Are you looking for a delicious and easy dinner recipe? This Parmesan-crusted tilapia recipe has a crispy Parmesan coating flavored with paprika on a tender and flakey fish fillet.
An easy weeknight recipe that takes only 20 minutes to prep and bake in the oven. It uses fresh or thawed frozen tilapia fillets.
🐟Ingredients
Tilapia—fresh or thawed frozen fillets
Olive oil—or butter
Parmesan cheese—grated, fresh is preferred.
Pantry ingredients—paprika, parsley, salt, black pepper
Optional—Panko breadcrumbs, other herbs and spices
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Featured Comment from Sue :
"This recipe is amazing! I've made it several times using 3 different kinds of fish."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I find stovetop frying a pain, as I have to stand there and deal with the splatter. So, I will not pan-fry tilapia or other fish; I will oven-bake or grill every time.
This tilapia recipe has become a standard in our home. It's an excellent fit for any gluten-free or low-carb diet. It also fits healthy and low-calorie diets.
Check out these other easy tilapia recipes, like Baked Blackened Tilapia, Grilled Blackened Tilapia, or lemon butter tilapia. And don't miss my Baked Lemon Butter Salmon.
👨🍳How to Bake Parmesan Crusted Tilapia—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
1. If frozen, thaw the tilapia completely. Wash and pat dry the tilapia fillets.
2. Prepare a baking tray with a coat of oil or PAM cooking spray.
3. Grate Parmesan if needed.
4. Mix Parmesan cheese, paprika, parsley, salt, and black pepper in a shallow pan. Optional—use Panko breadcrumbs for half the Parmesan.
5. Brush tilapia with oil or melted butter and dredge in the Parmesan mixture.
6. Bake in a preheated 400° convection oven for 10-12 minutes until flaky.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
⏰How long to cook tilapia in the oven?
It will turn very nice brown and take 10-12 minutes. If you check, the fish will also be flakey. If you are unsure, the internal temperature should be 145°plus.
Options and variations
Sweet paprika is commonly used, but try hot or smoked paprika for a different flavor. Try other spice mixes like lemon pepper, Old Bay, or cajan seasoning. Try some thyme, basil, oregano, or other herbs or spices you love—I frequently add a touch of garlic powder and cayenne pepper.
Change the Parmesan cheese to a mixture of half Parmesan and half Panko breadcrumbs for a breadier texture.
For a buttery flavor, replace brushing the fillets with oil and use melted butter instead.
Using cod, salmon, or other fish
This recipe can be used to make Parmesan-crusted cod, salmon, or haddock. The cooking time should be the same as long as the fillet thickness is under 1 inch.
Other firm white fish may be used, but if the fish is thicker, please see the 10-Minute Rule for Cooking Any Fish.
🍽️What to serve with tilapia?
Serve tilapia with a lemon slice or tartar sauce. For side dishes, try a fresh salad or a hot vegetable, like roasted asparagus, roasted cauliflower, or bacon-baked green beans.
Add a starch, such as Parmesan Baked Potatoes, baked rice, baked French fries, or roasted red potatoes. Then, round it out with bread, like healthy biscuits, Cheddar Bay Biscuits, or cornmeal biscuits.
Storage of leftovers
This dish is much better served fresh. The coating will not be as crispy and may fall off. But you can store leftovers by carefully sealing them in foil for 3 days. Then, to reheat, open the top of the foil completely and reheat in a 350° oven or air fryer.
❓FAQs
Yes, frozen is fine if fully thawed. Thaw frozen fish in the refrigerator overnight.
Yes, an air fryer is a small convection oven. But the fillets need to be cooked in a single layer and should not be crowded. Preheat to 400°. Flip after cooking 4 minutes. They will cook faster, so start checking at 6-7 minutes.
You need a good Parmesan since so much of the flavor is the cheese—quality matters.
I use a wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano and shred or grate as needed. I use lots of Parmesan, which will last me at least six months.
First, be sure to dry your fish entirely before coating.
Second, thoroughly preheat the oven before cooking, and do not cook at a lower temperature.
Third, do not overcook. If thinner fillets, use a temperature of 140° and an instant-read thermometer to get it right.
Follow the instructions about mushy fish, dry thoroughly, use a preheated oven, and cook at the recommended temperature.
However, due to the structure of the oven, some will not brown as well as others. Then, turn on the broiler for a minute or two.
🐟What is Tilapia?
Wild tilapia are usually freshwater fish inhabiting shallow streams, ponds, rivers, and lakes. Although native to Africa and the Middle East, they've been distributed worldwide and farmed almost everywhere.
Tilapia is frequently called "the chicken of fish" due to its mild taste and ease of mass production on farms.
While you can attack any farm-raised fish for the method, the facts still support farm-raised tilapia fillets as a good source of low-fat quality protein. Tilapia is lower in omega-3 than some other wild fish but lower in mercury.
📖 Recipe
Parmesan Crusted Tilapia
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 1 pound Tilapia, fresh or thawed frozen - 4 fillets
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese - grated fresh if possible
- 1 tablespoon olive oil - or melted butter
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup Optional Panko breadcrumbs - to replace half the Parmesan
Instructions
- If frozen, thaw the tilapia completely. Wash and pat dry the tilapia fillets. Preheat the oven to 400° convection. A 425° conventional oven may be used.
- Prepare a baking tray with a coat of oil or PAM cooking spray. Use aluminum foil for easier cleanup.
- Grate Parmesan if needed.
- Mix Parmesan cheese, paprika, parsley, salt, and black pepper in a shallow pan. Optionally, you may replace half the Parmesan with Panko breadcrumbs.
- Brush tilapia fillets with oil or melted butter on both sides and then dredge in the Parmesan mixture, patting the coating on. Place on the baking sheet. Take some of the remaining Parmesan mixture and pat it on top of the already-coated fish.
- Bake for about 10-12 minutes until flaky and an internal temperature of 145°.
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Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Be sure to dry the tilapia well with paper towels before coating.
- Air fryer discussion is in the FAQs of the post.
- The quality of the Parmesan cheese matters a lot in this recipe.
- I like to add a little extra topping just before going into the oven.
- If unsure, fish is done at 145° internal temperature in the thickest part.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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This fast recipe is a modification of a Rachel Ray recipe that's easy for a weeknight dinner but with weekend eloquence.
Editor's Note: Originally Published on December 18, 2010, the blog's first year. The blog has grown 1000X since that time. Now updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Deb Lein says
Pretty tasty and easy! Next time less paprika (I used sweet paprika. Maybe smoked would have been better. ). More garlic powder. I used half tsp. A whole tsp would have made my family happier. A little bit of butter on top of each would have enhanced the parm topping. Served with fresh lemon wedges. Very good. 4.5 stars. Will make again.
Sharon Sivertsen says
Am I missing something? I don't see the oven temperature.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Sharon,
You were looking near the top of the post, where there is a brief (but incomplete) summary of the recipe. The temperature of the oven with the first step-by-step photo and in the recipe card. I have edited to post to hopefully prevent this in the future.
Dan
Simon says
Great recipe. My wife and I loved it. Our new favorite way to make tilapia. Normally, I use a panko crusted recipe that we have used for years, but this one may take the spot in the rotation, or at least share it. Thanks so much.