Air Fryer Tilapia. This fast weeknight important dish is prepared in about 20 minutes with thawed tilapia. (If the tilapia continues to be frozen however individually plastic-wrapped, it solely takes one other quarter-hour to thaw it beneath chilly operating water.) Sprinkle the tilapia with the spice rub, spray with some cooking oil, and air fry at 400°F for 10 minutes. Accomplished!
Bounce to:
After years of utilizing the air fryer lid on my Instantaneous Pot strain cooker,I lastly cracked and acquired a devoted Air Fryer. (The Black Friday deal on Amazon was too tempting.) With our youngsters away in school a whole lot of the time,I am studying to take pleasure in having what is basically a small convection oven in my kitchen,so I haven’t got to warmth up the entire oven to prepare dinner,say….two tilapia fillets.
Fast weeknight fish has been a recipe in my rotation for years,however the air fryer makes it simple. Season the tilapia with a spicy Cajun rub,spray it with cooking spray,and air fry it for 10 minutes. It isn’t fried,actually,however it’s effectively cooked,flaky and juicy,and a bit crispy across the edges,an effective way to make a straightforward important dish on a weeknight.
Elements
- 2 tilapia fillets
- ½ teaspoon Paprika (ideally smoked paprika)
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon tremendous sea Salt
- ½ teaspoon recent floor black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne (non-obligatory)
- Cooking oil spray (ideally no-propellant cooking spray)
Find out how to Air Fry Tilapia
Season and oil the tilapia
Pat the tilapia fillets dry with paper towels. Combine the paprika,garlic powder,sea salt,black pepper,and cayenne and sprinkle it evenly over the fish fillets. Spray either side of the fillets with a light-weight coat of cooking spray.
Air Fry for 10 minutes at 400°F
Preheat your air fryer to 400°F,then add the tilapia fillets,flat facet down. Air fry for 10 minutes,flipping the fillets midway by the cooking time.
Serve
Take away the tilapia from the air fryer (Be light;it can wish to flake aside.) Serve and revel in!
Substitutions
- Can I take advantage of a unique kind of fish?This recipe works effectively with any skinny,white fish –trout,catfish,and mahi-mahi are good substitutes.
- Can I take advantage of a unique spice mix?Completely! The spices I embrace above are a easy model of my Cajun spice combine(plus salt),and a store-bought cajun spice mix will work simply as effectively. Or,if you wish to goal for Chesapeake Bay,change all of the spices with Previous Bay seasoning (you’ll nonetheless want the salt). Or,strive seasoned salt,or a salt+pepper+garlic combine.
Scaling
The variety of tilapia fillets you possibly can prepare dinner relies on your air fryer basket dimension. You may prepare dinner as many as you possibly can slot in a single layer with out the tilapia overlapping one another. In my cooker,I can simply squeeze in 3 fillets. Or,prepare dinner in batches. Scale up the spice rub to the variety of fillets you might be cooking –use ¼ teaspoon every of paprika,garlic powder,sea salt,and black pepper,after which ⅛ teaspoon of cayenne per fillet.
Find out how to Fast-Thaw Vacuum-Sealed Tilapia
After I purchase frozen tilapia at my native grocery shops,the fish fillets are individually plastic-wrapped. I put the plastic-wrapped fish in a bowl and ran chilly water over them for about quarter-hour. (You probably have massive fillets,verify that the fish thawed;they need to be simple to bend and never really feel frozen anymore. If they’re nonetheless a bit frozen within the center,depart them beneath the operating water for an additional 5 minutes or till they’re bendable and do not feel frozen anymore.)
Steadily Requested Questions
Can I take advantage of frozen tilapia with out thawing?
Sure,you possibly can. Season and spray the tilapia as directed,then air-fry for quarter-hour (an additional 5 minutes). However…I a lot want the outcomes after I use the quick-thaw technique above.
Do I must preheat the air fryer?
Now,I can not let you know what to do in your individual kitchen,however sure,you need to preheat your air fryer. The fish shall be much less more likely to keep on with the basket and are available out a bit extra crispy on the sides. My air fryer lets me know when it is as much as temperature,and it solely takes about 3 minutes to preheat.
How do I maintain the fish from sticking to the air fryer basket?
Preheat the air fryer (see above) and oil the fish,not the basket. I spray either side of the fish with vegetable spray earlier than including it to the basket.
Why did not my tilapia get crispy?
Air frying is not actually frying—it’s convection baking—so you’ll not get the identical crisp as a deep-fried fish. However you need to get good browned spices,and the fish must be crispy across the edges. In case your tilapia was not crispy,it was in all probability nonetheless moist;water is the enemy of crisp meals. Totally pat the tilapia dry with paper towels earlier than seasoning and oiling it.
What if I haven’t got an air fryer?
You may prepare dinner this recipe as written by baking it within the oven on a small baking sheet with a rack. It will not come out as crispy,however it can nonetheless be good. You probably have a convection oven,you then dohave an air fryer—simply activate convection mode. When cooking with an oven,be certain to preheat the oven.
What to serve with Air Fryer Tilapia
I wish to serve these fish with a lemon slice and sizzling sauce. (I take advantage of Tabasco or Crystal sizzling sauces for the reason that spice rub is Cajun-inspired.) They’re nice with a vegetable facet like Instantaneous Pot Collard Greensor Instantaneous Pot (Stress Cooker) Inexperienced Beans. I additionally wish to serve with a bit tartar sauce or cocktail sauce on the facet. French fries are the plain selection for a starchy facet (I get away my outdated Air Fryer lid so I can prepare dinner Instantaneous Pot Air Fryer Frozen French Frieswith the fish),and a batch of easy white riceadditionally works.
Fast Air Fryer Tilapia (with Spice Rub)
Whole Time:quarter-hour
Yield:2fillets 1x
Description
Air Fryer Tilapia. This fast weeknight important dish is prepared in about 20 minutes with thawed tilapia. (If the tilapia continues to be frozen however individually plastic-wrapped,it solely takes one other quarter-hour to thaw it beneath chilly operating water.) Sprinkle the tilapia with the spice rub,spray with some cooking oil,and air fry at 400°F for 10 minutes.
- 2tilapia fillets
- ½ teaspoonPaprika (ideally smoked paprika)
- ½ teaspoonGarlic Powder
- ½ teaspoontremendous sea Salt
- ½ teaspoonrecent floor black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoonCayenne (non-obligatory)
- Cooking spray (ideally no-propellant cooking spray)
Directions
- Season and oil the tilapia:Pat the tilapia fillets dry with paper towels. Combine the paprika,garlic powder,sea salt,black pepper,and cayenne and sprinkle it evenly over the fish fillets. Spray either side of the fillets with a light-weight coat of cooking spray.
- Air Fry for 10 minutes at 400°F:Preheat your air fryer to 400°F,then add the tilapia fillets,flat facet down. Air fry for 10 minutes,flipping the fillets midway by the cooking time.
- Serve:Take away the tilapia from the air fryer (Be light;it can wish to flake aside.) Serve and revel in!
- Prep Time:5 minutes
- Cook dinner Time:10 minutes
- Class:Weeknight Dinner
- Methodology:Air Fryer
- Delicacies:Cajun
Associated Posts
Tilapia In Loopy Water (Pesce All’Acqua Pazza)
Grilled Salmon With Coriander-Fennel Spice Rub
Tilapia with Brown Butter and Lemon Sauce
Grilled Mahi-Mahi Fish Tacos with Crimson Cabbage Slaw
My different Air Fryer Recipes
Loved this publish? Need to assist out DadCooksDinner? Subscribe to DadCooksDinner by way of electronic mailand share this publish with your pals. Need to contribute immediately? Donate to my Tip Jar,or purchase one thing from Amazon.comby the hyperlinks on this website. Thanks.
