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    🏠Home » Recipes » Fish Recipes

    Baked Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

    Oct 21, 2021 · Modified: Mar 16, 2023 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan · 88 Comments

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4.26 from 371 votes

    This easy baked Parmesan crusted tilapia recipe features a flavorful Parmesan crust from only a few everyday ingredients. The perfect weeknight dinner recipe is ready in under 30 minutes.

    close up image of carmisan crusted tilapia

    Jump To:
    • 👨‍🍳How to make this recipe
    • 🐟What is Tilapia?
    • ❓FAQs
    • 🍽️What To Serve with Tilapia?
    • 📖Tilapia Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • Recipe

    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    Introduction

    A quick and easy weeknight recipe with a weekend eloquence. This has become a standard in our home. It is also an excellent fit for any low-carb or keto diet.

    It's time to eat more fish. I need to, and so do you. But easier said than done. This is a slight modification of a Rachel Ray recipe.

    👨‍🍳How to make this recipe

    1. Preheat oven
    2. Prepare a baking sheet with foil and a coat of oil.
    3. Wash and dry tilapia.
    4. Mix topping of Parmesan and seasonings.
    5. Coat tilapia with oil, then dredge in the topping and pat it on firmly.
    6. Place on a baking sheet and pat a little more topping on the fish.
    7. Bake for about 10-12 minutes until flaky.

    🐟What is Tilapia?

    Tilapia is frequently referred to as "the chicken of fish" due to its mild taste and ease of mass production on farms.

    They are generally freshwater inhabiting shallow streams, ponds, rivers, and lakes. Tilapia is native to Africa and the Middle East. However, they've been distributed worldwide, and they're farmed almost everywhere.

    While you can attack any farm-raised fish for the method, or any farm product, the facts still support tilapia as a good source of low-fat protein. Tilapia is lower in omega-3 than some wild fish but lower in mercury.

    ❓FAQs

    Can I use frozen tilapia?

    Yes, frozen is fine if fully thawed. I try to toss the package of frozen fish in the refrigerator the day before, which always works great.

    Fresh tilapia also works well if you have a good source.

    What Parmesan cheese to use?

    You need a good Parmesan since so much of the flavor is the cheese—quality matters.

    I like to get a nice wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano and shred or grate as needed. I use lots of Parmesan, and it will last me for at least six months.

    Can I use a different fish?

    Yes, but it needs to be relatively firm and not more than about ¾ inch thick, or the coating will be done before the fish.

    Can I use a different seasoning?

    The beauty of home cooking is seasoning to your taste. I generally add a touch of garlic powder for my wife.

    Some people will like something like lemon pepper, Old Bay, or cajan seasoning.

    When is the tilapia done?

    It will get a very nice brown and will take 10-12 minutes. The fish will also be flakey if you check. If you are unsure, the internal temperature should be 145°.

    🍽️What To Serve with Tilapia?

    For a complete meal, a nice starch and a vegetable are needed.

    For the starch, baked French fries, stovetop mac & cheese, baked rice, or roasted red potatoes are excellent choices.

    Excellent choices for a vegetable side dish are roasted asparagus, roasted cauliflower, or bacon-baked green beans.

    📖Tilapia Recipes

    Grilled Blackened Tilapia

    Oven Baked Blackened Tilapia

    Grilled Lemon Butter Tilapia

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    101's Best Recipes, Easy Dinner Recipes, Fish Recipes, Low Carb/Keto Recipes
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    pat dry tilapia with paper towels

    Preheat the oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional.  Wash and pat dry tilapia fillets.

    brushing oil on foil covered tray

    Line a baking dish or sheet with aluminum foil and brush foil with oil.

    grating fresh Parmesan cheese

    Grate Parmesan if needed.

    mixing coating in a shallow pan

    Mix Parmesan, paprika, parsley, salt, and pepper in a shallow pan.

    brushing raw tilapia with oil

    Brush tilapia with oil on both sides and then dredge in the Parmesan mixture patting the coating on. Place on the baking sheet. Take some of the remaining Parmesan mixture and pat on top of the already coated fish.

    crusted tilapia on a white plate

    Bake for about 10-12 minutes until flaky.

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    Recipe

    Parmisan crusted tilapia on a white plate

    Baked Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    This easy baked Parmesan crusted tilapia recipe is just wonderful with a flavorful Parmesan crust from only a few everyday ingredients. A perfect everyday dinner recipe ready in under 30 minutes.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.26 from 371 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 12 minutes
    Total Time: 22 minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 4 servings

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 1 pound Tilapia
    • 1 cup Parmesan cheese - grated fresh if possible
    • 1 tablespoon paprika
    • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
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    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional. Line a baking sheet or baking pan with aluminum foil and brush with olive oil.
      brushing oil on foil covered tray
    • Wash and pat dry tilapia with paper towels.
      dry tilapia
    • Mix Parmesan, paprika, parsley, salt, and pepper in a shallow pan.
      mixing coating in a shallow pan
    • Brush tilapia with oil on both sides and then dredge in the Parmesan mixture and pat on the coating. Place on the baking sheet. Add some of the extra coating on top of the fish.
      brushing raw tilapia with oil
    • Bake for about 10-12 minutes until flaky.
      crusted tilapia on a white plate
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

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    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips

    1. You can use fresh or frozen tilapia that is completely thawed.
    2. Be sure to dry the tilapia well with paper towels before coating.
    3. The quality of the Parmesan cheese matters a lot in this recipe.
    4. I like to add a little extra topping just before going into the oven.
    5. If unsure, fish is done at 145° internal temperature in the thickest part.

    To adjust the recipe size:

    You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Nutrition Facts
    Baked Parmesan Crusted Tilapia
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 267 Calories from Fat 117
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 13g20%
    Saturated Fat 5g25%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
    Monounsaturated Fat 5g
    Cholesterol 79mg26%
    Sodium 685mg29%
    Potassium 386mg11%
    Carbohydrates 1g0%
    Fiber 0.2g1%
    Sugar 0.2g0%
    Protein 32g64%
    Vitamin A 1750IU35%
    Vitamin C 0.8mg1%
    Calcium 290mg29%
    Iron 1.3mg7%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Main Course
    Cuisine : American

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    Editor's Note: Originally Published December 18, 2010, which was the first year of the blog. The blog has grown 1000X since that time. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.

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    1. Simon

      February 02, 2023 at 8:55 pm

      5 stars
      Great recipe. My wife and I loved it. Our new favorite way to make tilapia. Normally, I use a panko crusted recipe that we have used for years, but this one may take the spot in the rotation, or at least share it. Thanks so much.

      Reply
    2. Penny

      October 19, 2022 at 8:34 am

      5 stars
      Wow! Served at family dinner and you got thumbs up from everyone. Followed recipe to the T except I didn’t have dried parsley and substituted Italian seasoning. Used shelf parm although fresh would have been amazing I’m sure!

      Reply
    3. Julia Marple

      September 04, 2022 at 3:30 pm

      5 stars
      Turned out great! I had all of the ingredients on hand. We will have it again. Needed longer to cook in a conventional oven. Thanks.

      Reply
    4. Matt

      May 12, 2022 at 7:16 pm

      3 stars
      Made this with fresh Parm. Must have been too moist as it did not stick to the fish at all. Not sure what could be done for this to make it stick better. Perhaps using grated parm rather than fresh would produce better results in terms of adhesion?

      Reply
    5. Alicia

      July 12, 2021 at 3:30 pm

      It did not come out crispy at all, nothing like the picture! But it’s flavorful.

      Reply
    6. Carolyn Godfrey

      June 13, 2020 at 8:24 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for this tasty recipe! I didn’t have parsley, so I used Oregano. I also used some cayenne sprinkled over each piece of tilapia. I added garlic powder, because we love garlic and it was delicious!

      Reply
      • JuneJ

        April 28, 2021 at 6:09 pm

        This is such a wonderfully flexible recipe. I have also used THAWED fish from Walmart with wonderful results. My husband was die hard grudingly an eater of frozen battered fillets and sticks. I added just a bit of Pablo crumbs to this & he happily ASKS for this now. It can easily handle varying the herbs and come out delicious every time. I have also made it in bigger amounts for groups of the family. Easy, heart healthy & delicious!! Thanks for posting it.

      • Toots

        May 12, 2021 at 7:50 pm

        5 stars
        This came out super crispy and flaky. It was super easy...The fish cooked perfectly and the fam LOVED it! Definitely a keeper.

    7. Danielle

      April 19, 2020 at 5:50 pm

      This is very delicious, ( especially if my picky daughter) says “they’re the greatest”!!.. it’s our 4th time making them both with a side salad and rolls. Thank you for posting your recipes.

      Reply
    8. Renea Lee

      March 11, 2020 at 5:16 pm

      I'm sorry, but it was nasty. I couldnt eat it. I bought the tilapia at Walmart. The pieces were individually wrapped in its package.
      I followed the instructions. There was no crust and too much paprika.

      Reply
    9. Marty

      February 13, 2020 at 12:38 pm

      DrDan.

      This is the second recipe I’m trying (can’t get enough of your baked filet mignon’s).
      What would help me, a beginner trying to cook for my very experienced wife, would be side dish pairing suggestions for each recipe.

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        February 13, 2020 at 1:37 pm

        Hi Marty,

        Welcome to the blog.

        I have done that a bit with special occasion posts like Thanksgiving and other holidays and recipes targeted at those holidays (who really does sweet potato casserole in the summer?).

        I'm on an aggressive blog rewrite (about 25% done) and I will try to do better with suggestions. I did put all the veggies, salad and potato recipes all in the "side dish" category that may help some. https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/category/vegetable/

        Dan

    10. James

      October 05, 2019 at 5:52 pm

      5 stars
      Good as is ....used smoked paprika instead and added a pinch of cayenne.... awesome dish

      Reply
    11. JB

      August 27, 2019 at 6:15 am

      5 stars
      Dr. Dan,
      I just found your fabulous website! You describe directions so precisely and easy to read. I made your baked chicken breasts last night and they turned out so yummy delicious. I am going to try this baked fish recipe, however, only have frozen cod in the freezer. I will defrost first, but am wondering if the cod texture will hold up to 425 conventional oven. Please advice.
      Thank you!
      JB

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        August 27, 2019 at 8:24 am

        Hi JB,
        Welcome to the blog.
        Glad you are enjoying it.
        The cod should work fine. I have never done this with cod. But if you read the 10-minute rule discussion in the post, you will see that the tilapia is fully or even overcooked a bit to get the crust right. So I would expect the cod to cook well. As you point out, it may be a bit more "fall apart" so handle with care.
        Thanks for the note.
        Dan

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