Air Fryer Tilapia

Air Fryer Tilapia is quick and easy to prepare, making it one of those healthy easy dinner recipes for busy weekdays. Flavored with Cajun seasonings and lemon, this tilapia in air fryer is low calorie and keto (has no panko or bread crumbs) and goes well with (cauliflower) rice and vegetables such as Brussels Sprouts.

Looking for a flavorful yet healthy dinner meal? This tilapia recipe fits the bill!

Moreover, you can prepare it in 20 minutes and it's mess-free. It is something that the whole family will love!

You can even adapt this easy low carb fish recipe using another type of fish such as fresh codfish, catfish, trout, salmon, mackerel, among others. You can even replace the seasonings but follow the same directions. It is a versatile recipe, as you can see!

Ingredients and Substitutions: 

• Tilapia Fillets: Make sure to pat them dry quite well before seasoning and air frying. They will wind up with a light crispy crust! Of course, you can replace the tilapia fish with fresh cod fish, catfish, trout, salmon, or mackerel, among others.
• Cajun seasoning: You can replace this seasoning blend with Italian seasoning, taco seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning, or any other of your choice.
• Other seasonings and spices: In addition to the Cajun seasoning, I used salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and dried oregano. Because tilapia is a mild fish, I thought these extra seasonings would boost the flavor of the seasoning blend even more. Chili powder, Parmesan cheese, simple onion powder, and lemon zest are a few that you can add into or use as a sub in this recipe.
• Lemon: Any seafood calls for acidity. Lemon and lime juice together make the perfect addition to bring out all the flavors.
• Cooking spray: I used this to grease the air fryer basket, but you can use olive oil instead to brush it with. This is essential to keep the fish from sticking to the basket while cooking.

How long to cook tilapia in air fryer?

The time will depend on a few factors such as the size of your air fryer, how many fillets are you cooking, their size, and the temperature.

In a preheated air fryer at 400° F (190° C), two 5-6 oz tilapia fillets can be cooked at a time in 8-10 minutes in a 4-qt. air fryer. If you have a larger air fryer, you can cook all 4 fillets at once.

In any case, to achieve even cooking, do not over-pack your air fryer when making this recipe. Remember that you have to leave space between the fillets for air to circulate and brown/cook them evenly. They will have light brown color outside and also get flaky once cooked. 

How much fish to buy per person? 

Six to eight ounces of tilapia filets served with a side dish is enough for one adult. Children often eat smaller portions!

How do you know when air-fried tilapia is cooked? 

The fish is cooked when no more translucent -- it presents a browned exterior and is flaky in the thickest part. But the most accurate way to check is by taking its internal temperature. It has to reach about 145° F (63° C) internally.

How many portions of this air fryer tilapia recipe can you make at once? 

It depends on the size of your air fryer. Small air fryers can fit one or two 5-6 oz fillets at a time. The important thing here is to cook the fish in a single layer-- so if multiple pieces don’t fit, cook them in batches.

Of course, it will yield more portions if you slice the fish filets to transform them into fish sticks.

Can you cook frozen tilapia in air fryer?

Yes! Just like our air fryer shrimp, dump the frozen tilapia in air fryer and cook for 5 minutes. Once thawed, transfer them flat to a cutting board or large plate, pat them dry, and season them before cooking. It is key to dump out excess water accumulated in the bottom and also pat dry the basket before greasing.

Do I need to preheat the Air Fryer?

Yes! You need to preheat the air fryer and also grease the basket or tray by either spraying no stick cooking spray or by brushing with vegetable oil. By just preheating the air fryer, it will help most foods not to stick in the basket but fish needs something extra: grease! Remember that we are cooking the fish at a high temperature and want to get a nice browned exterior as well.

Cook the air fryer for 8-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of your filets. Halfway through, gently flip the fish over using a silicone spatula.

Do you need to flip over tilapia in air fryer?

It depends on the size of your fish and air fryer. Tilapia is a delicate fish! Moreover, it is hard to flip the fillets in small air fryers or if the fillet is too large because the spatula cannot provide enough support for the whole fillet. Even if you cannot flip them, they will still be fully cooked and have a brown crust on at least one side.

There is no egg wash, bread crumb mixture, flour, or wet batter in this recipe because this not a breaded fish recipe. If it were, flipping would be key to getting even browning on both sides.

How to Make Air Fryer Tilapia

It is quite easy to cook this air fryer tilapia recipe.

1. To make this air fryer fish recipe, preheat your air fryer to 400° F (190° C) for at least 10-15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, mix the seasonings together in a bowl. Pat fish dry and apply seasoning on both sides, pressing down to make it to stick to the surface. SEE PIC. 1
3. Grease the air fryer basket either by spraying no stick cooking spray or by brushing it with a vegetable oil such as olive oil. Cook in a single layer for 8-10 minutes (depending on the size or thickness of the fillets), flipping halfway through with a silicone spatula if you can. SEE PIC. 2 Large fillets or small air fryers do not allow that. But the fish will still cook without problems!
4. If needed, cook them in batches, leaving a space between the fillets for hot air to circulate and cook them evenly. They have cooked fully when they show a brown exterior and are flaky in the thickest part. You can also take their internal temp with a meat thermometer-- it must reach 145° F (63° C).
5. Transfer them to a plate, squeeze fresh lemon juice over them, and sprinkle chopped parsley on top. You may serve with homemade tartar sauce or no sauce at all!

What to serve air fryer tilapia with?

There are many sides you can serve our air fryer fish with:

Over jasmine rice, basmati rice, or mashed sweet potatoes.

With French fries, green beans, yuca fries, purple potato chips, Instant Pot beets, roasted carrots and parsnips, Instant Pot Brussels sprouts, or Beet Goat Cheese Salad.

You can also use leftovers to make fish tacos!

Storage:

Store leftover tilapia in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or just until warm.

Although you can freeze leftovers, I do not recommend this because they will be soggy, despite the fact that this is a no breading air fryer tilapia. It is so quick and easy to make this recipe that it is better to cook it from fresh, based on the number of people one needs to serve.

Other air fryer recipes:

• Air fryer trout
• Air fryer chicken wings
• Churros with chocolate sauce
• Air fryer chicken legs
• Air fryer chicken thighs

 PIN & ENJOY!

 

 

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