Air Fryer Tilapia is so fast and flaky! Coat this yummy white fish in seasoned breadcrumbs for a quick fish dinner with pantry staples.
recipe overview
Fish dinners feel so unattainable, but not with the air fryer! I love this Air Fryer Tilapia because it’s easy to throw together a meal on a weeknight dinner with no plans and prep!
It’s as crunchy as this air fryer eggplant with a seasoned breadcrumb coating that clings to the flaky white fish! Doesn’t it just look like you spent hours in the kitchen?
ingredients
- Tilapia filets: You can use fresh or frozen tilapia for this recipe! If it’s frozen, be sure to thaw it first so the breadcrumbs stick well.
- Spray oil: To keep the tilapia from sticking to the air fryer basket, you need a little oil. It helps the breadcrumbs stick to the tilapia, too.
- Chili powder: I love this spice because it brings a smokiness to the tilapia without a lot of heat. If you want more spice, add a pinch of cayenne pepper to your mix.
- Garlic salt: I use this in place of salt because everything tastes better with garlic! Garlic salt has a sweeter flavor than raw or roasted garlic and goes great with fish.
- Pepper: Pepper is good on all fish! It brings a little spice to the filets without overwhelming anyone at the table.
- Breadcrumbs: I use gluten-free breadcrumbs for this air-fried fish recipe, but you can use any kind! Pat them on the chicken well for the crunchiest coating.
how to make it
- Thaw your filets if necessary and dry them with a paper towel.
- Spray the filets with a little oil on each side.
- Mix together the spice blend in a small bowl.
- Put the breadcrumbs in a ziplock bag and add the spices. Shake it all together.
- Put one filet in the bag at a time and press the breadcrumbs gently into the tilapia. Make sure to coat it completely! Repeat for every filet.
- Cook filets for 10-12 minutes at 400°F or 200°C in air fryer basket. Flip filets halfway through cooking.
what to serve with tilapia
Tilapia goes with any veggie you can think of. A simple side dish like roasted potatoes and Brussels sprouts are a delectable complement to the flaky fish.
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Air Fryer Tilapia
Equipment
- Small bowl
- Ziplock bag
Ingredients
- 4 tilapia filets
- Spray oil
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp garlic salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Spray tilaipa filets with a little bit of oil and set aside.
- Combine spices in small bowl.
- Put breadcrumbs in ziplock bag. Add spices to bag and shake well to combine.
- One at a time, place tilapia into bag and gently press breadcrumb mixture into the fish. Make sure all sides are coated, and repeat for each filet.
- Cook filets for 10-12 minutes at 400°F or 200°C in air fryer basket. Flip filets halfway through cooking.
Notes
Nutrition
Air Fryers can vary greatly. Please take the time to learn your specific air fryer. You may need to adjust times and temperatures based upon your air fryer. All though this website attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, the information should only be considered an estimate. Varying factors such as different product types, different brands, etc. can change nutritional information. It is your responsibility as a consumer to read all labels to make sure the ingredients fit your dietary needs as well as calculate your own nutritional information as a double check.
We get the best talapia from Aldi and we love making it in the air fryer now that we found your recipe! We like to add a little bit of cayenne in there to spice it up!
The crispy coating on this is SO good! This is the only way I cook tilapia now.
Thank you Meghan, for coming back and sharing with us!! We appreciate it! So glad you love this air fryer tilapia.