Baked tilapia

How long to bake tilapia at 400°F

Tilapia fillets are thin, so they bake fast. At 400°F, go by the thickness at the thickest part:

• 1/2 inch thick: 10 to 12 minutes. Most supermarket tilapia is this size.
• 3/4 inch thick: 12 to 15 minutes.
• Thin tail ends, under 1/4 inch: 6 to 8 minutes. Fold them under so the fillet is an even thickness.

The fish is done when it has turned from translucent to opaque white and flakes easily when you twist a fork in the thickest part. An instant-read thermometer should read 145°F, the USDA temperature for fish. Tilapia is lean, so a few minutes too long makes it dry. Start checking 2 minutes early.

Baking tilapia at 375°F or 425°F

You can bake tilapia in the oven at any temperature from 350°F to 425°F. At 375°F, a 1/2-inch fillet takes 12 to 15 minutes. At 425°F it takes 8 to 10, and the paprika on top browns a little more. If something else is already in the oven, use whatever temperature it needs and check the fish by its color and flake, not the clock.

Tilapia seasoning

Tilapia has a very mild flavor, so the seasoning does most of the work. The blend in this recipe is paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt and pepper, with a pinch of cayenne. To keep a jar of it, mix 3 tbsp paprika, 2 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp onion powder, 1 tbsp dried oregano, 2 tbsp kosher salt and 1 tbsp black pepper. Use about 1 tsp per fillet. Other ways to season tilapia:

• Lemon pepper: lemon zest, plenty of black pepper and salt, with the lemon butter.
• Blackened or Cajun: double the paprika and cayenne and add 1/2 tsp dried thyme. Or use a store-bought Cajun seasoning, and leave out the salt, because most of them are salty.
• Parmesan crusted: after brushing on the butter, press on a mix of 1/4 cup grated Parmesan and 1/4 cup panko. Bake as usual. That adds about 50 kcal a fillet.
• Taco seasoning: for fish tacos, use chili powder and cumin instead of the oregano, and serve the flaked fish in warm tortillas with a lime and cilantro coleslaw.

Baking frozen tilapia

Most tilapia sold in the US is frozen, often as individually wrapped fillets. For the best texture, thaw it overnight in the fridge, or keep it sealed in its bag in a bowl of cold water for 30 to 60 minutes. Then pat it very dry with paper towels. Thawed fish gives off a lot of water, and wet fish steams instead of baking.

You can also bake it straight from frozen. Rinse off any ice glaze, pat the fillets dry, brush them with the butter and bake at 400°F for about 8 minutes. Then add the seasoning, which sticks better once the surface has thawed, and bake 8 to 12 minutes more, until 145°F in the center.

Frozen tilapia in the air fryer

The air fryer is the easiest way to cook tilapia from frozen. Heat it to 400°F. Rinse the ice off the fillets, pat them dry, brush them with a little oil and set them in the basket in one layer. Air fry 4 minutes, then brush with oil again, sprinkle with the seasoning and cook 6 to 8 minutes more, until the fish flakes and reads 145°F. Thawed fillets need only 7 to 9 minutes in total. There is no need to turn them.

Is tilapia healthy?

Tilapia is a lean fish, with a lot of protein for very few calories. It is low in mercury: the FDA lists it among the best choices of fish to eat, along with salmon, cod and canned light tuna. What it does not have is much omega-3 fat. A fillet has a small fraction of what is in the same weight of baked salmon. So tilapia is a good cheap source of protein, but it does not replace oily fish. Almost all tilapia in US stores is farmed, and much of it is imported. If you can, buy fish with a third-party certification label on the pack, such as ASC or BAP.

Tilapia, cod or another white fish

Any thin white fillet works here with the same times: flounder, sole, swai or thin pieces of haddock. For a thick white fish with a crumb topping, try our baked cod, which needs a few minutes longer.

What to serve with it

Rice or roasted potatoes, with a green vegetable. Broccoli or green beans can go in the oven at the same temperature 10 minutes before the fish, on a separate sheet. Spoon the lemon butter left in the dish over everything.

Keeping it

Baked tilapia is best eaten fresh. Leftovers keep 2 days in the fridge. Reheat them covered at 275°F for about 10 minutes, or eat them cold, flaked into a salad or a taco.

What it is worth nutritionally

A 6-oz fillet, baked this way, has about 220 kcal, with 34 g of protein, 9 g of fat and 1 g of carbohydrate. Most of the fat comes from the butter. Use 1 tbsp of butter instead of 2 and it comes down to about 195 kcal and 6 g of fat. Tilapia is also a good source of selenium and of vitamin B12. The dish is low-carb and gluten-free.