Easy Skillet Tilapia Recipe - How to Cook the BEST Tilapia Fish! (2024)

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By: KaterinaPosted: Feb 27, 2020Updated: Oct 23, 2023

4.98 from 85 votes

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This Skillet Tilapia with creamy lemon sauce tastes like summertime. The combination of fresh garlic, herbs, and a splash of lemon juice offers a dining experience reminiscent of a gourmet restaurant. The fish, tender and flaky, makes this the finest tilapia dish I’ve ever made!

Easy Skillet Tilapia Recipe - How to Cook the BEST Tilapia Fish! (2)

My Favorite Skillet Tilapia Recipe

Tilapia is one of my favorite fish to prepare. It pairs really well with fresh flavors like lemon and parsley, and it’s just so versatile. With this recipe, you will learn how to cook pan-seared Tilapia that is delicious and full of flavor. This simple method of cooking fish fillets is excellent for a quick weeknight meal. Serve with the creamy lemon sauce and a side of fresh veggies to make a complete meal.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Impressive enough to serve at dinner parties to wow your guests with a gourmet taste experience.
Quick and convenient, this fish is done in under 15 minutes – a perfect choice for busy weeknights.
Easy cleanup thanks to the simplicity of using just one pan for the entire process.

What is Tilapia?

Tilapia, a mild white fish, has gained popularity in culinary circles due to its high protein content and delightful flavor. When fresh, tilapia boasts a sweet and fresh taste without any fishy or foul odors. The key to selecting the best quality is ensuring the fish is firm with somewhat translucent flesh, and it should not be sticky or slimy to the touch. Additionally, prime tilapia fillets are free from white or colored spots, indicating their freshness and quality.

Easy Skillet Tilapia Recipe - How to Cook the BEST Tilapia Fish! (3)

Ingredients For Creamy Skillet Tilapia

For The Fish

Olive Oil for cooking the fish.
Butter adds richness and flavor to the fish while searing.
Tilapia fillets
Salt and pepper to season the tilapia.
Fresh parsley for garnish.

For The Lemon Cream Sauce

Butter creates a base for the sauce, adding creaminess and flavor.
Garlic to infuse the sauce with a rich aroma and taste.
Chicken broth (or dry white wine) to deglaze the pan and add depth to the sauce’s flavor.
Heavy cream contributes to the rich, creamy texture of the sauce.
Fresh lemon juice adds brightness and acidity to balance the creamy elements.
Salt and pepper to adjust the sauce to taste.

Easy Skillet Tilapia Recipe - How to Cook the BEST Tilapia Fish! (4)

How to Cook Tilapia In A Skillet

Cook the Fish: Heat oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Season the fish with salt and pepper and cook it for 3 minutes per side. Remove it from the pan and set aside.
Make the Sauce: In the same pan, melt more butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic, then whisk in chicken broth and cook until reduced by ⅓. Lower the heat, and incorporate the remaining butter and cream, followed by lemon juice. Season to taste.
Combine and Serve: Remove the sauce from the heat. Drizzle the sauce over the tilapia, garnish with parsley, and serve.

Tips for the Best Tilapia

Use fresh lemon juice because it eliminates unwanted “fishy” or “muddy” smells.
Don’t skip the garlic. Its strong flavor neutralizes any remaining smell.
Season with salt and pepper to enhance the flavors.
Make sure the skillet is well-heated before cooking the fish to get that perfect sear.
Avoid overcooking the tilapia, or it will become chewy.

What To Serve With Fish

Tilapia is best served with a light and fresh veggie. I recommend oven roasted asparagus, broccoli, or green beans. If weather permits, you could also pair it with grilled zucchini, peppers, and eggplant.
Additionally, light-flavored rice will pair nicely. Think cilantro lime rice or consider my Mediterranean rice or this jollof rice.

Easy Skillet Tilapia Recipe - How to Cook the BEST Tilapia Fish! (5)

How to Store & Reheat Tilapia

Tilapia is typically best served immediately. When you store it, it can become mushy or develop a strong fish smell. If you do have leftovers, store them in your refrigerator in an airtight container for 1 to 2 days. Reheat it in a lightly greased skillet over medium-low heat.

More Tilapia Recipes

One Pan Risotto with Garlic Herb Tilapia
Mediterranean Style Baked Tilapia
Fish Tacos
Garlic Butter Oven Baked Tilapia

ENJOY!

Skillet Tilapia with Creamy Lemon Sauce

Katerina | Diethood

Pan-seared to perfection, this delicious Skillet Tilapia with creamy lemon butter sauce is flaky, tender, and ready in 20 minutes!

4.98 from 85 votes

Rate this Recipe!

Servings : 4

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Ingredients

For the Fish

▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
▢ 1 tablespoon butter
▢ 4 skinless tilapia fillets
▢ salt, to taste
▢ pepper, to taste
▢ chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

For the Lemon Cream Sauce

▢ 2 tablespoons butter, divided
▢ 3 cloves garlic, minced
▢ ½ cup low sodium chicken broth, or dry white wine
▢ ¼ cup heavy cream
▢ 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
▢ salt, to taste
▢ pepper, to taste

Instructions

Set a skillet over medium heat; heat up 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter.
Season the fish with salt and pepper and transfer it to the skillet; cook for 3 minutes per side. Remove the fish from the skillet and set aside.
Add 1 tablespoon butter to the same skillet and melt over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic and cook for 15 seconds.
Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and cook for 4 minutes or until reduced by 1/3.Reduce heat to medium-low and add remaining butter. Slowly whisk in the heavy cream.
Add lemon juice and whisk until everything is well combined.Make sure to whisk continually so that the heavy cream doesn't curdle.
Season with salt and pepper, then taste the sauce and adjust accordingly.
Remove from heat.
Pour the sauce over the fish, or return the fish back into the skillet and spoon the sauce over it.
Garnish with parsley and serve.

Equipment

Notes

Choose fresh tilapia fillets that are firm, have a translucent color, and do not have a fishy odor.
Preheat your skillet so it is well-heated before cooking the fish to achieve a perfect sear that locks in flavors.
Keep stirring the sauce to ensure the cream and lemon integrate perfectly without curdling.
Serve the tilapia with a side of steamed vegetables, mashed potatoes, or a fresh salad to complete the meal.

Nutrition

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean

Keyword: low carb seafood recipes, quick dinner recipe, seafood, tilapia fish recipe

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FAQs

How do you fry tilapia without it falling apart? ›

To keep your fish from falling apart, use a large enough nonstick spatula for flipping and a nonstick pan to avoid the fish from sticking to the pan. Avoid overcooking fish or steaming fish on low heat, but rather pan-fry on medium-high heat until just cooked through.

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Should you rinse tilapia before cooking? ›

You should never wash raw fish in your sink, either.

Remove the scales from fish if a recipe calls for it, but leave your fish unrinsed to prevent your kitchen from becoming a breeding ground for germs.

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How do you make tilapia not mushy? ›

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.

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How do you keep tilapia from drying out? ›

Butter – Buttery goodness makes our tilapia loins super moist and rich. It also helps the seasonings stick better. But you can replace it with olive oil for dairy-free fish; it won't be as butterylicious, but it will still be awesome.

Why do you soak tilapia in milk? ›

Before cooking, soak the fish in milk for 20 minutes

In this scenario, the protein in the milk binds with the compounds that cause that fishy odor, in essence extracting if from the fish. What's left behind is sweet-smelling, brighter flesh with clean flavor. (Just make sure you pour that milk down the drain.

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How to not overcook tilapia? ›

Therefore, be sure to account for this and remove the fish from the heat when the temperature is slightly below 145°F, so that it's internal temperature will rise to the perfect level after resting away from the heat for a few minutes. This will ensure you do not overcook fish accidentally.

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Why does my tilapia taste weird? ›

Off-flavour in cultured tilapia is caused by micro-organisms in the water, such as algae and bacteria, which causes the fish to have an earthy-musty, metallic, sweet-sweet or muddy taste.

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Why is my tilapia so chewy? ›

Fish that seems tough when you bite into it is probably overcooked. As it moves from done to "overdone," the flesh continues to firm then shrinks, pushing out moisture, which evaporates and leaves the fish dry and chewy. Fresh fish needs little embellishment, for its flavor is as fragile as its flesh.

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How to tell if tilapia is bad? ›

The best way to tell if fish is bad is to use your senses. If fish has gone bad, it'll likely have an off smell and feel slimy. Both raw and cooked fish usually keep for up to two days in the refrigerator. You can freeze raw fish for six months to a year, but cooked fish shouldn't be frozen for more than three months.

How do you get rid of the muddy taste in tilapia? ›

One of the most effective ways to eliminate the muddy taste is to soak the fish in milk. Place the cleaned fish in a bowl of cold milk and let it sit for 3-4 hours in a cool place. The milk acts as a neutralizer for the muddy flavor. Remember to pat the fish dry thoroughly before proceeding with your recipe.

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Why is my fish breaking apart while frying? ›

As fish cooks, proteins in the muscle fibers coagulate and the flesh changes from translucent to opaque in appearance. When the collagen softens in heat, it loses its structure and turns to gelatin; the muscle fibers have little to hold them together and the fish separates easily into flakes.