Air fryer tilapia
Lemon pepper tilapia with golden edges in about eight minutes, so light and easy it works any night of the week.
- 20 min total
- 5 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 2
- About $2.38 a serving
- 230 calories
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: I’d make this on a weeknight. It’s on the table in 20 minutes.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- 2 tilapia fillets, thawed if frozen
- 1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
- 1 tbsp butter, melted
- ½ lemon, cut into wedges
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
From your pantry
- 2 tsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp paprika
- 1 pinch salt
Each serving has about 230 calories, 29 g protein, 2 g carbs and 13 g fat, and costs about $2.38 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No tilapia fillets? Cod fillets work.
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No lemons? Limes work.
- No fresh parsley? Cilantro works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the air fryer to 400°F for 3 minutes.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Timer: 3 min
the tilapia dry and brush both sides with the oil.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Sprinkle both sides with the lemon pepper, garlic powder, paprika and salt.
Line the basket with a piece of trimmed to fit and lay the fillets on it without overlapping.
Parchment paper. Parchment paper is a nonstick, oven-safe paper for lining pans. Food lifts right off and cleanup is easy, but don’t swap in wax paper or put parchment under the broiler.
How you’ll know: It lies flat in the pan, and the food slides off when you lift it.
Dolly’s tip: Tilapia is delicate and sticks to a bare basket. Parchment makes it slide right off.Air fry for 7 to 9 minutes, until opaque and flaking at the edges. There’s no need to flip.
Timer: 8 min
Food safety: Fish is done at 145°F, when the middle looks opaque and flakes apart easily with a fork.
with the butter, squeeze the lemon over and scatter the parsley on top.
Drizzle. Drizzling means pouring a thin, slow stream over the top of something. A thin stream spreads a little flavor a long way.
How you’ll know: You see thin lines across the food, not a puddle collecting underneath.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
