Baked Tilapia with Lemon Garlic Butter
Flaky tilapia baked at 400°F under a lemon garlic butter with paprika. On the table in 20 minutes with one baking dish.
40% of it needs you at the counter
- Hands-on
- 8 min
- Cooking
- 12 min
- Serves
- 4
- Calories
- 270
- Protein
- 35 g
- Per serving
- $2.53
Why this recipe works
Tilapia is mild, inexpensive and nearly always sold frozen, which makes it one of the easiest fish to put on a weeknight table. Thin fillets cook fast, so most of the time here is the oven heating up.
- Drying the fillets first keeps the butter on the fish instead of sliding off into a watery puddle.
- A hot 400°F oven cooks thin fillets through in about 12 minutes, before they have time to dry out.
- Paprika in the butter gives the top color without needing the broiler.
Ingredients
To serve
You will need
- 9x13-inch baking dish
- Instant-read thermometer
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done.
Heat the oven
Heat the oven to 400°F. Pat the fillets very dry with paper towels and lay them in the baking dish in a single layer so they don't overlap.
Make the lemon butter
Stir the melted butter with the garlic, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, the paprika, oregano, salt and pepper.
Bake
Spoon the butter over the fillets. Bake until the fish is opaque all the way through and flakes when pressed with a fork, 10 to 14 minutes depending on thickness, or 145°F in the thickest part.
Baste and serve
Spoon the buttery pan juices back over the fish, squeeze over the rest of the lemon and scatter with parsley. Serve straight from the dish.
Techniques in this recipe
- Fish and seafood145°F / 63°C
- Pork chops, tenderloin, whole cuts of beef145°F / 63°C
- Ground beef, pork and sausage160°F / 71°C
- Chicken and turkey (all cuts)165°F / 74°C
Source: USDA safe minimum internal temperatures. Measure the thickest part, away from bone. Is it done? Safe temperatures
The internal temperatures that tell you chicken, pork, beef, fish and ground meat are cooked safely, and when to pull them early for juicier results.
Read the full guideCrowded: steams and turns grey Spaced out: browns and crisps Don't crowd the pan
Give food space in the pan or on the sheet pan so moisture can escape. Crowded food steams and turns grey; spaced-out food browns and crisps.
Read the full guide
Cook's notes
- Frozen fillets thaw in about 30 minutes sealed in a zip-top bag under cold water.
- Check the thickest fillet at 10 minutes. Thin tilapia goes from just done to dry in a couple of minutes.
- For a golden top, broil for the last 1 to 2 minutes and keep a close eye on it.
Nutrition per serving
270 calories
$2.53 estimated cost per serving
Where the calories come from
| Protein | 52% of calories | 35 g |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs | 1% of calories | 1 g |
| Fat | 47% of calories | 14 g |
| Fiber | 0 g | |
| Sodium | 400 mg |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients and amounts; not lab-tested. Cost estimated from average US retail prices.
Questions people ask
How long do you bake tilapia at 400°F?
About 10 to 14 minutes for fillets around half an inch thick. It's done when the flesh is opaque and flakes easily, or reads 145°F inside.
Is it better to bake tilapia at 350°F or 400°F?
400°F. Thin fillets cook through quickly before they dry out, and the butter browns a little at the edges. At 350°F the same fillets take closer to 20 minutes.
Can you bake tilapia from frozen?
Yes. Rinse off any ice glaze, pat the fillets dry and add 8 to 10 minutes to the bake time, checking for 145°F in the thickest part.
