This Air Fryer Tilapia is ready in under 16 minutes using 5 ingredients. Crispy on the outside with tender and juicy fish, it is a perfect weeknight dinner your entire family will love.
If you are looking for a meatless dinner idea for Lenten Fridays or meatless Mondays, then this air fryer tilapia recipe is worth trying. Perfectly crispy, light, flaky and flavorful, this dish is ready in less than 16 minutes!
When you give this air fryer tilapia a try, you're likely to put this dish on your dinner rotation. You’ll have perfectly flaky fish every single time. It is delicious served with your favorite sauces, made into tilapia fish tacos, a fish sandwich or frozen to come in handy for a busy day.
This is in fact a healthier version of fried fish because there is almost no oil used except for a light coating of oil spray before air frying. The recipe is simple, easy, and delicious served with stovetop mac and cheese and roasted parmesan green beans.
It’s easy to overlook fish when trying to come up with easy weeknight dinner ideas. My salmon in air fryer or frozen fish stick tacos always come in handy when I'm craving something flavorful without having to spend hours in the kitchen.
Tilapia is one of my favorite white fish to cook because it is mild in flavor, versatile, packed with protein, low in calories, easy to prep and doesn't taste fishy.
It doesn’t take a lot of ingredients or effort to make this air fryer tilapia recipe, and it’s perfect if you’re trying to introduce more fish into your daily diet.
Cooking Tilapia in AF is one of the best methods of cooking since the hot air crisps up the panko breading without overcooking the fish.
The secret: Instead of adopting a regular breading method of flour-egg mixture-bread crumb, we’ve come up with a much easier one which involves tossing it in a batter and then coating them with breadcrumbs. The crumbs stay intact and forms a lovely crust on the outside.
Jump to:
Why this recipe works?
- Cooked to perfection - The panko breading cooks crisp and golden yet the fish is tender and flaky on the inside.
- Quick and easy: No marinating needed, and it takes just under 16 minutes to cook from start to finish!
- Healthy: This is a healthier version of fried fish since it is made with almost no oil, making it that much better for you to eat.
- Simple and versatile: 5 simple ingredients to create an easy, light, filling, and healthy weeknight dinner. It can be served as a main course or made into a different meal.
Ingredients
It only takes 5 simple ingredients to make this amazing breaded tilapia recipe!
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Tilapia Fillets - Both fresh or frozen fillets can be used. If using frozen fillets, be sure to thaw completely before air frying. If you don’t have tilapia, use another kind of white fish you love. Also, try to choose even sized fillets so they cook evenly.
- Seasoning - We used a simple mix of salt, pepper and cayenne pepper powder which adds a kick. But feel free to use your favorite seasoning blend.
- Tilapia — Tilapia has a very mild flavor, so it’s perfect for anyone who’s worried about a strong fishy taste. It takes on the flavor of your seasoning really well and is quite budget-friendly.
- Egg: It provides the main binding when combined with all purpose flour and helps the panko breadcrumb stick.
- Panko Breadcrumbs – These breadcrumbs are amazing because they stay nice and crispy without being heavy.
Tip: The beauty of tilapia is that it is so mild tasting, you can switch up the seasoning based how you are likely to serve it. From a simple Italian blend, Cajun, lemon pepper to Mexican, the air fryer tilapia will be just as delicious.
Substitutions & Variations
- Spices - Regular paprika, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cajun seasoning, homemade taco seasoning or lemon pepper are all great options to use.
- Lemon - A fresh squeeze of lemon juice brightens up any seafood dish.
- Make it spicy - Add a squirt of Sriracha into the egg batter.
- Use a different fish - This recipe works well for any white fish like cod, mahi mahi or perch.
- Breadcrumbs - Out of panko? Use regular or seasoned breadcrumbs instead.
- Make it gluten free - Use gluten free panko.
How to make?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
Learn how to give your fish fillet a crisp texture on the outside with moist, tender and flaky without making it dry or chewy. Sometimes the simplest dishes are the most delicious.
- Add 2 eggs, all purpose flour, salt, pepper and a dash of cayenne into a shallow bowl.
- Whisk together to form a smooth, thick batter.
- Using tongs or hands, place a tilapia fillet into the batter.
- Flip over 2 or 3 times making sure that the batter is coated uniformly.
5. Add panko bread crumbs into another shallow bowl. Remove fillets from the batter making sure that excess batter drips off and place on the bread crumb mixture.
6. Dredge breadcrumbs evenly on both sides of the fish, pressing gently to make sure that it sticks to the batter.
7. Preheat you appliance to 400 degrees. When hot, gently transfer the fish into the basket and place in a single layer without overlapping.
8. Spray a coating of non-stick cooking spray and air fry for 10 to 12 minutes, spraying again half way through cooking.
Tip: How do you know when tilapia is done cooking? The flesh turns from opaque to white in color. Insert the tip of a knife on the thickest part of the fillet and it is done cooking if you feel some resistance.
What do you serve with tilapia?
You can keep it simple and serve air fryer tilapia with a squeeze of lemon juice or with tartar sauce. We like to serve with mashed sweet potatoes.
Alternatively, break the fillets into chunks and pile them into tortillas to make easy homemade tacos or made into fish sandwiches with lettuce and tomato slices.
How to store?
Leftovers can be stored either in the freezer or the refrigerator. We prefer freezing since it maintains the crispiness when reheated from frozen.
- To reheat from refrigerator - Microwave until heated through (the crust looses it crispiness) or air fry at 400 degrees for about 3 to 4 minutes or until heated through.
- To reheat from freezer - Place the frozen fish (do not thaw) in the pre heated appliance at 400 degrees for about 6 minutes, flip over and cook for additional 2 to 4 minutes or until heated through.
Helpful tips
- Pat dry with paper towels on both sides - Any moisture on the fillets might not allow the batter to adhere well.
- Don't over lap - We used Instant Vortex 6-quart AF and was able to cook 2 large tilapia fillets at the same time without over lapping. If using a smaller appliance, then make sure to cook in batches so that the breadcrumbs have a chance to crisp up into golden perfection.
- Adjust cooking time based on the thickness of the fish and the brand used.
- Play with seasonings- Get creative and stir in your favorite seasoning blend into the egg batter.
- Thaw Frozen Tilapia - If using frozen tilapia, be sure to let it thaw in the fridge overnight before use. If you cook your tilapia straight from the freezer, it may cook unevenly.
Tip: It’s important to cook in a single layer and not to overcrowd, so the air is able to circulate cooking it all the way through.
Recipe FAQs
If you have time then transfer the fillets to refrigerator overnight to thaw completely. Alternatively, place the frozen fish (do not remove packaging or the plastic bag) in a large bowl and cover with room temperature water (or slightly cooler), until thawed. Warm or hot water will mess with the fish's texture (more detailed article here).
It depends on the cooking temperature, thickness of the fish, appliance brand and the number of fillets being cooked. I used Instant Vortex 6 quart AF and it took about 11 minutes for 2 large fish fillets. If you are using a different variety of fish, then it might take longer.
We recommend cooking it only one side, which results well browned and crispier top crust and you don't run the risk of breaking the tender fillet when flipping over.
It can be difficult for the breading to adhere to frozen fillets and it might turn out soggy when cooking from frozen. So it’s best to thaw the tilapia first. Make sure to place them in the fridge the night before, so they have enough time to properly thaw.
The best way to tell if your fish is done is by inserting the tip of knife into the thickest part and it is done if you hit some resistance. The fish will also turn white in color and flake easily when it's done. If you are using a meat thermometer, then a good rule of thumb is to cook the fish to an internal temperature of 140-145 degrees.
More meatless dinner ideas to try:
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Air Fryer Tilapia
Ingredients
Wet batter
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
Additional ingredients
- 2 large tilapia fillets patted dry
- 1 and ½ cups panko bread crumbs
Equipment used
Instructions
- Add all wet batter ingredients into a shallow bowl, whisk until smooth and well combined.
- Place panko breadcrumbs in another shallow bowl.
- Place tilapia in the wet batter, turning over couple of times to make sure that it is coated thoroughly. Lift tilapia with hands or tongs, allowing excess batter to drip off and then place over the bread crumbs.
- Pack bread crumbs on both sides of the fish (pressing with fingers to adhere). Transfer to a plate and repeat process with remaining fish.
Cook
- Pre heat air fryer to 400°F for 12 minutes. When ready, place tilapia, spacing evenly and spray the top with non-stick cooking spray. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until cooked through.Tip: Spraying a coating of non-stick cooking spray again once half way through cooking, helps to achieve a more golden crisp crust.
- Serve with homemade tartar sauce or make into fish tacos or sandwich.
- (Refer notes for quick tartar sauce recipe)
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third party calculations, should be considered estimates and not be construed as a guarantee. Varying factors such as product types, brands purchased, produce, the way ingredients are processed and more change the nutritional information in any recipe.
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All contents and images are my original work, unless and otherwise mentioned. Please do not use my recipes or images without linking back to www.kitchenathoskins.com. If you wish to republish a recipe, please rewrite in your own words and don’t forget to include a link back to the original recipe.
Some of the links above are affiliate links, which pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Thank you for supporting kitchenathoskins.com
Sharon
Hi, just got an air fryer so we are trying all sorts of recipes, and this came out really good! The one thing I changed was to add 1-2 T of olive oil to the crumbs instead of spraying the fish in the fryer (I'm trying not to spray in there, to keep it cleaner). This has always worked for me in the oven, and it worked perfectly in the air fryer too.
Maria Doss
Hi Sharon, I love the idea of mixing in oil into the bread crumbs, glad you liked it - Maria
Kate
Turned out great, thanks for the recipe! I thought the batter was a little thick so I added milk.
Maria Doss
Sounds good, have a great weekend - Maria
Leslie
I followed Sharon's idea and added 3 TBL of Queen Creek Olive Mill 3 Chili Olive Oil in Panko crumbs and also some garlic powder with the cayenne and battered yellow and zucchini squash and OH MAN! Crunchy but not greasy, great recipe - Thanks!
Maria Doss
Sounds great hun, Maria
Alan
Made this last night. Super crispy coating and moist fish. I did flip the filets after about 7 minutes and let the bottom crisp up. Love Leslie's idea of coating some zucchini in this as well. The possibilities seem endless. Pickles?? Jalepeno poppers?
Maria Doss
So glad you love this tilapia hun, have a wonderful day - Maria ❤️