How to Cook Tilapia
Tilapia is a common fish found at most supermarkets and seafood markets. It is commonly sold in filets with the bones removed, which makes it extremely easy to cook with. Tilapia is best described as having a somewhat firm, white colored flesh. It is not a very oily meat and has a mild sweet flavor. Common methods of preparing tilapia include baking, frying and grilling. When cooking with tilapia, because the flesh is delicate and not particularly oily, care must be taken to prevent it from becoming overly dry. Because tilapia does not have a strong flavor like other species of fish such as salmon, it can be prepared with a wide variety of flavorings and spices. Because of all the things this fish has to offer knowing how to cook tilapia is a useful culinary skill.
Tilapia is commonly sold frozen in individual packets. If this is the case, there is little you can do to control the quality of the fish you are purchasing. However, frozen tilapia is a pretty safe bet because it was frozen at the processing plant. This means that it has not been sitting out at warmer temperatures like fish filets that are delivered fresh. However, if you do find fresh tilapia filets, you want them to be soft and springy to the touch. If you press on them lightly and your fingerprint stays indented on the filet, it is probably too old to use.
Tilapia is a lean, healthy fish that is an ideal main course for health conscious consumers. It tastes excellent when crusted in blackening spice and thrown on the grill or when baked in the oven with a little olive oil and lime. However, if you are interested in creating a rich, flavorful dinner, baking it in the oven with a higher fat sauce will help the fish to stay moist and delicious.
For an Asian inspired meal, try making a coconut milk based sauce with a little lemon grass and ginger. Simply spread this sauce over the fish and throw it in the oven until it flakes with a fork and the sauce has reduced a bit. A dish like that could then be served over a bed of rice. Basmati is always a good choice as it is both fragrant and flavorful.
Listed below is an easy, delicious way to enjoy tilapia. Try it for dinner sometime and you won’t be disappointed.
Baked Tilapia Recipe – Orange Tilapia
Serves 6
How to Cook Tilapia
For this baked tilapia recipe you will need:
- 2 pounds tilapia filets
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 4 cloves finely diced garlic
- 2 1/2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 hardboiled eggs cut into wedges
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Juice of 1 lime wedge (optional)
- Parsley to garnish (optional)
Step 1
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees and place the tilapia filets in a ceramic baking dish.
Step 2
Sauté the onions and garlic over medium heat (with the vegetable oil) until the onions become translucent and the garlic appears slightly golden. Take care to not have the pan too hot as this can burn the garlic, causing a bitter taste. The onions will visibly soften.
Step 3
When the garlic and onions are done, add in the cilantro, salt, pepper and pour this over the tilapia filets in the baking dish.
Step 4
Mix together the orange juice, lemon juice and lime juice in a small bowl and pour this concoction over the tilapia, garlic and onions. Make sure to cover the filets evenly. After doing this, place the dish in the oven and bake it for approximately 20 minutes, or until the tilapia filets flake easily.
Step 5
Remove the fish from the oven and place the hardboiled egg wedges overtop of the filets. Arrange filets on an appropriate serving platter and garnish with sprigs of parsley.
This dish is light, flavorful and healthy. It will pair well with a tomato, avocado and queso fresco salad. An appropriate wine selection is a nice white wine such as a sauvignon blanc. This wine will not overpower the flavors of the dish and the acidity of the wine will complement the citric acid found in the orange tilapia.
For more guides about how to cook tilapia, see: