Oven-Baked Tilapia 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!
No matter what time of year (New Yearโs resolutions, bikini season, or needed self-care), baked fish is a delicious and healthy addition to any menu. That makes oven-baked tilapia a winner in all fields; easy, mouthwateringly good, and good for you.
ContentโฆWhy Go For a Healthier Option |
An Easier, Healthier Baked Tilapia Recipe
These healthy oven-baked tilapia loins are always a welcome change to the weekly rotation. Besides, many health experts keep asking us to include fish in our diets. Plus, fish cooks up super fast for those crazy weeknight dinners. This versatile recipe works for salmon, mahi mahi, tuna, or whatever you have in the fridge or freezer.
Ingredients for this Recipe
- Tilapia โ I like thick, juicy fish steaks over the fillets, but either works. Fresh or frozen tilapia or any firm-fleshed white fish does fine. Rub it with a little olive oil so the seasonings stick.
- Garlic Butter keeps our tilapia loins from drying out. Add garlic, thyme, paprika, oregano pepper (dried oregano and red pepper flakes), and white pepper for extra flavor.
- Chicken Stock โ Just enough to add flavor and keep the tilapia moist without extra fat.
- Lemon โ Citrusy freshness is the perfect balancing act with fish.
How to Bake Tilapia in the Oven
- Preheat oven to 400โ/205โ.
- Rinse the fish loins or fillets, dry them, then rub them with seasoned salt and pepper. Place fish in an ungreased 9โณx13โณ baking sheet and set aside.
- Garlic Butter โ 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 1-4)
- Sauce โ Pour about ยฝ cup chicken broth, white pepper, and 1-2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice into the butter sauce. (Start with a teaspoon and adjust to taste, then lightly season sauce with salt if desired).
- Assembly โ Then pour the melted butter sauce over the fish and proceed with baking. (Photos 5-7)
- Bake, uncovered, at 400โ/205โ for 10-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Aim for an internal temperature of about 145โ/62โ.
- Serve โ Garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Enjoy! (Photo 8)
Tips and Tricks
- To even out your fillet for consistent cooking, fold the thin belly meat beneath the fillet.
- Please know your tilapiaโs source. Though it might cost a little more, wild and responsibly raised tilapia is better for the planet. So, I usually buy from markets I trust.
Make-Ahead and Leftovers Instructions
You can 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.
Fish is best fresh from the oven because who likes cold fish, right? (Unless itโs ceviche๐) Add a side of rice, and you have a complete meal.
Allow leftovers to cool and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for two or three days. Theyโll keep in the freezer for two months. Reheat in an oven-proof baking dish at 400โ (205โ) or microwave with 30-second blasts until heated.
FAQs
Loins are the thicker portion of tilapia. Their shape, thickness, and size are relatively consistent, so cooking with a precise degree of doneness is much easier. They come from the section behind the head and along the backbone, without the thinner belly and tail meat.
The consensus on this one is 400โ/205โ. Fish cooks fast, and high heat creates a deliciously flaky fish your family will love.
Short answer, no. This super easy recipe doesnโt require much attention once itโs 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, itโs done. The second way is an instant-read thermometer reading 140-145โ (60-63โ).
What to Serve With 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 itโs too chilly for a salad to sound good. Oh, and donโt forget a glass of white wine like Chardonnay to round it out on special occasions.๐
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, about 4 oz. each
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil (olive, canola, or vegetable)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- ยฝ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano pepper
- ยฝ cup chicken stock
- ยฝ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 large lemon, cut in half with one half sliced and the other half squeezed
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400โ/205โ.
- Rinse the fish loins or fillets, dry them, then rub them with seasoned salt and pepper. Place fish in an ungreased 9"x13" 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 ยฝ 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 sauce with salt if desired).
- Then pour the sauce over the fish and proceed with baking.
- Bake, uncovered, at 400โ/205โ for 10-15 minutes or until 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 thin belly meat beneath the fillet.
- Colossal tip โ Know the source of your tilapia. Wild is best but hard to come by. On the other hand, fish responsibly raised to the highest international standards is easier to find. So I usually buy from markets I trust. If you are unsure where they come from, ask at the counter because most places list their fish source. These guys are from Costco.
- To minimize the fishy odor, you may soak the tilapia fillets in salted ice water or rub the fish lightly with lemon or lime juice.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Gena says
This recipe is so good! Will absolutely be making this again!
Imma says
Glad you liked it, Gena!
I C says
This is just SO GOOD. Iโve never made fish like this before. I loved the bright flavors of the sauce, and it complemented the tilapia so well, perfectly hiding the typical fishiness of tilapia.
ImmaculateBites says
Itโs wonderful to hear that you enjoyed the oven-baked tilapia! Tilapia is a versatile fish that pairs well with a variety of flavors, and baking it in the oven is a great way to bring out its best qualities while keeping it healthy and easy to prepare.
Thanks for taking time out to share your thoughts
EMH says
This is a great weeknight recipe! The only changes we made were to cut the butter in half and to sprinkle a little blackened seasoning on the filets before adding the sauce. My husband and my 14 yo son raved about it โ definately a keeper!
Imma says
Thank you for your feedback. And thanks for the tips.
Theresa says
So good. Even the kids liked it!! I didnโt have fresh spices on hand and still a winner.
Imma says
Oh great to hear that. Thank you so much!
Valerie says
My Family absolutely loved the dish! I didnt have thyme so I used rosemary instead.
Imma says
Glad you liked it! ๐