Pan Fried Tilapia

5 from 11 votes

Ready in less than 30 minutes, this simple but tasty Pan Fried Tilapia is the easiest weeknight dinner. Made with pantry staples, this healthy and delicious pan seared tilapia recipe will be your new go-to dinner for busy nights.

Prep Time10

Cook Time6

Total Time16

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 251kcal

Author: Justin Coit

Ingredients

4 4 oz tilapia fillets
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
½ cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
garnish with lemon juice and chopped parsley

Instructions

Season tilapia fillets with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.
Place the flour onto a plate or shallow baking dish and then dredge each filet in the flour to lightly coat both sides of the fish. Shake off any excess flour from the filets.
Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the filets for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown.
Garnish with a squeeze of lemon juice and chopped parsley.

Video

Notes

If the fillets are damp, be sure to pat them dry before dredging them in flour so the flour can stick better.
Make sure to give the skillet time to heat up with the olive oil and butter. If the pan is not hot enough, the tilapia will not crisp up but instead absorb too much oil, making them soggy.
You may need to add additional butter and olive oil when cooking in batches.
Tilapia cooks up quickly! Avoid overcooking, or the fish will be tough. The fillets should flake easily with a fork once cooked through.
Allow the tilapia to rest a couple of minutes before serving to help the fillet retain moisture.
Avoid cooking this recipe in a cast-iron skillet. The fish is quite delicate, and a stainless-steel nonstick skillet makes it easier to flip.
Add some cayenne pepper to the seasoning if you’d like to add a kick of heat to the fish.

Nutrition