Air Fryer Tilapia

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Air Fryer Tilapia recipe is as healthy as it is delicious, and it’s SUPER EASY as well! Made in under 20 minutes. The yummiest and flakiest fish recipe ever!

air fryer tilapia on a white plate with salad topped with lemon slices and parsley

Air Fryer Tilapia:

When dinner needs to happen fast, look no further than fish — and this tilapia in air fryer recipe is one of the easiest! In just 15 minutes, you can use your air fryer to whip up a perfectly flaky, flavorful, and tender tilapia fish. 

tilapia recipe in the air fryer with a fork bite

WHAT DOES TILAPIA TASTE LIKE?

Tilapia is a very mild white fish with a lean flesh and a flakey texture. If you enjoy eating fish and other types of seafood, be sure you check out a few other fish recipes on the blog: Pan Seared Salmon with Garlic Butter , Salmon Kabobs, Baked Salmon and Roasted Whole Red Snapper.

What You’ll Need to Make the Best Tilapia Recipe:

(Full ingredients + instructions are on the recipe card at the end. Before you scroll or jump down, don’t miss the useful tips in the post!)

 You only need a few ingredients to make this air fryer white fish taste truly special:

Tilapia Fillets: This recipe uses 2 medium-sized frozen tilapia fillets, that have been thawed overnight in the fridge. You can also use fresh tilapia instead.

Flour: Giving the tilapia fillets a light dredge in flour, is what gives these air fryer tilapia a golden, crunchy coating and is really what takes this recipe over the edge.

Garlic Powder and salt: Mixed into the flour for even coating.

Olive oil cooking spray

Lemon juice: for serving

Parsley: For garnishing- optional.

ingredients for air fryer tilapia

How to Make Tilapia in Air Fryer:

Learn how to air fryer tilapia with these few simple steps:

Step 1: Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F. 

Step 3: Prepare the flour and seasonings mixture. In a large bowl, whisk to combine flour, garlic powder, and salt.

Step 4: Dredge the tilapia fillets: dip each tilapia fillet in flour mixture, shaking off any excess flour.

dredging fish

Step 5: Spray the basket of the air fryer with cooking spray and place the dredged tilapia, in a single layer, in the basket of the preheated air fryer. Lightly spray the top of the fillets with cooking spray as well.

Step 6: Air fry: Cook for 10 minutes, flipping the fillets halfway through. Spray once more with cooking spray before flipping.

Step 7: Serve immediately with lemon wedges, if desired.

Dredged tilapia

Storage Instructions for Air Fryer Tilapia:

  • Store: Store air fried tilapia in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
  • Reheat: Reheat leftovers at 400 degrees F in your preheated and greased air fryer until heated through- about 4-5 minutes.
  • Freeze: Place air fried tilapia fillets on a platter or baking sheet and freeze until solid. Once solid, transfer to a freezer-safe container and store up to 3 months.
tilapia recipe with flour

Frequently Asked Questions:

What type of fish is tilapia?

It’s a white fish that is farm raised. It does have a neutral taste, so for flavor, just add your favorite seasonings.

How do I Know When Tilapia is Done Cooking?

The key to perfectly cooked air fried tilapia is getting the texture just right. When your fish is done, it should flake easily with a fork. If the fillets aren’t flaking, cook them another minute or two and check again. My two fillets were done cooking at exactly 10 minutes.

How Long to Cook Tilapia in Air Fryer?

10 minutes, flipping the fillets halfway through at 400 F!

What is the Best Air Fryer?

I make this Tilapia air fryer recipe in my Cosori 5.8 Air Fryer, which I love. Cooking time may vary depending on your air fryer. 

What to Serve with these fillets:

Air fried Tilapia pairs perfectly with these quick sides:

Air-Fried Asparagus

Air-Fried French Fries

Lebanese Fattoush Salad

Green Bean and Beet Salad

Asparagus Salad with Lemon Dressing

I hope you love this Air Fry Tilapia as much as I do.

If you make my Tilapia in air fryer recipe or any other recipe on the Salt and Sweet Kitchen, Let me know how it turns out for you in the comments! I love hearing from you.

Dredged tilapia

Air Fryer Tilapia

Yield: 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Air Fryer Tilapia recipe is as healthy as it is delicious, and it’s SUPER EASY as well! It is so flavorful and made in under 20 minutes. The yummiest and flakiest fish recipe ever!

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F. 
  2. In a large bowl, whisk to combine flour, garlic powder, and salt.
  3. Dredge the tilapia fillets by dipping each tilapia fillet in flour mixture, shaking off any excess flour.
  4. Spray the basket of the air fryer with cooking spray.
  5. Place the dredged tilapia, in a single layer, in the basket of the preheated air fryer. Lightly spray the top of the fillets with cooking spray as well.
  6. Cook for 10 minutes, flipping the fillets halfway through. Spray once more with cooking spray before flipping.
  7. Serve immediately with lemon wedges, if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 240Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 1156mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 47g

Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.

Did you make this recipe?

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2 Comments

  1. Your Air fryer recipes have been always a favorite for me. This air fryer tilpia is no exception especially from someone who doesn’t like tilpia.

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