Crispy and perfectly flaky, this air fryer tilapia recipe is the perfect high protein addition to any meal and is ready in just 15 minutes! Serve flavorful air fryer fish along side potatoes, rice, on top of a salad or in tacos.
Why This Recipe Works
Cooking fish can feel intimidating but this air fryer tilapia recipe takes all of that away! And not only is this recipe super easy it's also super FAST! It's my go-to weeknight dinner that's a little more interesting than a grilled chicken breast!
As a Registered Dietitian I do try to be conscious of our seafood intake. By that I mean that it's recommended that we eat seafood 2x per week (or the equivalent of ~8oz per week). Not only does seafood provide you with protein to help keep you feeling full and satisfied after a meal it also provides a slew of other nutrients that other protein sources may be lacking, such as omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin b12 and vitamin D to name a few.
Making air fryer tilapia is a no brainer and super easy to fit into whatever your taste preferences are. You can change up the seasonings to your liking and change up what you serve it with; tilapia tacos/taco salads or serving with a side of rice or air fryer seasoned potatoes are two of my faves!
Ingredients Needed
- You can use fresh or frozen tilapia filets. Mine were about 4 oz each.
How To Make This Recipe
Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees F. If yours doesn't have a preheat function you can just set it to 375 and let it run for ~5 minutes while you prepare your air fryer tilapia. (I have this Instant Pot brand air fryer which does have this function and I'd highly recommend this air fryer if you are looking for one!)
Scramble your egg into a shallow bowl.
Mix together your bread crumbs and seasonings and put on a plate, set aside.
Dip a filet of fish into the egg, be sure to coat both sides.
Next, dip your egg dipped fish into the bread crumb mixture. Again, be sure to coat both sides.
Repeat this process with fish tilapia filets.
Place your crusted fish filets into an air fryer basket that has been sprayed lightly with non-stick spray.
Cook air fried tilapia at 375 for 10 minutes.
Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Honestly, I usually make air fryer frozen fish! I usually will thaw the fish first, but have done it without thawing too (just add an extra minute or two onto the cooking time)
Totally! You can use smaller pieces of fish and follow the same process to make air fryer fish sticks. Depending on how big your pieces are you may need to reduce the time by ~5 minutes.
You can really get creative with the air fryer tilapia breading and use any cracker or chip! I have a recipe for cheez it chicken tenders that I love and using cheez its would totally work here too!
Yep! If you don't want the breading I would recommend giving your fish a dab of oil, add seasoning, and cook at the same temp.
Like anything breaded it's usually best the day of, because it's crispiest. However you can totally make a few of these, keep in the fridge, and re-heat later! To re-heat you can either microwave or pop in the air fryer for about 5 minutes at 375.
Expert Tips
Here are some of my favorite things to serve with tilapia made in the air fryer:
- Air fryer seasoned potatoes
- Crispy air fryer sweet potato fries
- Rice (brown or white!)
- Tortillas for tacos
- Air fryer carrots fries
- Steamed broccoli (I like the frozen microwavable bags!)
- Mixed greens for a salad
- Grilled zucchini
Other Recipes You Might Like:
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XOXO
-Colleen
Crispy Air Fryer Tilapia
Perfectly crisp & flaky air fryer tilapia in just 15 minutes!
Ingredients
- 3, 4 oz tilapia fillets
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs (I like panko)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees F. If yours doesn't have a preheat function you can just set it to 375 and let it run for ~5 minutes while you prepare your air fryer tilapia. (I have this Instant Pot brand air fryer which does have this function and I'd highly recommend this air fryer if you are looking for one!)
Scramble your egg into a shallow bowl.
Mix together your bread crumbs and seasonings and put on a plate, set aside.
Dip a filet of fish into the egg, be sure to coat both sides.
Next, dip your egg dipped fish into the bread crumb mixture. Again, be sure to coat both sides.
Repeat this process with fish tilapia filets.
Place your crusted fish filets into an air fryer basket that has been sprayed lightly with non-stick spray.
Cook air fried tilapia at 375 for 10 minutes.
Enjoy!
Notes
Fish is best eaten day of, as it will be the crispiest. However you can store in a container in the fridge for 3-5 days. I'd suggest re-heating in the air fryer for a few minutes at 370.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 243Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 127mgSodium: 413mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 34g
Jesse
I used this method with catfish instead of tilapia, and it was so good! Also, your "one hand for egg and the other hand for breading" trick is SO KEY. I used to hate dredging things in egg/crumbs, and now it will be my life. Thank you!
Colleen
So glad!