Air Fryer Tilapia: A Fast and Straightforward Recipe

September 16, 2025

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Air Fryer Tilapia makes a wonderfully gentle and refreshing dinner! Tilapia fillets are seasoned with recent lemon, garlic, dill, and salt and pepper, then topped with a buttery Ritz cracker crumble. You’ll love this straightforward meal that’s nice for busy weeknights!

This put up is sponsored by Greatest Meals Information and the United Soybean Board. As at all times, all opinions are my very own.

As a lot as I like fish, I don’t embody it in my weight loss plan practically as typically as I ought to. The final guideline is 2-3 servings per week, so, In the event you’re like me and need extra tender, flaky fish in your weight loss plan, then this Ritz Cracker Tilapia is a good choice for you!

I completely LOVE after I go on a farm tour. I’ve had the consideration of assembly fairly a couple of unbelievable farmers on my excursions with Greatest Meals Information and even did a fascinating video sequence on CRISPR (Clustered, Repeatedly Interspaced, Brief Palindromic Repeats) with them a couple of years in the past. Final month, I used to be invited to go on one other soy farm tour in northern Indiana to study aquaculture.

The Barramundi fish tanks, learning about the water filtering system, and a fish ready for market.

What’s Aquaculture?

Aquaculture in any other case referred to as aquafarming, is the breeding, rising, and harvesting of fish, shellfish, and algae in several types of water environments.
Throughout our journey, we visited Hanilu Farms the place they farm soy and Barramundi (Asian sea bass). We additionally visited a shrimp farm which impressed my straightforward Shrimp Dip which will likely be coming quickly!

I’ve visited many crop and livestock farms since I’ve began running a blog, and as somebody who was born, raised, and at present lives within the Ocean State, aquafarming was an entire new expertise for me. It’s critically sort of thoughts blowing that shellfish and fish will be raised in a landlocked state! I imply, I can go proper right down to the docks and get fish, shellfish and lobster proper off the boats, however in recent fish Indiana??

I’m going to be trustworthy that I used to be skeptical, however it works AND these farmers are doing it each sustainably and efficiently, as are many others across the nation, too!

Hanilu Farms makes use of a Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) which reuses and filters water to supply the most effective habitat that may also have as little affect as attainable on the atmosphere. They’re at all times striving to offer shoppers a high-quality product whereas making a sustainable farm and take nice care to protect the atmosphere round them for future generations.
Within the footage beneath, you possibly can see the soy they’re rising which is used because the protein within the meals they feed their fish. Sustainability at its best!

A field of soy, an individual soy plant, and fish food made with the farm's own soy.

The best way to Purchase Seafood

When shopping for seafood at your native grocery retailer, learn these labels or ask on the seafood counter the place the fish is from. It’s finest if it’s a “Product of the usA.” and/or “Native Grown”, and if that’s not obtainable, go for merchandise which have South American nations like Chile and Ecuador, in addition to Thailand listed on the package deal.
Keep away from merchandise from India, Vietnam, and China as a result of farmed seafood from these nations has been discovered to comprise antibiotics that aren’t permitted within the U.S.
Search for ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) and BAP (Greatest Aquaculture Practices) seals on the package deal. It will inform you that the package deal contents have been raised utilizing verified high quality and sustainability requirements.
As with all native farm, you possibly can go to them to see if you should purchase from them straight, and I additionally encourage you to take the time to speak to them. I haven’t but met a farmer who wasn’t greater than keen to share their story, speak about their farm and the work they do. I’m honored to have met so many. I like sharing how and what they do, not just for shoppers, but in addition for his or her households by offering sustainable farms for future generations.

A crusty Ritz cracker topping on air fried tilapia.

What’s Tilapia?

Tilapia are primarily freshwater fish with a candy, delicate taste and flaky texture. Like different fish, tilapia are an awesome supply of protein, wholesome fat, and necessary nutritional vitamins and minerals.

I typically eat tilapia as a result of it’s tasty but not as costly as different kinds of fish. It’s because they’re so available at fish markets and grocery shops.

Components for Air Fryer Tilapia

First, you’ll have to season your filets:

8-ounce tilapia filets
Contemporary lemon zest
Olive oil
Dill
Kosher salt
Paprika
Floor black pepper
Minced garlic

Right here’s what you must make the Ritz cracker topping:

Butter
Freshly chopped parsley
Lemon juice
Ritz crackers
Cooking spray

For an in depth ingredient checklist, evaluation the printable recipe card on the backside of the put up!

First set of process photos for Air Fryer Tilapia.

The best way to Make Tilapia within the Air Fryer

I like air frying my meals as a result of it retains me from heating up the entire home on these scorching, late summer season days! This tilapia recipe is simple to make in your air fryer and will be made all 12 months lengthy. Right here’s how:

Preheat the Air Fryer to 400 levels F. You CAN skip this step, however I feel it helps make your meals cook dinner extra evenly.
Put together the Fish: Place fish fillets onto a plate and pat dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest, olive oil, dill, salt, paprika, pepper and garlic collectively. Rub the combination onto every of the fillets.
Make the cracker topping: Place the Ritz crackers right into a sealable plastic bag and crush. In a medium microwaveable bowl, soften the butter for 30 seconds. Stir and warmth in 10 seconds increments till utterly melted, stirring in between. Combine within the lemon juice. Add the crushed crackers to the melted butter and toss till properly blended.
Prepare dinner the Tilapia: Spray a lightweight coating of cooking spray onto the air fryer basket. Place the tilapia fillets into the basket in a single layer with the rub combination facet up. Cowl the fillets with the cracker topping, ensuring to evenly divide the topping amongst them. Don’t crowd the fish; depart some area in between for the air to flow into. Relying on their sizes or if doubling the recipe, it’s possible you’ll have to cook dinner them in batches.
Prepare dinner within the preheated air fryer for 7-10 minutes, till the fish simply flakes with a fork or inside temperature as 145°F. (Cooking time could fluctuate!) Get pleasure from together with your favourite facet dishes!

FAQs

How do I retailer my Air Fryer Tilapia?

If you’re making further or cooking your tilapia forward of time, you possibly can let the leftover tilapia cool to room temperature, then retailer it in an hermetic container within the fridge. Cooked tilapia is sweet for 3-4 days within the fridge.

Can I freeze Tilapia cooked within the Air Fryer?

Sure. Wrap every fillet tightly in plastic wrap and retailer in a freezer bag or different container. It should final 2-3 months within the freezer, however I like to recommend utilizing it inside a month. Pop it again within the air fryer till heated by means of to serve.
My advice could be to cook dinner the tilapia with out the Ritz cracker topping should you plan on freezing it as a result of the crackers will grow to be soggy as they thaw. When reheating, that’s when you possibly can add the recent crunchy topping!

Can I exploit frozen fillets as an alternative of recent fish?

Sure, you should utilize frozen tilapia. Simply let it thaw within the fridge in a single day earlier than making ready it.

Tilapia cooked in the air fryer with a buttery cracker topping.

Extra Tilapia Recipes to Strive

Listed here are some extra recipes utilizing these scrumptious fish filets:

Steamed Tilapia: Contemporary tilapia fillets are seasoned with recent lemon, dill, garlic powder, and different spices, after which steamed within the oven in a tin foil packet.
Tacoed Tilapia with Raspberry Mango Salsa is made with taco seasoning, rolled in a coating fabricated from crushed tortillas and cornmeal, and topped with a home made candy and spicy salsa!
Breaded Tilapia with Cilantro Citrus Sauce has a scrumptious candy cilantro sauce on high of the calmly breaded fish. It was so good and distinctive!
Seasoned Tilapia with Fruit Salsa: This fruit salsa is to die for! It has simply the correct quantity of spice to stability the sweetness, and it pairs so properly with the recent tilapia!
Baked Tilapia with Mango Salsa is a lightweight and refreshing dish you possibly can have any time of 12 months however is particularly good when mangos are in season. I like this flavorful mango salsa!

Which tilapia recipe will you strive subsequent time? Don’t overlook to Pin or print this Air Fryer Tilapia for the subsequent time you wish to pull out the air fryer!

A bite of tilapia cooked in an air fryer.

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Created by: Lynne Feifer