Pan Seared Tilapia
Published Jul 10, 2020
Updated Jun 20, 2022
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This Pan Seared Tilapia is a super easy 25-minute dinner that is perfect for busy moms like me. The fish is lightly crusty on the inside and flaky on the inside. Serve this with my Mango Avocado Salsa and you will be in heaven!
I am totally having fun with looking for mealย ideas that I can execute in about 30 minutes! As a busy mama, it is my goal to make family-friendly meals that do not require hours and hours of cooking!
So this Pan Seared Tilapia is right up my alley! You do not need to coat the tilapia in flour before frying and you only need a few easy healthy ingredients.
How to Make Pan Seared Tilapia
All you need is some fillets (they should be completely defrosted), garlic powder, basil, paprika, black pepper, salt, and olive oil. This combination of seasoning makes the fish taste so good!
I always keep a lot of dry ingredients at home and you totally should do the same. They make life so easy!
Step 1. Rub the spices all over the fish. Be sure that the spices get to every nook and cranny of the fish. There is no need to let the fish marinate first.
Step 2: Heat up some oil in a skillet. Preferably use a cast iron skillet if you have one but any other skillet will do. Once the oil is hot, place two fillets in at a time. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with some chopped parsley as a garnish if you want to be a little extra!
Also add some lime wedges on the side for squeezing over and enjoying. So good!
Two easy steps and you have insanely good Pan Seared Tilapia!
I could eat all of this fish in one sitting, I tell you. It is super flavorful. The blend of ingredients I use on them transforms boring tilapia to a restaurant quality dish.
My whole family goes crazy for this! I strongly suggest you double the recipe if cooking for 4 or more people. In the unlikely event that you have leftovers, place them into a bowl with a tight fitting lid and store in the fridge for an easy grab-and-warm lunch or dinner.
This Pan Seared Tilapia goes so well with my Mango Avocado Salsa! I enjoyed the fish and salsa with some corn chips on the side and I loved it! Serve it with some boiled rice, couscous, some fried plantains, some potato fries, break up the fish and serve in tacos or serve with any side dish you enjoy!
Hope this recipe brightens your life in the kitchen as it did to mine!
Watch How To Make Pan Seared Tilapia
Watch me making Pan Seared Tilapia in the video below. Also, SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube Channel so you do not miss any of my videos!
Pan Seared Tilapia
Ingredients
- 1 pound tilapia fillets 4 fillets
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Place fillets on a large plate then rub the salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, dried basil and olive oil all over them.
- In a skillet (preferably cast iron) heat 1 tablespoon of oil on high heat for about 3 minutes. Turn down the heat to medium then add two fillets to the pan. Let them cook on one side for about 4 minutes then flip to the other side and let them cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Repeat the process with the remaining fillets and oil.
- Serve warm with some lime wedges on the side for squeezing over the fish as needed. I love to serve this fish with my Mango Avocado Salsa on the side! You could also break it up and use in tacos or serve with any side dish you like. Enjoy, friends!
Notes
Nutrition
Just made this fish recipe for dinner, and was a hit. Made it exactly as written. Definitely will make again. Very fast, easy and tasty. What else can you ask for?
Thank you Precious!
Hi Delia, your comment made my day! So glad you loved this Pan Seared Tilapia as much as we do!
Absolutely loved this recipe i cooked it with a bit of lemon juice and minced garlic in the pan and it turned out great!! My boyfriend absolutely loved this recipe <3
Glad you loved it!
Could this be done with cod?
Hi Linda, yes it can.
Delicious and easy to make! Made it several times already.
Glad you love it, Marina.
Tastyy and i substituted Swai fish for tilapia
Pretty good, very similar to a blackened fish preparation. I think the next time I make this I’ll add a dash of cayenne pepper. It comes together very quickly.
Glad you loved it, Paul!
Thanks, Precious for the recipe. It was delicious. I paired it with broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots.
Glad you loved it, Sheryl! Those are wonderful pairings. Thank you for the feedback.
Nice. I cooked this for the fam and they were very satisfied. You are precious. ๐
That’s really sweet. Thank you, Roderick.
Amazing!!! My Granddaughter Loves Lemon pepper so I added it to the other seasoning and it was Fabulous I served it with mashed potatoes and Green beans Delicious. Thank You Mrs Precious
That sounds delicious, Erica!
Tasty and easy to make ! nicely flavored fish great for Summer ..
Thank you, Susan!
Thank you Precious for this wonderful recipe! My two adult sons and I really enjoyed this and we will now start eating more fish in this household. I followed the recipe almost as close as the video but I didn’t measure any of the spices. I just sprinkled each on the fish. I made a great tartar sauce but we used so little because it hid some of the flavor of the fish. This is definitely a 5-star dinner!
Thank you so much, Chalice!