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This Easy Oven Baked Tilapia is tender & flaky, full of flavor, and ready in just 20 minutes! 

Oven Baked Tilapia

We’re feeding 3 athlete teenagers in our home, and they eat enormous quantities of food, so I am always trying to make budget friendly meals, such as easy oven baked tilapia.

As a bonus, tilapia bakes in just 20 minutes, so it’s a quick and easy weeknight meal, fantastic for evenings with late practices or sporting events.

I love cooking Tilapia because it’s such a versatile protein due to its neutral flavor, which means it takes on the flavor of whatever it’s cooked with.

In this recipe, the tilapia is prepared with a few simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand in your pantry.

How to choose Tilapia Fillets

If you’re even unsure about how to select the best fish, beef, chicken, or pork cut for your recipe, just ask the experts at the supermarket. They are full of great advice, tips, suggestions, all at no extra cost!

I prefer to use fresh Tilapia, but frozen is an option that typically works as well. Fresh typically only lasts in the refrigerator for a couple of days, so I suggest purchasing day of or the day before when possible, for best results.

Avoid selecting any tilapia with a sour smell, dull color and slimy texture!

It’s best to find whole tilapia, although the Fishmonger at my local supermarket is happy to filet the fish for me while I wait. You’ll want to ensure the Tilapia you select is moist and resilient.

To begin, preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Rinse the tilapia off with water, be sure to dry the fillets thoroughly. You can dab them with a paper towel to take out the extra water.

Place the tilapia filets in a baking dish.

Combine the melted butter, garlic, and lemon juice in a small bowl.

Pour the mixture over the top of the fish.

Sprinkle the paprika, parsley, salt, and pepper over the top of the tilapia.

Top with parmesan cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the fish is cooked through and has reached a safe eating temperature of 145 degrees.

Plate, serve, and enjoy your Crispy Oven Baked Tilapia!

How to Bake Tilapia in the Oven

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the tilapia filets in a baking dish.
2. Combine the melted butter, garlic, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Pour the mixture over the top of the fish.
3. Sprinkle the paprika, parsley, salt, and pepper over the top of the tilapia. Top with parmesan cheese.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the fish is cooked through.

My family has rated this recipe The Best Oven Baked Tilapia, I hope your family agrees!

How Long to Bake Tilapia in the Oven

Tilapia may vary in size and can depend on if it’s whole, fileted, fresh, or frozen, so the baking time MAY VARY.

I bake Tilapia until the flesh turns white and flaky, which is typically in about 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees in the oven.

I ALWAYS use a meat thermometer to verify the internal temperature of fish, chicken, beef, pork, etc., testing at the thickest area of the largest piece. For Tilapia, you want to reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.

I highly encourage you to check your Tilapia after 15 minutes and if the flesh doesn’t look white and flaky, keep it in the oven for a little longer. AVOID OVER BAKING, the tilapia will turn dry and chewy.

Oven Baked Tilapia in Foil

This is a great recipe that can be adjusted to cook in foil instead of a pan, or even grilled! Perfect for camping trips.

Simply prepare the fillets as instructed in the recipe, then wrap the fillets individually in foil and pop the foil packets in the grill for 15-20 minutes.

Flip it once midway to make sure the fish is cooked from all the sides. 

Is Fresh or Frozen Tilapia Best?

Generally, I always abide by fresh is best.

However, there are exceptions.

If you can cook the tilapia within 48 hours AND can store it in the refrigerator until then, I suggest fresh.

When you can’t cook the tilapia right away (I often shop for 1-2 weeks at a time, depending on how busy our schedule is), frozen will work better.

Frozen fish is processed and frozen quickly after the catch.

Should you bake Tilapia covered or uncovered?

How to Store Leftover Oven Baked Tilapia:

• To refrigerate, store cooled leftover fillets in an airtight container.
• Store cooked tilapia in the refrigerator no longer than 3 days.
• To freeze, place leftover fillets in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze until frozen solid. Transfer the frozen fillets into Ziploc freezer safe storage bags and push out as much air as possible before sealing. Be sure to clearly LABEL the bag with the date and contents. The cooked fillets will keep in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.

How to reheat Oven Baked Tilapia:

You can reheat leftover oven baked tilapia in the microwave, cook for 1-2 minutes, or until desired temperature is reached.

I prefer to reheat in the oven, it retains better texture. If frozen, thaw first, preferably overnight in the refrigerator. Heat oven to 350 degrees, place fillets in oven safe baking dish and heat for 8-10 minutes or until desired temperature is reached.

These are a few items I find helpful in my own kitchen when preparing this Oven Baked Tilapia Recipe:

Don’t miss these additional delicious Oven Baked Recipes here at When Is Dinner:

• Oven Baked Round Steak
• Oven Baked Salmon
• Honey Mustard Salmon
• Oven Baked Ranch Pork Chops
• Oven Baked Smores