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Home » Recipes » Seafood Recipes

Baked Garlic Butter Tilapia

Published: Feb 21, 2023 · Modified: Dec 24, 2023 by Chef Dennis Littley

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If you’re looking for delicious, easy-to-make weeknight dinners, my Garlic Butter Tilapia is just what you’re looking for. Wouldn’t your family love these garlicky, buttery, flaky tilapia fillets for dinner tonight?

garlic butter tilapia on white plate with lemon circles


 

The good news is my Garlic Butter Tilapia can be on your dinner table in under 30 minutes. That’s quicker than takeout and a lot healthier since you control the ingredients.

garlic butter tilapia on white plate with rice, broccoli and lemon circles

As a chef, seafood is at the top of the list of recipes I enjoy making and serving to my guests and family. And tilapia, along with salmon, are two of my favorite fish recipes to serve with this garlicky lemon butter sauce.

Table of Contents:
  • Ingredients to make Garlic Butter Tilapia
  • What other fish can I use for this recipe?
  • How to make Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce
  • How to make Garlic Butter Tilapia
  • Recipe FAQ’s
  • More Recipes You’ll Love!
  • Recipe: Baked Garlic Butter Tilapia

Ingredients to make Garlic Butter Tilapia

Ingredients to make recipe

Let’s start by gathering the simple ingredients we need to make Garlic Butter Tilapia. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”

Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

Simple Pantry Ingredients

  • tilapia
  • unsalted butter
  • garlic
  • lemon juice
  • lemon zest
  • paprika
  • onion powder
  • salt and black pepper
  • lemon slices
  • Italian parsley

What other fish can I use for this recipe?

Pretty much any white fish or salmon will work with my garlic butter tilapia recipe. You can use flounder, cod, halibut, salmon, catfish, and even swordfish with this recipe.

How to make Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce

collage showing how to make garlic butter
  • Add the melted butter, chopped garlic, lemon juice, and lemon zest to a small mixing bowl.
  • Whisk the ingredients to combine.

How to make Garlic Butter Tilapia

  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • Gently pat the fish filets dry using a paper towel.
collage showing how to make recipe.
  • Season the tilapia evenly with salt, pepper, paprika, and granulated onion powder.
  • Place the tilapia filets side by side in a 9×13 baking dish in a single layer. Then spoon the garlic butter mixture over the tilapia.

I prefer using fresh fish to make this recipe because it will have the best flavor and texture. If you don’t have access to fresh tilapia, you can use frozen. Just make sure to fully defrost the tilapia overnight in the refrigerator before using.

fully cooked tilapia in baking dish

Place the baking dish on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the fish flakes with a fork.

Garlic Butter Tilapia on black spatula

My easy recipe for Garlic Butter Tilapia is definitely a keeper, and it’s the perfect quick meal for busy weeknights.

fork in piece of garlic butter tilapia

Wouldn’t you love to sit down to this delicious baked tilapia? It’s bursting with flavor and takes less time to cook than going to pick up takeout. Serve with rice, your favorite green vegetable, and garnish with lemon wedges or circles and parsley.

It doesn’t take long to add a garnish to your dinner. Making a plate pretty is almost as important as making it tasty.

Recipe FAQ’s

What can I serve with garlic butter tilapia?

Brown rice or your favorite grain will go well with this dish. And as for vegetables, add your favorite green vegetable. Brocolli, asparagus, and green beans would be my choice for the veggie.

Should I rinse tilapia before cooking?

The USDA does not recommend washing raw meat and poultry before cooking. Rinsing fish and poultry can actually spread harmful bacteria around your kitchen. It’s always a good idea to clean all the countertops, sinks, faucets, and door handles after handling raw fish or poultry.

Should I soak fish in milk before cooking?

As strange as it may seem, soaking fish in milk will reduce the fishiness. The protein in the milk binds with the compounds that cause that fishy odor. Soaking fish for 20-30 minutes in milk will give you a cleaner, fresher-tasting fish fillet. Just make sure to discard the milk after soaking.

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    Baked Garlic Butter Salmon
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  • grilled mahi mahi with caponata on a white plate
    Restaurant Style Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Caponata
  • Red Snapper en Papillote
    How to make Red Snapper en Papillote – Restaurant Style Recipe

garlic butter tilapia on white plate with lemon circles

Baked Garlic Butter Tilapia

Chef Dennis Littley
If you're looking for delicious, easy-to-make weeknight dinners, my Garlic Butter Tilapia is just what you're looking for. Wouldn't your family love these garlicky, buttery, flaky tilapia fillets for dinner tonight?
5 from 25 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 8 minutes mins
Cook Time 12 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Course Entree
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 279 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 4 tilapia fillets 5-7 ounces each
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt to taste
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper to taste
  • ½ teaspoon sweet paprika smoked paprika can be substitured
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 4 tablespoon butter melted
  • 4 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon Italian parsley sprigs for garnish
  • 1 lemon cut into rounds for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • Gently pat the tilapia filets dry using a paper towel.
  • Season the tilapia evenly with salt, pepper, paprika, and granulated onion powder.
  • Place the tilapia filets side by side in a 9×13 baking dish in a single layer. Add a little water to the baking dish.
  • Add the melted butter, chopped garlic, lemon juice, and lemon zest to a small bowl. Whisk the ingredients to combine.
  • Spoon the garlic butter mixture over the tilapia.
  • Place the baking dish on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the fish flakes with a fork.
  • Plate the tilapia and spoon a little of the garlic butter mixture over each piece of fish.
  • Garnish the tilapia with sprigs of Italian parsley and lemon slices. Serve with your favorite sides.

Notes

*If you use frozen tilapia filets, let them fully defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Rinse with cold running water, then pat dry with paper towels.
*Lemon juice and lemons can be substituted with limes or oranges for juice, zest, and garnish.
*Seasonings can be added or removed from what was used in the recipe.  Cajun seasoning, lemon pepper, Italian seasoning, or Old Bay can be used instead of the seasonings in the recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 279kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 35gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 382mgPotassium: 583mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 482IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askchefdennis or tag #askchefdennis!
5 from 25 votes (25 ratings without comment)

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My name is Chef Dennis Littley, creator and owner of Ask Chef Dennis Productions. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

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