Simple Oven-Fried Tilapia

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 05/25/21
Tested by
Tara Omidvar
Tara Omidvar
Tested by Tara Omidvar
on 05/19/21
Tara is a recipe developer and food photographer based in Toronto. She has had a great passion for baking and cooking since a very young age, and her most favorite ingredient of all time is saffron.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Recipe Testing Panel
Simple Oven-Fried Tilapia

The Spruce / Kristina Vanni
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
497 Calories
19g Fat
60g Carbs
23g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 497
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g 24%
Saturated Fat 6g 29%
Cholesterol 234mg 78%
Sodium 646mg 28%
Total Carbohydrate 60g 22%
Dietary Fiber 12g 43%
Protein 23g
Calcium 170mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

These tilapia fillets are flavored and seasoned with a cornmeal and breadcrumb coating, then they're baked to perfection. Baking the coated fish makes them taste almost as if they're fried, but with less fat and fewer calories. 

Serve these fish fillets with tartar sauce or a homemade remoulade sauce.

Featured Video

"One of my absolute favorite Tilapia recipes. A great weeknight option to serve with a green salad. Just remember that cooking fish can be tricky, and overcooking it makes it very tough. I recommend following the timing mentioned in the recipe. If not done by then, give it another 2-3 more minutes and keep checking it." —Tara Omidvar

Oven Fried Tilapia Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 to 1 1/2 pounds tilapia fillets
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup plain bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup cornmeal
  • 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons milk or light cream
  • Cooking spray (butter-flavored or olive oil), for the baking sheet
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons melted butter (optional)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Simple Oven-Fried Tilapia ingredients

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  2. Rinse tilapia fillets with cold water and pat dry. Heat the oven to 400 F/200 C/Gas 6.

    tilapia patted dry with a paper towel

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  3. Put the flour in a shallow bowl or plate.

    Put the flour in a shallow bowl

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  4. In another shallow bowl or pie plate, combine breadcrumbs, cornmeal, Creole seasoning, salt, parsley, and thyme.

    combine breadcrumbs, cornmeal, Creole seasoning, salt, parsley, and thyme

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  5. In another shallow bowl or pie plate, whisk eggs with cream or milk.

    whisk eggs with cream

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  6. Dip fillets into the flour, then into the egg mixture, and then dip them in the seasoned crumb mixture to coat.

    tilapia coated with flour, egg and breadcrumbs

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  7. Place the coated tilapia fillets on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray (butter-flavored or olive oil). If desired, drizzle each fillet with a small amount of the butter.

    breadcrumb coated tilapia on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  8. Bake the fish in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

    Simple Oven-Fried Tilapia on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni