Baked Tilapia Lemon Butter (Print Version)

Tender tilapia fillets baked with lemon butter and garlic, perfect for easy and flavorful dinners.

# What You'll Need:

→ Fish

01 - 4 fresh or thawed tilapia fillets, approximately 5.3 oz (150 g) each
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Lemon Butter Sauce

03 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
06 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
07 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
08 - ½ teaspoon salt
09 - ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Garnish

10 - Lemon slices
11 - Additional chopped parsley (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to arrange the tilapia fillets in a single layer.
02 - Pat tilapia fillets dry using paper towels. Place them in the baking dish and brush both sides lightly with olive oil.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, minced garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, chopped parsley, salt, and pepper.
04 - Pour the lemon butter mixture evenly over the tilapia fillets, ensuring each piece is thoroughly coated.
05 - Place a lemon slice atop each fillet for added flavor.
06 - Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the fillets flake easily with a fork and are opaque throughout.
07 - Remove from oven and garnish with additional chopped parsley if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The fish comes out impossibly tender and never dry, which honestly changed my entire approach to cooking white fish.
  • Everything happens on one pan in under thirty minutes, leaving you time to actually sit down instead of cleaning dishes all night.
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen but requires barely any skill, so you can impress people without the stress.
02 -
  • Overcooking tilapia by even a couple minutes transforms it from silky to chalky—set your timer and stick to it, because the fish will actually continue cooking slightly after you remove it from heat.
  • If your butter looks separated or broken when you make the sauce, you likely overheated it; just start fresh with cooler butter and whisk gently rather than aggressively.
  • The sauce should pool on the plate when you serve it—that's not excess, that's the whole point, so don't drain it away thinking you're being elegant.
03 -
  • If you're cooking for guests, prepare the sauce ahead of time and reheat it gently—one less thing to juggle when you're trying to time the fish perfectly.
  • Buy your lemon and cut it fresh right before cooking; the aroma alone will make you feel like a better cook, which actually does translate to better results.

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