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Air Fryer Tilapia.
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5 from 1 vote

Air Fryer Tilapia

The air fryer is a game changer for fish! This air fryer tilapia recipe will teach you how to cook tilapia perfectly every time in your air fryer, with your choice of seasoning and flavors.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dairy free, easy, fish, gluten free, healthy, soy free, tilapia
Servings: 4
Calories: 163kcal
Author: Tonje
Cost: Cheap

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 4 tilapia fish fillets

Cajun seasoning

Instructions

  • Preheat your air fryer to 390 °F / 200 °C. If necessary, spray the inside of your air fryer with cooking spray to prevent the fish from sticking to it.
  • You don't want to stack any fish fillets on top of each other. If you're cooking a large amount, you might have to air fry the fish in several batches.

Using fresh fish

  • Season the tilapia well on both sides with your choice of seasoning.
  • Air fry the fish for about 4-7 minutes, depending on the size of your fillets and the efficiency of your air fryer. You can check if they have cooked through by touching the fillets with a fork. If the fish flakes at the touch, they are ready to serve.

Using frozen tilapia

  • Air fry the fish for about 5 minutes. This will allow the surface of the fish to thaw. Remove it from the air fryer basket, and season well on both sides.
  • Add it back to the basket, and air fry for another 5-7 minutes, depending on the size of your fish. The tilapia is ready to serve when it flakes at the touch of a fork.

Notes

Seasoning

You can use any seasoning you like for your tilapia. I typically just eyeball the amount until there’s a thin layer of seasoning on the fish, but aim to use about ½ teaspoon in total on each fish fillet. Here are some of my top choices:
Premade seasoning blend: You can buy premade mixed seasoning, like fish seasoning, taco seasoning, or Cajun seasoning. Any of these will work well!
Mediterranean: Use salt, lemon pepper and basil.
Tex Mex: Use taco seasoning, or a combination of salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and cumin.
Salt and pepper: A simple combination of salt and pepper works well.
Spicy: Salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and chili powder.

Leftovers

You can store leftover tilapia in a refrigerator for up to 3 days. I like to reheat it in a microwave for about a minute, and serve it hot.
Since fish is so lean, it tends to try out a little when it’s reheated. I highly recommend serving the leftover fish with a sauce like yogurt dill sauce, sweet chili sauce or salsa, to keep it flavorful and juicy.

Nutrition

Calories: 163kcal | Protein: 34g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 88mg | Potassium: 513mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg