Air Fryer Tilapia
Air Fryer Tilapia with a crispy panko parmesan crust is irresistible! You can make it under 15 mins and you’ll always get juicy, flakey fish. Make this panko crusted Tilapia with fresh or frozen fillets in your air fryer for a healthy, delicious meal at home.
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Servings: 3 people
Calories: 280kcal
Cost: $3
Equipment
- air fryer
Ingredients
- 3 Tilapia Fillets **I used frozen thawed fillets. You can use fresh fillets.
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice **fresh squeezed lemon juice.
- 2 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
- 1 egg **I used medium egg.
- 2 tbsp Parmesan Cheese **grated parmesan cheese.
- ¾ cups Panko Bread crumbs **lightly toasted.
- cooking oil spray **I used avocado cooking oil spray.
Seasonings
- ½ tsp old bay seasoning
- ½ tsp Paprika **sweet paprika. DO NOT use smoked paprika.
- ½ tsp Ground Black Pepper
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- Salt (to taste) **use according to your personal taste preference.
Instructions
Prep Tilapia fillets
- Rinse the tilapia fillets (fresh fillets or if frozen thaw them first). Pat them dry completely with the help of kitchen towels. Place them on a clean plate and drizzle the lemon juice on the fish fillets. Gently massage the fillets with your fingers to lightly coat them with the juice.
- Now, whisk together all the dry seasonings (paprika, garlic powder, ground black pepper, old bay seasoning & salt). Sprinkle about 1.5 tbsp seasoning mix on the tilapia fillets and gently rub to coat the fillets very well both sides. Set them aside.
How to make the panko crust?
- Lightly toast the panko bread crumbs over medium high heat in a skillet on the stove top until they turn golden in color. Stir frequently to prevent them from burning. Transfer them on a flat plate. Also, whisk the egg and place it on a pasta bowl or plate. Place the all purpose flour on a flat plate.
- Mix the remaining ½ tbsp seasoning mix and the grated parmesan cheese with the toasted panko crumbs.
- Form an assembling station on the kitchen countertop and place the plates in this order: All purpose flour, whisked egg & toasted panko. Coat the seasoned tilapia fillet both sides with the flour first, shake off excess flour. Than, dip the flour coated tilapia in the whisked egg (both sides). Immediately, coat the fillet both sides with the toasted panko breadcrumbs, press the crumbs lightly with your finger tips so that they stick to the surface of the fish and coat it uniformly. Repeat this process until you are done breading all the tilapia fillets.
Air Fry Tilapia
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil spray. Than place the panko crusted tilapia fillets in the basket. DO NOT overlap or stack the fillets. Place them in a single layer. I could about 2 fillets at a time.
- Spray the fish with cooking oil spray. Air fry at 400 F for 8 mins. Serve immediately for best crispy texture and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Tips, steps, detailed ingredients substitutions: You can find these in the post body. Just scroll up.
- Can I use regular panko instead of toasted panko: Yes, you can definitely use it but you won't achieve the gorgeous golden colored crispy crust in that case. For an uniform golden crust you need to toast the panko. You can toast it ahead and store it in an air tight container. It'll last for 1 month on the kitchen countertop.
- Fresh or frozen tilapia fillets: You can use any. For frozen fillets you need to thaw them first. You can either thaw them overnight in the fridge or place them in a bowl of warm water and allow them to rest for 1-2 hours or until thawed.
- Gluten free crust option: For a gluten free crust skip the panko and coat the seasoned tilapia fillets with almond flour. The rest of the recipe will remain the same. You can also toast the almond flour lightly and than use it to coat the fish. This will add so much flavor and extra crunch.
- Can I skip the oil: Yes, if you are on a low oil diet just skip spraying the panko crusted tilapia with cooking oil spray before air frying. The cook time won't change.
- Can I make it spicy: Yes, of course. Just add red pepper flakes into the seasoning mix. You can also serve the crispy air fryer tilapia with sriracha sauce or any hot sauce for extra heat.
Nutrition Facts
Air Fryer Tilapia
Amount Per Serving
Calories 280
Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 142mg47%
Sodium 273mg12%
Potassium 597mg17%
Carbohydrates 16g5%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 40g80%
Vitamin A 280IU6%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Calcium 99mg10%
Iron 2mg11%
* Read our privacy policy - Calorie information is provided as a courtesy only and should be leveraged as an estimate rather than a guarantee.Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition
Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 273mg | Potassium: 597mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 280IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 2mg