Oven Baked Tilapia Recipe
My oven–baked tilapia recipe offers a super-easy, low-carb dish in less than 20 minutes from start to finish. Flaky, melt-in-your-mouth tilapia so mild that even the pickiest eater will fall in love. This easy yet flavorful dish is perfect for your weekly rotation!
We were trying to figure out what we wanted for dinner the other day, and my brain just hit a wall. So I took a deep breath and looked in the freezer. Those frozen tilapia fillets called my name. Fast, easy, and delicious. That’s my kinda game.
No matter what time of year (New Year’s resolutions, bikini season, or much-needed self-care), baked fish is a delicious and healthy addition to any menu. That makes this tilapia recipe a winner in all fields: simple, mouthwateringly good, and good for you.
An Easier and Healthier Recipe
These healthy fish fillets (or loins) are always a welcome change to the weekly rotation. Besides, many health experts keep asking us to include more fish in our diets. And why not? It cooks up super fast for those crazy weeknight dinners. Plus, this versatile recipe works for salmon, mahi mahi, tuna, or whatever you have in the fridge or freezer.
How to Bake Easy Tilapia
- Rinse the fish loins or fillets, dry them, then rub them with seasoned salt and pepper. Place them in an ungreased 9×13-inch baking sheet and set aside.
- Heat oil over medium heat in a large pan or skillet. Add butter, garlic, thyme, paprika, and oregano pepper. Stir for about a minute. (Photos 1-2)
- Pour about ½ cup chicken broth, white pepper, and 1-2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice into the garlic butter sauce. (Start with a teaspoon and adjust to taste, then lightly season the sauce with salt if desired.) (Photo 3)
- Assembly – Then pour the melted butter sauce over the fish and proceed with baking. (Photo 4)
- Bake, uncovered, in a preheated 400℉ (205 ℃) oven for 10-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Aim for an internal temperature of about 145℉ (62 ℃). (Photos 5-6)
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- To even out your fillet for consistent cooking, fold the thin belly meat beneath the fillet.
- Please know your tilapia’s source. Though it might cost a little more, wild and responsibly raised tilapia is better for the planet.
Make-Ahead and Leftovers Instructions
Feel free to make this oven-baked tilapia ahead right up to the baking part. Cover it and refrigerate it for a day. Then, bring it close to room temperature before putting it in the oven. You could freeze it for up to two months, then thaw it overnight in the fridge and bake it the next day.
Allow leftovers to cool and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for two or three days. They’ll keep in the freezer for 2-3 months. Reheat in an oven-proof baking dish at 400℉ (205 ℃) or microwave with 30-second blasts until heated through.
FAQs
Loins are the thicker, typically boneless, portion of tilapia—the meaty, prime cut. Their shape, thickness, and size are relatively consistent, so cooking with a precise degree of doneness is much easier. The fillets are the thinner portions that run along the side and become thinner as they get closer to the tail. They’re more likely to have bones.
The consensus on this one is 400℉ (205 ℃). Fish cooks fast, and high heat creates a deliciously flaky fish your family will love.
Short answer, no. This recipe doesn’t require much attention once it’s in the oven. Fast and delicious=win-win!
The first way is by inserting a fork at an angle in the thickest part and turning gently. If it has lost its translucent look and flakes easily, it’s done. The second way is an instant-read thermometer reading 140-145℉ (60-63 ℃).
Menu Ideas for Baked Tilapia
Fish is a versatile dish that you can serve with almost anything. A healthy Greek salad and homemade garlic bread are always a winner at my house. Balsamic baked Brussels sprouts and seasoned rice also work well if it’s too chilly for a salad to sound good. Oh, and don’t forget a glass of white wine like Chardonnay to round it out on special occasions.
More Fabulous Fish Recipes to Try
- Fish and Grits
- Blackened Catfish with Shrimp Sauce
- Curry Fish
- Jamaican Steamed Fish
- Jamaican Ackee and Saltfish
By Imma
Watch How to Make It
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This blog post was originally published in October 2017 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Oven-Baked Tilapia
Ingredients
- 4-6 tilapia loins or fillets (about 4 ounces each)
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) cooking oil (olive, canola, or vegetable)
- 3 tablespoons (40-42g) unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon (1g) fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon (1-2g) paprika
- 1 teaspoon (1-2g) oregano pepper (or ¾ teaspoon oregano and ¼ teaspoon black pepper)
- ½ cup (120ml) chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon (1-2g) white pepper
- 1 large lemon, cut in half, with one half sliced and the other half squeezed
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon (4g) fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉ (205℃).
- Rinse the fish loins or fillets, dry them, then rub them with seasoned salt and pepper. Place fish in an ungreased 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- Heat oil over medium heat in a large pan or skillet, and then add butter, garlic, thyme, paprika, and oregano pepper. Stir for about a minute.
- Pour about ½ cup chicken broth, white pepper, and about 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice from a freshly squeezed lemon into the butter sauce. (Start with a teaspoon and adjust to taste, then lightly season the sauce with salt if desired.)
- Then pour the sauce over the fish and bake, uncovered, at 400℉ (205℃) for 10-15 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Tips & Notes:
- To even out your fillet and provide some consistent cooking, fold the thinner part closer to the tail under itself.
- Wild tilapia is best, but hard to come by and less sustainable. On the other hand, fish responsibly raised to the highest international standards are easier to find. If you are unsure where they come from, ask at the counter because most places list their fish source. These guys are from Costco.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the recipe ingredients used.
