Air Fryer Tilapia – Rachel Cooks®

After I acquired my air fryer, I had visions of air fryer French fries and air fryer hen nuggets. These recipes are improbable, in fact, however what I didn’t anticipate was how a lot I really like utilizing it for cooking seafood! From air fryer salmon to air fryer coconut shrimp, the air fryer does such a improbable job attaining completely cooked seafood with out plenty of fuss—and it’s achieved in minutes.

Air frying tilapia not solely cuts down on cooking time; it additionally reduces the quantity of oil wanted, so you may get nice taste with out deep frying and even pan frying. That’s one other win in my e-book as a result of it means no oil spatters to wash up on the range!

Causes to Love Air Fryer Tilapia

• Lightning quick. Preheat the air fryer whilst you do the prep work and this recipe takes simply 11 minutes from begin to end. It doesn’t get a lot sooner than that! 
• Delicate taste. Tilapia isn’t a fishy fish making it an important choice for teenagers who usually flip up their noses at seafood. The flavour is gentle and even a bit candy.
• Straightforward to customise. Think about this recipe a template so that you can mess around with. Preserve the oil quantity and cooking time the identical however add your favourite seasonings to make it your individual.
• Funds-friendly. We’re not cooking king salmon right here! Tilapia fillets are an reasonably priced fish, good whenever you’re attempting to look at what you spend on groceries.

Ingredient Notes

• Tilapia fillets: We examined each recent and frozen; we determined recent was a bit better-tasting. There actually isn’t plenty of distinction between the 2, nonetheless, and frozen is unquestionably extra handy.
• Olive Oil: I attempted making air fryer tilapia with out including olive oil however the outcomes have been dry and unimpressive. Don’t skip the oil! Regardless that it’s a really small quantity, simply 1 tablespoon, it actually does make a distinction.
• Seasonings: I exploit seasonings which are all the time in my pantry: garlic powder, paprika, dried thyme, kosher salt, and floor black pepper.  Be at liberty to vary it up to fit your preferences or to match the tilapia with sides you’re serving.
• Lemon Wedges: A squeeze of recent lemon brightens issues up.
• Recent Parsley: Garnishing with recent herbs not solely provides visible curiosity, herbs additionally add plenty of taste.

Learn how to make Air Fryer Tilapia

Get began. Preheat your air fryer to 400ºF for 4 to five minutes. This isn’t completely important however I do discover that the tilapia fillets are a bit juicier and extra flavorful whenever you do preheat.

Make seasoning combine. Whereas the air fryer heats, combine the olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, thyme, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl.

Prep tilapia. Use a paper towel to pat the tilapia fillets dry. Brush each side of the fish with the oil and seasonings. Prepare the tilapia fillets in a single layer within the air fryer basket. 

Air fry. Prepare dinner for five to six minutes, or till the fish simply flakes with a fork or the interior temperature reaches 145°F. It may be slightly troublesome to precisely measure with an instantaneous learn thermometer as a result of the tilapia fillets are fairly skinny. The within of the fillets ought to be white and opaque, not translucent.

Serve. Fastidiously take away the tilapia from the air fryer. The fillets are fairly delicate so I like to make use of a fish spatula which is lengthy and slim, and helps the entire fillet. End with recent lemon juice and parsley, for those who’re utilizing it.

Recipe Ideas and Variations

• No have to flip. It’s possible you’ll suppose I forgot to say flipping the tilapia within the directions. Nope! I examined this air fryer tilapia with and with out flipping and located no discernible distinction between the 2. Save your self the work and skip it.   
• Prepare dinner in batches if wanted. Overlapping the fish will yield disappointing outcomes. If the skinny elements of the fillet overlap a bit, that’s okay but it surely’s finest if the fish is in a single layer as a lot as doable.
• Don’t overcook the tilapia. Overcooked tilapia tends to be dry and difficult. The cooking time will fluctuate a bit relying on the thickness of the fillets. Preserve a detailed eye on it!
• Tweak the seasonings to your tastes. Regulate the seasoning in line with your preferences. You possibly can add a pinch of cayenne to make it spicy for those who’d like. When you have a dry rub or seasoning combine that’s been sitting in your pantry, use it right here! Lemon pepper, Cajun seasoning, Italian herbs, or perhaps a marinade like teriyaki will work.
• Add a sauce. Do-it-yourself tartar sauce is a basic alternative. We additionally love tzatziki, a creamy cucumber yogurt sauce. Pico de gallo or chimichurri are scrumptious on the air fryer tilapia, too.

What to Serve With Air Fryer Tilapia

Refrigerate: Retailer leftover air fryer tilapia in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days. 

Reheat: One of the best methodology to reheat leftover tilapia is to position the fillets again within the air fryer at 350ºF till warmed by means of. The microwave additionally works, however the air fryer (or perhaps a common oven) ought to be your first alternative.

Prepare dinner ModeForestall your display from going darkish

• Preheat your air fryer to 400ºF for 4 to five minutes.

• In a small bowl, combine collectively olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, thyme, salt, and black pepper.

  1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse floor black pepper

• Pat the tilapia fillets dry with a paper towel. Brush each side of every fillet with the ready seasoning combine. Place the seasoned tilapia fillets within the air fryer basket in a single layer. You will have to cook dinner the fish in batches, relying on how massive your air fryer is and what number of fillets you are cooking.

  16 oz. tilapia fillets

• Prepare dinner for five to six minutes. Test for doneness.The tilapia is finished when it simply flakes with a fork, and the interior temperature reaches 145°F (63°C).

• Utilizing a fish spatula or one other lengthy skinny spatula, fastidiously switch the tilapia to serving plates. Squeeze recent lemon juice over the tilapia fillets earlier than serving. Garnish with recent parsley if desired.

  lemon wedges, for serving, minced recent parsley, for garnish

• Serve the tilapia with sides of your alternative or on a bun, salad, taco, and so forth.
• Regulate the seasoning in line with your preferences. Think about including a pinch of cayenne pepper for a bit of warmth.
• This cooking methodology works effectively for different forms of fish which are comparable in dimension and taste, corresponding to striped bass, rainbow trout, purple snapper, and so forth.

Serving: 1fillet, Energy: 192kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 31g, Fats: 7g, Saturated Fats: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g, Monounsaturated Fats: 4g, Ldl cholesterol: 76mg, Sodium: 467mg, Potassium: 487mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 0.1g, Vitamin A: 336IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 22mg, Iron: 1mg

Vitamin data is mechanically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.

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