This Air Fryer Tilapia recipe has “quick and easy dinner” written all over it! Coated in savory lemon and parmesan breadcrumbs and finished with a drizzle of homemade lemon butter, every bite is deliciously tangy, flaky, crunchy, and moist. Plus, it’s ready to eat in just 15 minutes!
Ingredient notes:
- Tilapia fillets – Use fresh or frozen. If using frozen tilapia, be sure to thaw the fillets completely before frying. If you don’t have tilapia, use another kind of white fish you love.
- Breadcrumbs – You can easily swap the regular breadcrumbs for gluten free instead.
- Parmesan cheese – Freshly grated parmesan adds extra saltiness to the breadcrumb coating.
- Spices – Some garlic powder, salt, and black pepper are mixed in with the breading. Mix and match as much as you’d like here; add paprika, cayenne, chili powder, dried parsley, Cajun seasoning, or Italian seasoning to mix up the flavors.
- Lemon butter – This deliciously luscious butter sauce is made with melted butter, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Drizzle a little on each piece of air fried fish for a natural tangy finish. If you don’t want to use butter, swap it for olive oil or ghee instead.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Prepare your air fryer. Line the air fryer basket with a sheet of tin foil and preheat to 400ºF.
Step 2: Set up your breading station. In one shallow bowl, crack and whisk your egg. In a second shallow bowl, combine your breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, lemon zest, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Step 3: Bread the tilapia. Dip each tilapia fillet first into the egg mixture and then into the breadcrumb mixture.
Step 4: Fry the fish. Place your breaded fish fillets into your preheated air fryer and cook at 400°F for about 10 minutes. No need to flip them! Just fry away.
Step 5: Make the lemon butter. Whisk the melted butter, lemon juice, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl while you wait for the fish.
Step 6: Garnish and serve. Drizzle each piece of air fried tilapia with some lemon butter and fresh parsley. Serve with all of your favorite sides and enjoy!
PrintAir Fryer Tilapia
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: dinner
Ingredients
- 2 tilapia fillets patted dry
- 1 egg whisked
- ⅓ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoon parmesan cheese grated
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
for the lemon butter:
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- 2 tablespoon butter melted
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Place a piece of foil into your air fryer, then preheat it to 400° (this should take about 3 minutes).
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Add the whisked egg to a shallow bowl, then on a separate plate, combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan, lemon zest, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Dip the tilapia one at a time into the egg mixture, then into the breadcrumb mixture, making sure it’s completely coated.
- Place the tilapia on top of the foil in your air fryer, then cook it at 400° for 10 minutes.
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While the fish is cooking, make the lemon butter: melt the butter in the microwave, then whisk in the lemon juice, adding more to taste.
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Once the tilapia is cooked, drizzle it with lemon butter, then sprinkle with fresh parsley (optional). Enjoy!
Notes
*Make sure to line your air fryer with foil — this will make cleanup super simple and prevent the fish from sticking.
*Storage: wrap leftovers individually in foil and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
