient tilapia is my top pick, especially if you love olives. My kids adore the tilapia sticks, and the skillet shrimp tilapia recipe is amazing with pasta. If you’ve only had blackened tilapia and maybe the lemon butter variation, it is time to expand your horizons, starting now.

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1. 3-Ingredient Tilapia Skillet

primaverakitchen

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (1)

This fish recipe dish is perfect for busy weekdays, as it is made with only three ingredients and can be put together very quickly after work or school. If you need an easy, healthy dinner recipe with fish, you are going to want to add this to your list. For a quick tilapia recipe idea, try this three ingredient easy dinner idea.

2. Simple Panko Crusted Tilapia

zenandspice

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (2)

When you have a meal this easy to make, it is very hard to make the excuse for not eating healthy foods at every meal. Tilapia freezes well, and the little pouches it often comes in can be defrosted in minutes when you place them in cold water. Once you discover this, making fish becomes completely doable. Try this panko crusted tilapia for a fried but not fried fish dinner, lunch or brunch idea. This makes a nice dinner recipe for two and if you have leftover fish, you can add it to a salad with some lemon and avocado oil for a light lunch idea.

3. Honey Lime Tilapia

melskitchencafe

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (3)

Crispy pan-fried tilapia with a sweet honey lime marinade. This tasty recipe is good enough to convert any fish hater! Even though this delectable, tender fish looks as if it’s been battered and fried, it’s actually a fairly healthful dish. It looks so good and I can’t wait to try! When it comes to fish recipes for dinner, this healthy honey lime variation is one of my favorite easy tilapia recipes.

4. Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

tasteandtellblog

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (4)

This was a super easy and delicious recipe. I’m a little scared of cooking fish but saw this and it was ingredients I like. Since I would like to have my family eat more fish, and this was a sustainable choice, it’s going in my meal rotation. Since this easy crusted fish recipe is not difficult and has just a few ingredients, it is easy to divide it and make one of my favorite dinner recipe ideas for one person

5. Pan-Seared Tilapia in Tomato Basil Sauce

eatwell101

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (5)

Pan-Seared Tilapia in Tomato Basil Sauce is a quick and easy dinner recipe that the whole family will love. With warm weather coming, it’s nice to have a meal that’s lighter and fresher but still satisfying. Made in 25 min from start to finish, this pan-seared tilapia recipe is super delicious and made in one pan. Serve with a favorite pasta or any Italian recipes for sides and you have a gourmet meal idea in no time.

6. Oven Baked Blackened Tilapia

speedyrecipe

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (6)

Bursting with tons of flavor, everybody will love this easy recipe. This Blackened Tilapia recipe will give you tasty and flaky tilapia fillets that are really good with wild rice or quinoa, and even top it on salads. Try to squeeze some lemon on top to give it that fresh taste. Blackened fish is one of my tried and true favorites when it comes to Southern country cooking recipes, and this easy variation allows me to enjoy it all the time.

7. Tortilla Crusted Tilapia

stripedspatula

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (7)

A lighter alternative, this Tortilla Crusted Tilapia is just the thing for busy weeknights and picky eaters. I typically don’t eat much fish, but I try and get it in when I can because of how healthy it is. It’s even made better with Cherry Tomato Pico de Gallo and Cilantro-Lime Crema. Snag the recipe from Striped Spatula. Add a Mexican side dish recipe and you have a fiesta on your hands.

8. Crunchy Beer Battered Fish and Chips

foo dnessgracious

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (8)

Foodness Gracious’ flavor packed Beer Battered Tilapia is perfect for a summer party. Lovers of fried fish get the taste without all the calories in this recipe. Just season with sea salt and black pepper with a side of ketchup and you’re all set.

9. Skillet Tilapia With Shrimp

iwashyoudry

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (9)

This Skillet Tilapia With Shrimp dish recipe is a delicious and easy way to prepare seafood! Great for a quick weeknight meal accompanied with fresh veggies. And the best part, well, it tastes just like an Olive Garden knock-off!

10. Baked Breaded Tilapia

cooktoria

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (10)

A quick and yummy way to prepare yummy tilapia the whole family will love, without frying. This Baked Breaded Tilapia is covered with garlicky breadcrumbs and baked to perfection. Fresh breadcrumbs make all the difference in the coating. Learn how to make them by snagging the full recipe from Cooktoria.

11. Crispy Tilapia Sticks

panlasangpinoy

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (11)

12. Bruschetta Tilapia

belleofthekitchen

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (12)

13. Creamy Baked Tilapia & Spinach Casserole

alyonascooking

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (13)

14. Grilled Tilapia Bowls With Chipotle Avocado Crema

lovegrowswild

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (14)

15. Crab & Asparagus-Stuffed Tilapia

community

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16. Cajun Tilapia with Lemon Tarragon Tartar Sauce

simplyscratch

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (16)

17. Coconut Crusted Tilapia

sixsistersstuff

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (17)

18. Thai Coconut Noodles with Pan Seared Tilapia

lifecurrentsblog

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (18)

19. Cilantro Lime Tilapia

gethealthyu

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (19)

20. Tilapia Fish Tacos

pescetarian

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (20)

21. Easy Baked Tilapia

eatingonadime

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (21)

22. Baked Lemon Butter Tilapia

damndelicious

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (22)

23. Blackened Tilapia Tacos with Avocado Cream Sauce

thesoutherncouture

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (23)

24. Sheet Pan Baked Blackened Tilapia With Zucchini

naivecookcooks

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (24)

25. Pesto Tilapia with Linguine

awayfromthebox

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (25)

26. Peach Barbecue Grilled Tilapia

whatscookinglove

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27. Ginger and Cilantro Baked Tilapia

thekitchn

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28. Tilapia in Roasted Pepper Sauce

cooktoria

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29. Sweet & Spicy Tilapia

farmgirlgourmet

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (29)

30. Lighter Cajun Tilapia Sandwich with Bacon and Lime Mayo

andiemitchell

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (30)

31. Green Curry Tilapia With Basil and Turmeric

foodnessgracious

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (31)

32. Mexican Baked Tilapia

chowhound

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (32)

33. Blackened Tilapia Taco Bowls

thechunkychef

34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (33)

34. Fried Tilapia With Coconut Milk Sauce

onechoppingboard

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34 Deliciously Easy Tilapia Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep tilapia from drying out? ›

Chicken Stock – Just enough to add flavor and keep the tilapia from drying out in the oven. Lemon – Citrusy freshness is the perfect balancing act with fish.

Is tilapia tough? ›

Cooked tilapia flesh is white, tender and somewhat firm with a flaky texture. Taste is largely determined by the growing environment — water quality and feed — but good-quality tilapia tastes mild and sweet. Most tilapia is sold when the fish weighs about 1 1/2 pounds.

Why do you soak tilapia in milk? ›

Before cooking, soak the fish in milk for 20 minutes

In this scenario, the protein in the milk binds with the compounds that cause that fishy odor, in essence extracting if from the fish. What's left behind is sweet-smelling, brighter flesh with clean flavor. (Just make sure you pour that milk down the drain.

Should you soak tilapia in milk before cooking? ›

Typically, you can soak fish in milk for about 15 to 30 minutes. This can help remove any fishy odor and impart a milder flavor to the fish. However, the exact time may vary depending on personal preference and the size of the fish fillets or pieces you're working with.

Is it better to cook tilapia in oven or pan? ›

Tilapia cooks quickly, so it often needs only a few minutes in a preheated oven to be ready to enjoy. Baked tilapia is one of the healthiest options for cooking tilapia, especially if you avoid dousing it in olive oil, butter, parmesan cheese, and other toppings that can pack on the calories and fat.

How do you make tilapia taste better? ›

There are plenty of delicious ways to season tilapia, but we're partial to the flavors found in this recipe: salt, pepper, lemon juice, flat-leaf parsley, and fresh thyme. If you want to spice things up a bit, try adding garlic and/or cayenne pepper.

Why is my tilapia tough and chewy? ›

When you overcook fish, it can become dry, tough, and lack flavor.

Why is my tilapia dry? ›

When you overcook fish, it can become dry, tough, and lack flavor. Overcooked fish loses its natural moisture, which can result in a dry and chewy texture. The proteins in the fish also begin to tighten, which can make the fish tough and rubbery.

What are the two methods to keep fish from drying out when baking it? ›

Using moist-heat cooking methods -- poaching, steaming, braising or baking in parchment paper or foil -- and avoiding overcooking help keep lean fish succulent and flavorful.

How do you keep tilapia fresh? ›

Refrigerate the Fish

Before refrigerating a fish, wash it in cold water and dry it with a clean cloth or paper towels. Then wrap the clean fish in waxed paper, plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and store it on ice or in the refrigerator. You can usually store a fish in the refrigerator for up to two days.

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