Air Fryer Tilapia. This fast weekday main dish is ready in about 20 minutes after thawing the tilapia. (If the tilapia is still frozen but individually wrapped in plastic, it will only take another 15 minutes to thaw under cold running water.) Scrub the tilapia with spices, spray with cooking oil, and 400 Fry at °F for 10 minutes. end!
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After years of using the air fryer lid in an instant pot pressure cooker, I finally cracked and bought a dedicated air fryer. (The Amazon Black Friday deal was so appealing.) As our kids are far too apart in college, I enjoy what is essentially a small convection oven in the kitchen. You’re learning, so you don’t need to heat it, for example…. Two tilapia fillets.
Easy Weekday Fish was my rotation recipe, but the air fryer makes it easy. Season the tilapia with a spicy Cajun rub, spray with a cooking spray and stir-fry for 10 minutes. It wasn’t really fried, but it was well cooked, flaked and juicy, with a bit crispy around the edges. It’s a great way to cook simple main dishes on weekdays.
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2 Tilapia fillets ½ tsp paprika (preferably smoked paprika) ½ tsp four teaspoons fine sea salt salt cups fresh ground black pepper ¼ 1 teaspoon cayenne (optional) edible oil spray (preferably unproduced cooking Spray for use)
How to fry tilapia
Season and oil your tilapia
Dry the tilapia fillets with a paper towel. Mix the paprika, garlic flour, sea salt, black pepper and cayenne and sprinkle evenly over the fish fillet. Spray a light coat of cooking spray on each side of the fillet.
Air fry at 400°F for 10 minutes
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F, add the tilapia fillets and place it down flat. Fry the fillets for 10 minutes, halfway through cooking time.
serve
Remove the tilapia from the air fryer (be gentle. You’ll want to fall apart.) Serve and have fun!
Alternative
Can I use another type of fish? This recipe works well with pale white fish – trout, catfish and mahi mahi. Can I use another spice blend? absolutely! The above spices are a simple version of my Cajun Spice Mix (plus salt), and the store-bought Cajun Spice Blend works just as well. Or, if you want to head towards Chesapeake Bay, replace all the spices with old bay seasonings (salt is required). Or try seasoned salt, or salt pepper + garlic mix.
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The number of tilapia fillets you can cook depends on the size of your air fryer basket. The tilapias can be cooked simply by fitting into a single layer without overlapping with each other. In my rice cooker, you can squeeze three fillets. Or cook in batches. Expand the spices to the number of fillets you are cooking – use 14 teaspoons each of paprika, garlic flour, sea salt, and black pepper, and 1 teaspoon Cayenne for each fillet.
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When you buy frozen tilapia from a local grocery store, the fish fillets are individually wrapped in plastic. I put plastic fish in a bowl and ran cold water for about 15 minutes. (If you have large fillets, make sure the fish is thawed. Make sure it is easy to bend and does not feel frozen. It is easy to bend and does not feel frozen anymore.)
FAQ
Can I use frozen tilapia without thawing?
Yes, you can. Season and spray with tilapia as directed and air fry for 15 minutes (extra 5 minutes). But… when using the Quick-Thaw method above, I really like the results.
Do I need to preheat my air fryer?
Now I can’t tell you what to do in your own kitchen, but yes, you need to preheat your air fryer. The fish is less likely to stick to the basket and will come out a little more crispy on the rim. My air fryer lets me know when it’s getting to temperature and it only takes about 3 minutes to preheat.
How can I prevent the fish from sticking out into the air fryer basket?
Preheat the air fryer (see above) instead of the basket and oil the fish. Spray vegetable spray on both sides of the fish before adding to the basket.
Why wasn’t my tilapia crisp?
Air fries are actually convection baking, not fried food. Therefore, it will not become as crispy as fried fish. But you should get a nice brown spice, and the fish should be crispy around the rim. If your tilapia wasn’t crispy, it was probably still wet. Water is the enemy of crisp food. Before applying seasonings and oiling, tap the tilapia thoroughly with a paper towel.
What happens if there is no air fryer?
This recipe can be cooked as written by baking in the oven on a small baking sheet with a rack. It doesn’t come out as crispy, but that’s fine. If you have a convection oven, there is an air fryer. Turn on convection mode. When cooking in the oven, make sure to preheat the oven.
What to offer with Air Fryer Tilapia
I like to serve these fish with slices of lemon and hot sauce. (The friction of the spices is inspired by Cajun, so use Tabasco or Crystal Hot Sauce.) It’s great on vegetable sides like instant pot collard greens and green beans in instant pot (pressure cooker). I also like to serve it with a small tartar sauce or cocktail sauce on the sides. Fries are an obvious choice of starchy sides (break the lid of an old air fryer so that you can cook instant pot air fries along with fish), and a simple batch of white rice also works Masu.
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Quick Air Fryer Tilapia (Scrubs spices)
author: Mike vrobel
Total time: 15 minutes
yield: 2 Filled 1x
explanation
Air Fryer Tilapia. This fast weekday main dish is ready in about 20 minutes after thawing the tilapia. (If the tilapia is still frozen but individually wrapped in plastic, it will only take another 15 minutes to thaw under cold running water.) Scrub the spices, spray with cooking oil, and 400°F. Sprinkle on the tilapia with air fries. 10 minutes.
2 Tilapia fillet
½ tsp Paprika (preferably smoked paprika)
½ tsp Garlic powder
½ tsp Thin sea salt
½ tsp Fresh ground black pepper
¼ tbsp Cayenne (optional) Cooking Spray (preferably without plant cooking spray)
Instructions
Season and Oil Tilapia: Dry tilapia fillets with a paper towel. Mix the paprika, garlic flour, sea salt, black pepper and cayenne and sprinkle evenly over the fish fillet. Spray a light coat of cooking spray on each side of the fillet. Air Fry at 400°F for 10 minutes: Preheat the air fryer to 400°F, add tilapia fillets and place flat down. Fry the fillets for 10 minutes, halfway through cooking time. Serve: Remove the tilapia from the air fryer (be gentle. You’ll want to fall apart.) Serve and have fun!
Preparation time: 5 minutesCooking time: 10 minutescategory: Weekday dinnermethod: Air Fryercooking: Cajun
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My other air fryer recipes
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