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This pan fried tilapia recipe is an easy favorite! Lightly dredge the fish in seasonings, then fry it up to perfection in minutes.
When it comes to easy and healthy weeknight meals, fish is ideal: it cooks quickly and it’s full of protein and omega 3s. So why not try another way to make it taste amazing: this pan fried tilapia recipe!
Coat the white fish fillets in seasonings and flour and pan fry them in a bit of olive oil. The tilapia comes out savory and tender with a light crispy coating: in minutes! Spritz with lemon wedges and it’s the perfect easy dinner idea with a few simple sides (and maybe a dipping sauce!).
Ingredients for fried tilapia
Fried tilapia is quick and easy dinner: it takes just 5 minutes to pan fry the fish to perfection! Here, you’ll need just a few high quality ingredients:
- Tilapia fillets
- Garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and kosher salt
- All-purpose flour: or use cornmeal for gluten-free
- Olive oil
- Fresh parsley and lemon wedges, for serving
How to buy the best tilapia
Want to buy ethically-raised tilapia? The vast quantity of tilapia available to buy in the US is farm raised, but it’s still considered a sustainable fish if it’s responsibly farmed. Here’s what Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch recommends:
- Look for tilapia farmed in Peru in raceways and Ecuador in ponds. Then look for tilapia from Colombia, Honduras, Mexico, Indonesia, and Taiwan.
- Tilapia is a Best Choice when farmed in indoor recirculating tanks with wastewater treatment and a Good Alternative when the wastewater isn’t treated. (This information may or may not be available on the labeling.)
- Look for tilapia certified by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, Best Aquaculture Practices, and Naturland.
Tips for making pan fried tilapia
The cooking technique for this fried tilapia is pan frying, not deep frying. Deep frying is submerging foods directly into a large amount of oil to cook them. In contrast, pan frying uses smaller amounts of oil and requires flipping the meat or fish halfway through. We like pan frying because it’s easier and cleaner to achieve as a home cook: and it uses less oil! Here are a few tips:
- The cook time depends on the thickness of the fillets. The cooking goes fast with pan frying! Depending on the thickness of the fillets, it should take about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Use a fish spatula to flip. This handy tool is one of our favorites for all sorts of uses in the kitchen: but especially flipping fish!
- Tilapia is cooked when the internal temperature is 140°F when measured with a food thermometer.
Ways to serve it
This fried tilapia tastes great on its own, but there are a few ways to heighten the flavor when serving. Here are a few ways to dress it up:
- Lemon wedges: The simplest way to serve fried tilapia is spritzed with lemon wedges!
- Aioli: Aioli is flavored mayo that’s perfect for dipping. Try Truffle Aioli, Lemon Aioli or Pesto Aioli.
- Tartar sauce: Tartar Sauce is always a slam dunk with fish.
- Remoulade: Try French-style Remoulade Sauce.
- Horseradish sauce: Spicy, tangy Horseradish Sauce is a fun option.
- Mustard sauce: This Honey Mustard Sauce is irresistible.
- Comeback sauce: This savory Comeback sauce is a family favorite.
Dietary notes
This fried tilapia recipe is dairy-free and pescatarian.
Pan Fried Tilapia
This pan fried tilapia recipe is an easy favorite! Lightly dredge the fish in seasonings, then fry it up to perfection in minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds tilapia (4 fillets)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (or cornmeal, for gluten-free)
- ¼ cup olive oil, for pan frying
- Finely chopped Italian parsley, for garnish
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and kosher salt. Pat the tilapia dry and sprinkle all sides with the seasoning. Place the flour on a plate, then dredge the fillets in flour until it coats all sides.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the tilapia and cook for 3 minutes, until the bottom is browned. Flip the fish and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes until the fish is browned (adjust based on the thickness of the fillets). Tilapia is cooked when the internal temperature is 140°F when measured with a food thermometer.
- Remove from the heat and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve with lemon wedges for spritzing.
More tilapia recipes
Pan fried tilapia is a quick way to get this fish on the table! Here are a few more tilapia recipes for inspiration:
- This baked tilapia is a family favorite, or go for zesty lemon pepper tilapia.
- Try blackened tilapia, seasoned with a homemade blend of blackened seasoning.
- This parmesan crusted tilapia has a delightfully crispy exterior.
Excellent! Delicious, quick and easy to make. I’ll adjust the amount of salt down by half next time I make it. Otherwise? A perfect addition to my regular rotation of meals.
Let us know if you have any questions!