Learn how to cook tilapia with this easy, 15-minute recipe for pan-seared tilapia that's delicious and full of flavor. This simple method of cooking fish fillets is great for a weeknight meal. Serve with fresh veggies.
Ingredients
- tilapia fillets: 4 piece (4 ounce)
- salt and ground black pepper: (to taste)
- all-purpose flour: 0.5 cup
- olive oil: 1 Tbsp
- unsalted butter: 2 Tbsp (melted)
- lemon juice: 1 Tbsp (to taste, optional)
- fresh flat-leaf parsley: 1 tsp (to taste, chopped, optional)
- fresh thyme: 0.5 tsp (to taste, chopped, optional)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Rinse tilapia fillets in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Season both sides of each fillet with salt and pepper. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Place flour in a shallow dish. Gently press each fillet into the flour to coat and shake off any excess. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook tilapia fillets in the hot oil, in batches if necessary, until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 4 minutes per side. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Brush melted butter onto the tilapia fillets in the last minute before removing from the skillet.
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Drizzle fillets with lemon juice and garnish with parsley and thyme. DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS