When I go to a restaurant and order fish, I want it to be intensely savory, incredibly flaky, juicy on the inside and delicately crispy on the outside. I want the fish to be very present in flavor, but I don’t want it to be fishy. And I want to taste distinct other layers of flavor…not so that they overpower the fish, but so that they enhance it. Gosh, I’m kinda picky, huh?
This baked tilapia with Parmesan and panko crust fits those criteria so well, it is one of my absolute favorites. I love the delicate crispiness of the topping because it gives me the illusion of deep fried breading without the heaviness of deep fried breading. And who needs a restaurant when you can make this, with very simple ingredients, in 20 minutes or less?
If fish is not really your thing, I sincerely encourage you to give this recipe a try. I bet that after trying this beautiful baked tilapia, you will proudly proclaim yourself a fish fan.
Let’s make this baked tilapia with parmesan and panko crust
I was able to find some beautiful tilapia fillets at the store today. They are about 1/3 lb. each. That’s a nice chunk of fish for a meal.
Melt the butter. Then add the lemon juice, diced garlic, and parsley.
Season both sides of the fillets with salt and freshly cracked pepper. Then place them in a shallow baking dish.
Spoon about half of the butter sauce so that the tops of the fillets are completely coated. Some will run into the pan. That’s ok. It will help flavor the underside of the fish while baking.
Mix the panko and Parmesan together. Then spoon the entire mixture equally over the fish.
Bake at 400° F for 10 – 12 minutes. In the last couple of minutes, randomly sprinkle some of the remaining butter sauce over the browning crust. Don’t pour it or drench the crust, just randomly drizzle it with a spoon or spatula. Put it back in the oven and bake until the crust is a golden brown.
Not only will you have some beautifully baked tilapia, but your house will smell SO GOOD!
Please serve them nice and hot. Food ALWAYS tastes better hot. And you don’t want to cheat yourself out of the baked tilapia fillets at their prime.
Warm up any leftover butter sauce and take it to the table, in case someone wants to add more.
When you first take a bite, you’ll feel the texture and flavor of that lightly crisped, Parmesan-y topping. Then you notice the flaky fish, teasing your taste buds with its lemon, garlic and buttery goodness. And by that time, you are well into bites two and three, because it is THAT delicious.
Check it out. I’m sure you’ll agree.
Baked Tilapia with Parmesan and Panko Crust
Ingredients
- 4 tilapia fillets approximately 1/3 pounds each
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley chopped
- 3 cloves garlic diced
- 2 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- Season both sides of the tilapia fillets with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Melt the butter and add the diced garlic, lemon juice, and chopped parsley.
- Place the seasoned tilapia files in a shallow baking pan.
- Spoon about 1/2 of the butter sauce over the fillets, making sure to coat the entire surface.
- Mix the panko and Parmesan cheese together, and spoon equally over each fillet.
- Bake until starting to turn golden grown (about 10 minutes).
- Randomly drizzle some of the remaining butter sauce over the fish and bake another 2 minutes or so.
- Remove from the oven and serve hot. You can slightly warm up any remaining butter sauce if anyone wants to add some to their fish.
I have a question. I’ve always coated the entire fillet with the coating, here you say to only put the panko on top. I’m curious as to why. I can see definite benefits to coating only one side such as less handling of the tender fillet, easier serving & possibly a calorie or two less. I plan on fixing this as I just bought some Tilapia yesterday, love it! Thanks Lori.
That’s a great question, Mary!
It’s one of those “because of this, then that” kind of thing. Here is my reasoning.
Deep frying is the best way to get both sides of the fish crispy and crunchy. But I didn’t want the unhealthy grease, calories, and extra breading. If you bread the bottom and then bake it, often the fish juices leak to the pan and the bottom breading gets soggy and gummy. But if you drizzle enough seasoned butter to surround each fillet, some gets under and helps to both season and “oven fry” the bottom while keeping it moist and flaky. The crust on top stays dry and turns into the most beautiful, delicate, crispy crunch. To me, this method makes for a lighter, but no less crispy and flavorful bite while maintaining the integrity of the fresh fillet.
Feel free to try a different method, though. There is never a single way to make a good meal! 🙂
Thanks Lori. I like your reasoning. And it’s so true, the bottom usually does get soggy so why ruin a piece of fish because of that and I don’t want to deep fry it either. I’m looking forward to trying it. I appreciate your answer.
Hi! Sorry, if I’m only cooking two filets, how long do you think I should leave them in the oven? Or should I just adjust the temperature?
thanks!!
Hi Marce! There is not enough difference between 2 and 4 filets. Baking fish has more to do with the thickness of the filets, unless you were talking about baking several dishes-worth at one time in the same oven.
Use the same temp and cooking time, and eyeball it for color and doneness. A follower on a food site where I include my recipes had this to say about this dish:
“Easy and tasty best tilapia love the crunchy coating follow it exactly for the crunch don’t pour too much butter on mid cooking or the crust gets mushy”
I hope your tilapia comes out to your liking!
Just wanted to thank you for an outstanding recipe. My husband and I enjoy this dish every time we make it. The fish stays moist while the Panko crust provides a lovely crunch. It’s a pretty dish as well. Thank you.
You are so welcome, Patricia! I’m very happy to hear that this has become a repeat dish for you and your husband!
This was flat out the best recipe. I have been searching for the holy grail of tilapia recipes and this is it.. Thank you. I shared this and already had friends make it and the families loved it.
What a wonderful testimonial! I’m so happy you enjoy this recipe! And thank you for taking the time to come back and comment. It is much appreciated!