Name: Lemon Butter Tilapia
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
Ingredients: ⅓ cup flour; ½ tsp salt; ¼ cup butter; 4 tilapia fillets (6-ounces); ½ tsp lemon pepper; 1 lemon (sliced); 2 tbsp lemon juice

This lemon butter tilapia is a perfect simple, healthy, and delicious seafood main dish that can be made in less than 30 minutes.

Step up your fish game with this super simple lemon butter tilapia. It is so simple delicious, and easy to make. I love cooking with Tilapia because it doesn’t have such a strong fish taste. It pairs with just about any seasoning and flavor combo.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

To make lemon butter tilapia, you will need the following ingredients:

Flour
Salt
Butter
Tilapia fillets
Lemon Pepper
Lemon
Lemon Juice

Equipment Needed

For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:

How to Make Our Lemon Butter Tilapia

In a small bowl, mix together flour and salt.
Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Dredge tilapia fillets in flour mixture and sprinkle each with lemon pepper seasoning, then add them to the melted butter in the skillet.
Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until the tilapia is cooked through and flakes easily.
Remove from heat and set aside.
In the heated butter, add in sliced lemon and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until they start to brown.
Add the tilapia back to the skillet and drizzle with lemon juice, cooking for 1-2 more minutes.
Serve warm.

How to Pick Fresh or Frozen Tilapia

Picking fish can be a little intimidating. I know I feel like I have no idea what I am doing when I pick fish. Is fresh or frozen better? The answer is, they are both good choices. Here is how to pick the best fresh tilapia:

When picking fresh tilapia, it’s important to look at the health of the fish. Many of the stores, still have eyes, gills and scales on their tilapia. If this is the case, be sure to check for clear eyes, that are slightly bulging.
The skin of the fish should be shiny and firm, with gills that are bright red.
The scent of the fish is also an important thing to look for. You don’t want the fish to smell super strong. You want to have to get in close to it, before smelling it strongly.
If you don’t notice any of these characteristics, it’s most likely that the fish is not fresh, but was frozen then thawed, and has been sitting out longer than it should, for desired taste and freshness. If this is the case, we recommend looking in the frozen fish section, when looking for tilapia.
When picking frozen tilapia, it’s important to look for ice crystals and freezer burn. If this is the case, it is likely that the fish was frozen, thawed, then frozen again. This will take away from the quality and taste.
Once you have purchased your frozen tilapia, it’s important you keep it frozen until you are ready to use it. This will help the fish retain it’s nutrients and fresh quality. To thaw, we have found our fish have the best results when we rinse them under cool water, until they are completely thawed. Once thawed, cook immediately.

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Cooked fish fillets garnished with slices of lemon and chopped parsley on a white plate.

Lemon Butter Tilapia

5 from 1 vote

This lemon butter tilapia is a perfect simple, healthy, and delicious seafood main dish that can be made in less than 30 minutes.

4 servings

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 12

Total Time 22

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Ingredients

Equipment

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix together flour and salt.
Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Dredge tilapia fillets in flour mixture and sprinkle each with lemon pepper seasoning, then add them to the melted butter in the skillet.
Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until the tilapia is cooked through and flakes easily.
Remove from heat and set aside.
In the heated butter, add in sliced lemon and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until they start to brown.
Add the tilapia back to the skillet and drizzle with lemon juice, cooking for 1-2 more minutes.
Serve warm.

Notes

When picking fresh tilapia, it’s important to look at the health of the fish. Many of the stores, still have eyes, gills and scales on their tilapia. If this is the case, be sure to check for clear eyes, that are slightly bulging.
The skin of the fish should be shiny and firm, with gills that are bright red.
The scent of the fish is also an important thing to look for. You don’t want the fish to smell super strong. You want to have to get in close to it, before smelling it strongly.
If you don’t notice any of these characteristics, it’s most likely that the fish is not fresh, but was frozen then thawed, and has been sitting out longer than it should, for desired taste and freshness. If this is the case, we recommend looking in the frozen fish section, when looking for tilapia.
When picking frozen tilapia, it’s important to look for ice crystals and freezer burn. If this is the case, it is likely that the fish was frozen, thawed, then frozen again. This will take away from the quality and taste.
Once you have purchased your frozen tilapia, it’s important you keep it frozen until you are ready to use it. This will help the fish retain it’s nutrients and fresh quality. To thaw, we have found our fish have the best results when we rinse them under cool water, until they are completely thawed. Once thawed, cook immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 313 kcal · Carbohydrates: 11 g · Protein: 36 g · Fat: 15 g · Saturated Fat: 8 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 4 g · Trans Fat: 0.5 g · Cholesterol: 116 mg · Sodium: 471 mg · Potassium: 576 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 1 g · Vitamin A: 362 IU · Vitamin C: 17 mg · Calcium: 31 mg · Iron: 2 mg

Cuisine: French

Cost: $10

Author: Steph Loaiza

Course: Main Course