I cooked some last week and I made a mixture of flour and sesame seeds about 1/2 and 1/2...lightly salted the fillets, 0patted some of the flour, sesame seed mix into them and pan fried them in a little butter and olive oil....squeezed a bit of fresh lemon and served....very yummy.
All the tilapia fillets I have seen are so thin it's iffy to oven cook them...too easy to voer cook them.
Linda C

Tilapia is a slightly-firm, low-fat fish with very little taste.

It can be overwhelmed with strong seasonings and sauces but it does need SOMETHING.

I think it's best simply pan-braised (stovetop) with a little ginger, lime and sesame oil (Thai style); with finely chopped onions, tomatoes, and zucchini (Provencal style); or with chopped onion, tomato, peppers and wine (Veracruzana).

I often sear it stovetop and then finish it in the oven in a very light sauce. It's too delicate to actually bake; it'll dry out.

Joe

Hi Joe: Where have you been?
How about Italian Dressing ? I"ve used it on other fillets
Lou

I just lightly flour it or use Panko with salt and pepper and grill it. It's a very mild fish but quite tasty.

Linda

lyndaluu2, I do have an indoor grill. What is Panko?

(I'll answer for Linda) - Panko is Japanese bread crumbs. You can use regular bread crumbs.

I coat my tilapia with black sesame seeds and pan 'fry' with a dab of oil in a non-stick pan.

I would check to see where your Tilapia comes from - I find the products from China to taste 'muddy' because of poor farming practices. You can read up on Tilapia from Monterey Bay Seafood watch, link below.

I buy frozen Tilapia from places that ensure clean water. The fish from Regal Springs tastes downright sweet and clean. I hope their website is for real, they seem to be an eco and community friendly company.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tilapia at Seafood watch

I bought some frozen tilapia from costco and usually I just put fresh garlic and olive oil on it, let it marinate for a couple of hrs then bake it.

But as Linda said, they are so thin you have to watch that you dont over cook it - which I did.

I've seen tilapia for sale when I go to Costco and have thought of getting some, but wasn't sure how to make it. These ideas are great! Thanks for starting this donnas, I'm getting some great ideas! The ginger, lime & sesame sounds especially good! Maybe throw in some scallions as well?

Lisa

Donna, you mentioned lemon pepper. One of my favorite (and super easy) ways to fix talapia is to sprinkle the fillets with lemon pepper and Lawry's seasoned salt, then pan fry in a bit of oil or oil and butter. When done cooking, squeeze on fresh lemon juice.

I also slice the fillets down the center and cook the thicker part a minute or so longer. Does anyone else bother with that?

I just brush both sides of the fillet with melted butter, sprinkle top with lemon pepper. Top with crumbled ritz type crackers mixed with just enough melted butter to hold together and bake about 10 min. at 400 degrees. I most always serve them with either steamed or roasted asparagus and little red potatoes, cooked just until tender and seasoned with butter, chopped chives and a squueze of lemon. I try to do this when either the tilapia or the asparagus is on special. Yummy!

I like strong seasoning with tilapia, and I generally put Cajun seasoning on it and sauté it in butter, as I would when making blackened catfish. Cajun seasoning is roughly one tablespoon each of dried basil, oregano, and thyme, plus 2 tsp each of salt, cayenne, black pepper, and white pepper. You can also add paprika, but it isn't necessary. I sprinkle it liberally on the tilapia before blackening it in butter. I generally use 1/4 cup butter in an iron skillet when frying it, and then serve it with rice.

Lars

jessyf, I checked and the ones I bought were from China. I fixed only one, and where you said "muddy", I thought it tasted like "dirt" LOL. Same thing, I guess. I didn't have all the spices, sesame seeds, etc. I only put McCormick's Season All seasoned salt on it and put it on my indoor grill.

They say that you should eat fish at least 2 times a week. I'm reading the nutrition label, and it says for one serving (4 oz) RAW...ewwww, I will not eat raw fish!!

Calories 100...... 25 from fat
total fat 2.5 g.... 4%
Saturated fat 1 g...... 5%
Trans fat 0
Cholesterol 40 mg.... 13%
Sodium 75 mg.... 3% (would be more with the added salt)

The percentage is daily value. Is this a healthy type of fish, or should I be buying another kind? I bought them because they were skinless and boneless.

I just use a grill pan.
Panko is Japanese bread crumbs, they are very crispy and lighter than regular bread crumb on fish.

Linda

If you are eating fish for health reasons, go for fish that is high in the omega-3 oils, such as salmon, mackarel and sardines. Or just pop some fish oil caps along with a dialy vitimin.

If you want to bake for health concerns, here's an alternative recipe for a fast and easy way to eat a healthy tilapia (although, I generally use cod).

Tilapia (or Cod) fillets
olive oil
fresh mushrooms (about 8 oz)
garlic
green pepper
onion
can of chopped tomatoes
oregano
S & P to taste
(I just chop and wing it with the ingredients)

Saute vegetables and garlic in the olive oil; add tomatoes; heat through with the oregano.

Add the fish fillets; covering with sauce and poach until cooked through to your liking, about 10 minutes.It's great served with rice; sometimes I layer it over fresh spinach and serve with crusty bread.
Annie1971