These days, you can find tilapia at pretty much every grocery store. It’s a mild, versatile, and affordable choice with endless possibilities. You can keep things simple with lemon garlic butter or spruce it with an authentic Brazilian stew. Of course, you can never go wrong with fish tacos! Whether you’re making dinner for one or feeding a crowd, you’ll find an easy tilapia recipe on this list you can make tonight.
Light and Easy Tilapia Recipe Ideas
1. Garlic Butter Oven Baked Tilapia
This will be your new go-to tilapia meal for weeknights! The tilapia gets a flavorful rub of dried herbs and spices, then bakes in the oven for about 20 minutes. During that time, it soaks up spoonfuls of garlicky, lemon-flavored, and buttery goodness. I like to serve this with a side of white rice and roasted veggies.
2. Baked Lemon Butter Tilapia
One of the easiest, not to mention the tastiest, ways you can prepare tilapia is by baking it with lemon. Throw in some garlic and parsley for a foolproof combination that’s almost impossible to screw up. This recipe does use a good amount of butter, but that’s what infuses it with so much flavor!
3. Crusted Lemon Pepper Tilapia
Do you love parmesan-crusted chicken? Try it with tilapia! This 20-minute dish is beginner-friendly and a great alternative for when you need a break from chicken. The lemon pepper parmesan crust has a delightfully crisp texture while the inside is perfectly flaky. Plus, the filets bake in the oven so it’s a healthier alternative to deep-frying.
4. Pan-Fried Tilapia with Lemon Butter Sauce
Another way to get a perfectly crispy exterior on tilapia is by pan-frying. It only takes a few minutes to achieve a beautiful golden-brown crust, while the filet is still juicy inside. For seasoning, you don’t need much. Just some butter, lemon, and garlic are all it takes.
5. Pinaputok na Tilapia
If you’re looking to tackle a whole fish, it doesn’t get any better than this Filipino-style dish. Two whole tilapias get rubbed down with a sweet and concentrated tamarind powder. Then, it’s stuffed to the brim with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and ginger. The hardest part is making sure the tilapia is scaled and gutted. The rest is easier than it looks.
6. Baked Stuffed Fish For One
Who said fancy dinners have to be for two? Spoil yourself with this dinner for one. Rather than wrap the fish in bacon, you’ll stuff it with a simple bacon filling. Then, pour on the butter and add a splash of white wine while you’re at it. After all, you deserve it!
7. Blackened Tilapia with Cilantro Lime Sauce
Looking for a fish dinner with a healthier Mexican take? Here is one of my favorites. Blackened seasoning is a flawless way to add some flavor to fish. And the fresh Greek yogurt sauce and avocado slices perk it right up! This is killer as the main course and works well in tacos and burritos, too.
8. Panko-Crusted Tilapia
Fried fish is no doubt delicious, but it’s not the healthiest of meals. So here’s a good alternative that doesn’t call for a vat of oil. The panko crust adds some texture as well as flavor thanks to a little extra seasoning. Of course, no fried alternative should be completely guilt-free. So you’ll dip the fish in lemon butter and fry it.
9. Baked Tilapia with Spinach
Need a seafood dinner that’s both impressive and easy? Well, you can stop the endless scrolling because this is it. Tilapia filets get a topping of a quick spinach pecan pesto, then baked until flaky. It’s a healthy, fresh, and affordable dish that anyone can make.
10. Seafood a la King with Tilapia, Shrimp, and Crab
This creamy soup is overflowing with today’s fresh catch! Chowder fans and white sauce lovers will go crazy for this rich seafood bowl. It’s full of lump crab, large shrimp, and chunks of tilapia. For veggies, keep it simple and toss in a handful of frozen peas.
11. Grilled Tilapia with Basil Aioli
If hot weather is beckoning you to the backyard grill, toss on some tilapia and whip up a basil aioli. This grilled fish is the epitome of freshness. It calls for a simple seasoning and cooks very fast. While it’s marinating, you can make the five-ingredient aioli that’s both creamy and fresh.
12. Crispy Tilapia Sticks
Kids and adults can both agree on these fish sticks. They taste way better than that store-bought stuff that easily gets freezer burn. And, you can have them hot and ready in under 30 minutes.
13. Mediterranean Baked Tilapia
Searching for a healthy and easy dinner with minimal mess? You can’t beat this sheet pan meal. Za’atar has a savory and earthy flavor that’s great for quickly seasoning the fish. As for the veggies, you can mix and match your favorites.
14. Tilapia Fish Tacos
These tilapia fish tacos are a staple in my household. They’re so good, I often forget there are other ways to prepare this fish. Each corn tortilla features a tantalizing combo of flaky tilapia, a zesty creamy sauce, and crunchy radishes. It’s fresh, simple, and irresistible!
15. 10-Minute Blackened Tilapia with Avocado Cucumber Salsa
Remember that blackened tilapia dish I mentioned earlier? Well, here’s another take I think you’ll love. The tilapia is the same concept. But instead of a creamy yogurt sauce, this one gets paired with a fresh and chunky green salsa. I like to use oil instead of butter to make it healthier and dairy-free.
16. Garlicky Chili Lemon Baked Tilapia
Garlic lovers, here’s one just for you. The seasoning for this dish calls for a whopping eight cloves of garlic! It also packs a punch thanks to the chili, cumin, and paprika. This is a very toothsome dish for those who want to take a break from the norm and spice things up a bit.
17. Broiled Tilapia with Thai Coconut Curry Sauce
This gives you all the flavors you love about Thai curry without drowning out the fish. It’s a spicy, umami, and creamy sauce that compliments rather than distracts. But don’t let the ingredient list intimidate you! These are all items you can find at your regular grocery store, and it’s simple to whip up.
18. Skillet Tilapia with Shrimp
While meat lovers may add bacon to up the ante, seafood lovers add shrimp! You get both flaky tilapia and shrimp with this dish. As if that’s not good enough, everything is swimming in a lemon white wine broth.
19. Honey, Soy, and Garlic Tilapia
Craving something simple with an Asian flair? It doesn’t get any easier than this. The four-ingredient marinade is a well-balanced blend of sweet, citrus, and umami. Unlike many Asian recipes, it doesn’t call for anything unusual. For an easy Asian side dish, I like keeping it fresh with a Chinese cucumber salad or crunchy coleslaw.
20. Crispy Beer Battered Fish
Who can say no to the best beer-battered fish and chips ever? The outside has the perfect crunch while the inside is flaky and juicy like it should be. The secret to perfecting the batter is using a light lager that’s ice cold. While you’re at it, crack a cold one for yourself and enjoy the process. That’s what cooking is all about!
21. Parmesan Pesto Tilapia
Pulling together the perfect seafood dinner doesn’t have to be a big fuss. And this dish is proof! It takes all but five ingredients and only 15 minutes. As long as you have some quality pesto and ripe tomatoes, you can make this flawless meal in a snap.
22. Spicy Fish Taco Bowls
Trying to cut down on gluten? You won’t even miss the flour tortillas with these taco bowls. These spicy bowls are a deconstructed fish burrito in all its glory. The tilapia has the trifecta of perfect seasoning: cumin, cayenne, and chili. Meanwhile, these bowls nail the fixings with bell pepper, corn, and black beans.
23. Brazilian Fish Stew
One of my all-time favorite fish stews is moqueca. It’s a Brazilian stew that’s creamy, tangy, fresh, and perfect in my opinion. While you can make it with a variety of fish, I love it with tilapia. The mildly sweet taste pairs exceptionally with all the ingredients and it’s just firm enough to hold up. Click on a star to rate it!
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