Air Fryer Tilapia is so fast and flaky! Coat this yummy white fish in seasoned breadcrumbs for a quick fish dinner with pantry staples.
“The crispy coating on this is SO good! This is the only way I cook tilapia now.”
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.
I love these balsamic air fryer mushrooms! They’re just as good as sautéed mushrooms on the stove but take a fraction of the time.
Skip the oven with this air fryer baked potato recipe! It’s a great option to keep the kitchen cool when you have a potato craving.
Fish and air fryer asparagus are best friends. The flavors are absolutely perfect together and it makes for a fancy dinner with almost no work.
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 Information
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.