Looking for an easy way to whip up fish? Try my air fryer tilapia recipe! Enjoy perfectly flaky results in just 20 minutes — you can use fresh or frozen filets.
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We’re pretty big fish eaters in my house. It’s always nice to switch up our source of protein when we’ve been eating chicken and beef all week. Now, I will say that it’s easy to get my family to eat fish if there’s breading involved.
After all, who can resist that crunch? But I don’t always want the hassle, calories, or carbs that go along with breading. I have long searched for a good recipe with no breading involved.
That’s why I was so happy when I discovered delicious air fryer tilapia! It’s a healthy meal made with simple ingredients, so it checks off a lot of boxes for me.
Even though there’s no breading, my whole family still devoured this dish. It turns out that cooking tilapia in the air fryer with some simple seasoning is all we ever needed. Best of all, you can use fresh or frozen filets, and the whole meal takes less than 20 minutes to make. This is a great recipe for those busy weeknights.
Easy recipe, easy cleanup, and yummy results. What more can you ask for?!
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
STEP ONE: Preheat your air fryer and place the tilapia filets on a large plate.
STEP TWO: Drizzle the fish with olive oil so the seasonings stick. Mix the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl.
STEP THREE: Sprinkle the seasoning mix evenly over the tilapia, then place the filets in a single layer in the air fryer basket so that they cook evenly.
STEP FOUR: Air fry tilapia for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. Serve with fresh lemon juice and lemon wedges and enjoy!
It takes about 10 minutes to cook tilapia in the air fryer, depending on the thickness.
Be sure to flip the white fish halfway through the cooking time too. You’ll know it’s done when the fish flakes easily, is golden brown, and has a tender texture.
Check that the internal temperature is at least 145 degrees F to avoid any foodborne illnesses.
I recommend that you drizzle the tilapia with olive oil and the seasoning mixture before you freeze it. Wrap the fish in foil and store it in the freezer in a Ziploc bag. It will keep for 6-8 months.
To cook, preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F and spray the basket with cooking oil, then add the frozen fish in a single layer. Spray with a bit more oil. Cook for 13 minutes (flip halfway through) and voila, easy and delicious results in under 15 minutes.
Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container, where they will keep for 3-4 days until you’re reading to reheat the fish in your air fryer.
To reheat, air frying is a great option! Simply preheat to 400 degrees F, spray the basket with oil, and add the fish. Air fry for about 4 minutes, or until heated through.
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Air Fryer Weight Watcher Points per serving: 8
This nutrition information is based on the exact products I used in this recipe. Brands and sizes of products could alter exact nutrition and should always be calculated independently.
I’ve always had a love of cooking and creating new recipes, so it only made sense to create a food blog so I could share those recipes with you. This site is designed to provide easy and flavorful recipes with as little ingredients as possible. That means you still get great flavor combinations without all that extra time and effort. Read more...
So easy to cook in the air fryer and I love the spices on the tilapia.
Hi Samantha, I love your recipes using the air fryer they are so easy and yommy ❤️
ReplyAww, that is so sweet Paula! I am so glad you are loving the recipes! I have a lot more air fryer recipes coming too! 🙂
Please list the temp for cooking. Preheat at 400. Then what?
ReplyHi Jeane, an air fryer is just like an oven in that you should be preheating it to the temperature you will be cooking at.
Your recipe says to pre heat at 400 but it doesn’t say at what temperature to cook for, also cooking time must differ if your cooking fresh or frozen fish, please add cooking temperature and cooking times for fresh or frozen fish,, many thanks
ReplyHi Mar mar, you should always cook your food at the temperature you preheat at, just like cooking in a normal oven. Also, the cooking times for cooking fresh and frozen tilapia in the air fryer are listed in the written post and recipe card at the bottom as they do differ. Enjoy!
I look forward to trying your recipe. Do we season both sides of the fish? And do you prefer using thawed or frozen tilapia?
ReplyYes, season both sides and I always recommend using fresh when possible and just using the frozen directions when you’re in a pinch.
I am so glad I have found this site, I bought an Air fryer NO recipe book.
I am 76. This info is so helpfull THANK YOU.
I usually do a meal prep for work. I came across this and tried it. All I can say is yummy. I’m doing prep now and trying on some shrimp then I’ll do my fish.
ReplyI’m glad you came across this recipe and decided to give it a try! I hope it turned out wonderfully for you.
Just got my air fryer, and had tilapia on hand, so I googled & found your recipe: I had no paprika , so I used turmeric instead, and my air fryer is HUGE so I put it in the fourth rack & never flipped it. Outstanding!! We gobbled it down and loooved it!
ReplyI’m so glad you loved it, Jen! Since you just got your air fryer, make sure you check out my other air fryer recipes! I have A LOT!
I’m Samantha, a stay-at-home-mom of 2. I’m here to make cooking easier for your whole family and help you find new recipes to put in your regular rotation!
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