Be sure to thaw your tilapia if it’s frozen. Place a single layer in a greased, shallow baking pan. For fillets, tuck under any thin edges. Brush the fish with olive oil or melted butter.For fresh or thawed fillets and steaks, bake, uncovered, in a 450°F oven for 4 to 6 minutes per each ½-inch of thickness.For dressed tilapia, bake, uncovered, in a 350°F oven for 6 to 9 minutes per 8 ounces.
Get the recipe: Lemon Baked Fish with Dill Panko Topping You can bake more than just tilapia. Check out more of our tips for how to bake fish.
How to Make Baked Tilapia Veracruz
Tilapia Veracruz, here we come—if you want to try a hearty baked tilapia recipe, this dish is for you. Once you’ve mastered the basics of baking tilapia, use this recipe to kick it up a notch by cooking your fish alongside green olives, cherry tomatoes, and fresh herbs. This decadent dinner is less than an hour away. Servings: 4 Prep time: 20 minutes Bake time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 4 fresh or frozen tilapia fillets, 4 ounces each 4 cups cherry tomatoes 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic, sliced ½ cup pitted green olives, coarsely chopped ¼ cup golden raisins 1 tablespoon capers, drained 1 tablespoon snipped fresh oregano Kosher salt and ground black pepper Lime wedges Chili powder (optional) Snipped cilantro (optional) Directions: Get the recipe: Baked Tilapia Veracruz
How to Flake Fish with a Fork
Whether you’re baking, grilling, frying, or sautéing, you want to guarantee your fish is cooked perfectly. Here’s how to tell if it’s completely cooked:
When fish reaches the proper cooking temperature, it becomes opaque and flakes. To tell if it’s done, poke the tines of a fork into the thickest portion of the fish at a 45-degree angle, then gently twist the fork and pull up some of the fish.Undercooked fish resists flaking and is translucent. If your fish is undercooked when you test it, just continue heating it until it’s done. But remember, fish cooks quickly, so be careful not to overcook it.
Check out more tips for preparing fish (including how to grill fish).
How to Broil Tilapia
If you’re looking to spice up your baked tilapia recipes, there are plenty of other ways to cook this tasty fish. For a super quick and easy cooking method, follow these instructions to broil fish:
Preheat the broiler. Place the fish on the greased, unheated rack of a broiler pan. For fillets, tuck under any thin edges. Brush with olive oil or melted butter.For fresh or thawed fillets and steaks: Broil 4 inches from the heat for 4 to 6 minutes per ½-inch thickness. If fish is 1 inch thick, or more, turn once halfway through broiling time.
How to Grill Tilapia Fillets
Don’t let a sunny day slip through your fingers. Take advantage of nice weather (and give your oven a break) by preparing a grilled tilapia recipe:
For direct-grilling: Thaw tilapia fillets and rinse, then pat dry. Place the fillets in a well-greased grill basket. For a charcoal grill, place the fish on the grill rack directly over medium coals. Grill, uncovered, for 4 to 6 minutes per ½-inch thickness of the fillet or until the fish begins to flake when tested with a fork. Turn once halfway through grilling (For a gas grill, preheat the grill and reduce the heat to medium. Place fish on the grill rack over heat and cover the grill). If desired, brush the fish with olive oil or melted butter after turning.For indirect-grilling: Thaw tilapia fillets, if frozen, and rinse, then pat dry. Place the fillets in a well-greased grill basket. For a charcoal grill, arrange medium-hot coals around the drip pan. Test for medium heat above the pan. Place the fillets on the grill rack over the drip pan. Cover and grill for 7 to 9 minutes per ½-inch thickness, or until the fish begins to flake when tested with a fork. Turn once halfway through grilling if desired (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Adjust heat for indirect cooking). If desired, brush with olive oil or melted butter halfway through grilling.
Grill your own tilapia fillets, then use them to make this Cheesy Tilapia Panini with Apple-Carrot Slaw!
