Baked Parmesan Crusted Tilapia Recipe

Prepare quick and easy Baked Parmesan Crusted Tilapia recipe in less than 15 minutes! This keto friendly, gluten free tilapia recipe combines lemon, mayo, and fresh parmesan cheese smothered on flaky fish and baked or broiled to perfection!

It’s the new year and I am ready for a reset! After all the holiday indulgence, healthy, low carb meals are a welcome change.

This easy and delicious tilapia recipe has been a staple in our house for a quick weeknight meal. The parmesan topping ingredients are readily available, the prep is easy, and it’s ready to serve in minutes!

Plus, unlike other parmesan tilapia recipes, this one contains no bread crumbs so it is naturally gluten free. If you follow a low carb or keto lifestyle, lemon parmesan tilapia will fit in your diet.

If you are a home cook looking for more easy fish recipes, check out Mexican Fish, quick Oven Fried Fish, or Creamy Coconut Shrimp, or Grilled Salmon in foil.

How to Make Oven Baked Parmesan Tilapia

Ingredients 

• Tilapia – To quickly thaw frozen tilapia, place the fish in a ziplock plastic bag (or keep in its vacuumed sealed packaging). Submerge into a bowl of room temperature water. Change out water every 20 minutes if it becomes too cold. For best results, thaw the fish overnight in the refrigerator.
• Parmesan Cheese – Freshly grated is best, but grated parmesan may also be used.
• Butter – Make sure butter is softened to blend easily with the parmesan topping ingredients.
• Lemon Juice – Use freshly squeezed lemons and serve with additional lemon wedges. For extra lemon flavor, zest the lemon and add to the topping before juicing.
• Mayonnaise – Light or regular mayo
• Garlic
• Seasonings – Parsley (fresh or dried), basil, and seasoning salt (or substitute salt and pepper)

Directions 

1. For easy clean up line the baking sheet with aluminum foil. Parchment paper traps too much moisture into the fish and makes it soggy.
2. Mix together the topping ingredients in a small bowl and spread parmesan mixture on tilapia fillets. Sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese on top of mayo mixture. 
3. Parmesan Crusted Tilapia recipe may be baked or broiled. Bake in a 400ºF oven for 10 minutes or broil for 4-5 minutes.

Read below for more tips on cooking fish and how to tell when the tilapia is done. 

Tips for Baking Tilapia

Use the pointers below to help you confidently tackle any seafood recipe! 

1. Most recipes describe fish as being done when it “flakes easily with a fork.” For more reliability use an instant read thermometer to make sure it’s at 145ºF in the thickness part of the filet. Also look for the color inside changing from translucent to opaque. 
2. For frozen fish allow 24 hours in the refrigerator to thaw a 1 pound package. To speed up the process, leave fish in vacuumed sealed pouches and submerge in a bowl of room temperature water. Directly rinsing fish will change the texture and add too much moisture.
3. Whether I’m baking, frying, or poaching fish, I always pat it dry first to remove excess moisture and prevent it from becoming mushy.
4. A general rule of thumb is to cook 10 minutes per inch thickness of fish. Add 5 minutes if cooked in foil or in a sauce.

Broiled or Baked Parmesan Tilapia 

Parmesan tilapia may be baked or broiled, depending on your preference and time.

Broiling doesn’t require preheating and the fish cooks faster. However, baking reduces the risk of overcooking and the tilapia bakes more evenly. 

BROILING TILAPIA: Broiled tilapia only takes 4-5 minutes, so make sure everything to go with the meal is prepared before popping it under the broiler.

Place the oven rack about 4 inches from heat source, and broil 4-5 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through to cook evenly.

BAKING TILAPIA: Heat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Place oven rack in middle position and bake about 10 minutes. I like to follow with a quick 1 minute broil to make cheese mixture crispy. 

Can I Substitute a Different Type of Fish?

Absolutely! The parmesan mayo topping will compliment many different types of fish, such as cod, sole, halibut, swai, pollock, or sea bass, or grouper. 

Tilapia is a thinner white fish, so if using a thicker type of fish add additional cooking time. To make sure fish is adequately cooked use an instant read thermometer. The temperature should read 145ºF in the thickness part of the fillet.

How to Reheat Tilapia

Avoid the microwave when reheating cooked fish. An oven or toaster oven gives better results because the fish can be reheated gently while maintaining its crunchy, crusted topping.

1. Preheat oven to 300ºF.
2. Place a large piece of foil on a baking sheet and lay fish on top of foil. Fold up the sides of the foil so it’s loosely tenting the fish.
3. Bake until fish is heated through. This will take approximately 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. 

Click here to see the step-by-step web story instructions for this recipe!

What Goes With Parmesan Crusted Tilapia?

Below are some of my favorite sides to go with tilapia, but go to my what to serve with fish resource for many others!

• Crispy Oven Baked Fries
• Roasted Zucchini (low carb)
• Crispy Roasted Ranch Potatoes 
• Green Bean Salad (low carb)
• Roasted Potatoes & Green Beans
• Crispy Oven Roasted Cabbage (low carb)

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