A delicious, easy and healthy garlic parmesan Tilapia. Made with only 5 ingredients and ready in only 15 minutes flat!
When you think about the biggest hurdles that you face each night to get dinner on the table for your family, what comes to mind? Are you short on time or just too tired to cook? Feeling uninspired and bored with the same few meals? Or maybe you’re trying to cater to multiple picky eaters who can’t agree on a single dish? Well today’s 5-Ingredient Garlic Parmesan Tilapia is about to bust through any of these roadblocks — making your weeknight dinners a bit less chaotic, a bit healthier, and a whole lot tastier!
No matter what reasons you have for dreading the dinnertime hustle, I’m telling you: I can relate. At different points in time, and depending on the day, I have certainly confronted each of these obstacles…and more. It’s called life. It’s called parenting. And it doesn’t have to be quite so tough.
Easy Dinner Tips And Tricks
With just a few simple tricks up your sleeve, you can transform family meals from a stressful guilt-inducing race through the drive-thru into a calmer, more enjoyable experience that brings everyone together at the end of a busy day.
Will each dinner be perfect? Heck no! We still have our fair share of food-snubbing, milk-spilling, and tantrum-throwing during supper (especially when the 3-year-old has missed one too many naps); but I can honestly say that meals like this Garlic Parmesan Tilapia make the end of the day far easier than it used to be.
First of all, you only need 5 ingredients — most of which are pantry staples. You can also keep the fish in the freezer until you’re ready to use it, so this is one option that will save you a last-minute trip to the grocery store.
Second, the dinner is a lighter, healthier, protein-packed option (perfect for your New Year goals), yet it’s still made with delicious, familiar ingredients that your children will love. We’re talking butter, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and a very mild, tender white fish. Who wouldn’t devour that?!
And finally (but perhaps most important), this Garlic Parmesan Tilapia is an easy and healthy dinner that only requires about 5 minutes of prep! We all have time for that!
How to Make Garlic Parmesan Tilapia:
This simple recipe only requires about 5 minutes of prep and 10 minutes in the oven! First, you’ll brush the fish with a garlic butter mixture. Then just pop the tilapia under the broiler for about 5-6 minutes on each side. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan on top of the fish during the final few minutes for the perfect crispy, flavorful finishing touch!
What to serve with Garlic Parmesan Tilapia:
I often serve this dish with pasta, rice or crusty bread on the side, which my boys love. But in my mind, a meal isn’t complete without some veggies on the plate as well. You might enjoy these options:
- Frozen broccoli florets (or your other favorite frozen veggies), steamed in the microwave, and tossed with butter and salt;
- Perfect Oven-Roasted Asparagus;
- Brown Sugar Roasted Acorn Squash;
- Make-Ahead Garlic Mashed Potatoes;
- A simple green salad tossed with Italian Balsamic Vinaigrette.
I hope that you’ll add these 5 simple ingredients to your next shopping list! This easy tilapia recipe will save your sanity on even the busiest evenings, and you’ll soon find yourself leaping over those dinnertime hurdles with a pep in your step!
Serving Sizes – This recipe yields four very large servings. If you’re cooking for two, or if you have smaller appetites to feed, I would suggest using only two or three tilapia fillets.
More Delicious Fish Recipes You Might Like:
- Crispy Southern Fried Catfish
- Dump and Bake Italian Fish with Broccoli & Rice
- 4-Ingredient Baked Fish with Tomato Basil Sauce
- Almond Crusted Baked Tilapia
5-Ingredient Garlic Parmesan Tilapia
A delicious, easy and healthy garlic parmesan Tilapia. Made with only 5 ingredients and ready in only 15 minutes flat!
Ingredients
- 4 tilapia fillets about 8 ounces each
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Lemon wedges for serving
- Minced fresh parsley for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to BROIL.
- Place tilapia on a large, rimmed baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
- Combine melted butter, lemon juice, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Brush the butter mixture on both sides of the fish.
- Place the fish on the prepared baking sheet, bottom side UP, and broil for 5 minutes. Flip the fish over, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and return to the broiler for 5-6 more minutes. The fish will flake easily with a fork when it’s done.
- Garnish with lemon wedges and parsley.
Recipe Notes
Serving Sizes - This recipe yields four very large servings. If you're cooking for two, or if you have smaller appetites to feed, I would suggest using only two or three tilapia fillets.
What to serve with Garlic Parmesan Tilapia:
I often serve this dish with pasta, rice or crusty bread on the side, which my boys love. But in my mind, a meal isn't complete without some veggies on the plate as well. You might enjoy these options:
- Frozen broccoli florets (or your other favorite frozen veggies), steamed in the microwave, and tossed with butter and salt;
- Perfect Oven-Roasted Asparagus;
- Brown Sugar Roasted Acorn Squash;
- Make-Ahead Garlic Mashed Potatoes;
- A simple green salad tossed with Italian Balsamic Vinaigrette.
This post was originally published in January, 2017. It was updated in December, 2018.
This tilapia looks so good, Blair! My husband and I eat fish quite often, and I’m always looking for new ways to prepare it. Garlic and parm is a favorite of mine, so this tilapia looks perfect!
I know — fish can get boring quickly. This is such a simple and delicious twist! Hope you try it!
Hi,
I love your easy recipe. My husband is not big on parmesan, so I substituted it with a tsp of ground ginger. I also use parchment paper instead of foiling the pan. Guaranteed non stick. I have also tried paprika as an addition. (1tsp) it was quite yummy.
Great suggestions, Mariah! Thank you!
This looks incredible! I haven’t seen those Libby’s veggies. I want to try with your fish!
Thanks, Megan!
This looks absolutely delicious. Blair. It’s perfect healthy and easy meal for the whole family. And it’s so light.. quite good for after holiday overeating, right hehe 😉
Thanks, Natalie! Yep — this is one of those great seafood dishes that appeals to the little ones as well!
Oh my goodness, this tiliapia looks solo good! I usually am not a huge fan of tilipia because the way I cook it is too bland, but if were like this, I’d enjoy so much more!
Thanks, Bethany! No bland or boring tilapia allowed! 🙂
I normally bake my fish but am going to try your broiling method. I really like the “crust” it produces, looks great and I am sure it taste wonderful as well.
P.S. I think step 6 might be a typo since you have already broiled the fish? Or do yo still need to bake it after broiling?
Mila, thank you for catching that typo! I updated the recipe so it should be more clear now! Thank you again for noticing the mistake, and I hope that you get to try it!
Hiya Blair,
This is such a great recipe ! Can’t go wrong with with white fish, parsley and lemon and it’s ready in no time. I love these kind of recipes because it gets the message across that you don’t have to be afraid to cook fish, lol. Not sure why that’s such a problem but it seems to be a common fear. I”m much more concerned about messing up an expensive steak!
Gorgeous photos 🙂
Exactly, Robyn — keep it simple! And I agree — folks are confused or intimidated by fish, but it’s so easy and fast to cook. Hope this changes some minds! 🙂
Hi, this recipie looks super delicious and super easy! But do you broil on hi or low? And how far away from the broiler are you cooking the fish? Thanks!
Hi, Paige! I broil on HIGH, and I keep my fish about 4-6 inches below the broiler. However, broilers tend to be different, so just keep your eye on your fish and make sure that it’s not burning too quickly (or too slowly).
Hi… do you keep broiler door open when you broil or keep it closed as you do when baking?
Hi, Nanci! Personally, I keep the door shut. That just seems to work best with my particular oven/broiler. I know that a lot of ovens supposedly do best with the door cracked open while the broiler is on so that the food doesn’t burn too quickly or catch on fire from the high heat. Again, I’ve never had a problem with either of those issues with the door shut, so that’s how I do it. I’d try it with the door shut, but watch the oven very carefully and crack it open if it seems to be cooking the fish way too fast. 🙂
I just made this for dinner today and I must say OMG was it delicious
I made it with brown rice
That’s great, Jennifer! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! 🙂
Does it have to be fresh fish or can it be frozen? And do you cook it the same way frozen?
Hi, Amanda! Nope, it doesn’t need to be fresh fish. I often use frozen fish! You will just want to thaw the fish in the refrigerator before cooking.
I have not tried baking it from frozen. You would definitely need to increase the cooking time, and I would guess that it will work fine (although I can’t make any promises!). 🙂
Hello Blair,
What degrees to I preheat the oven ?
Hi, Kelly! You’re going to want to use the “BROIL” setting on your oven, which isn’t actually a temperature setting. Some ovens give you the option of broiling on “HIGH” or on “LOW,” and I typically go with HIGH. That said, every oven is different, so be sure to keep a close eye on the fish as it cooks. Broiling uses very high temperature so the food will cook very quickly! Enjoy! 🙂
Hi Blair, i have been following your blog for a few months now and i must compliment you on how varied and delicious looking your meals are. I have tried a couple of chicken based recipes which were a winner! All of the snacks would be gobbled up in no time ( by adults as well :-)) but a lot of the meals appeal to me but i doubt my kids would eat them. Like one the other day with shrimps. I was just wondering if your kids eat all of these meals or you sometimes also end up making multiple dinners! Ax
Hey, Angela! Thanks so much for your kind words! I definitely do NOT make multiple meals each night — I don’t have time (or energy) for that! For the most part, my kids eat what I serve. My oldest and my youngest are definitely pickier eaters, but they have learned to at least try most of what I serve. More often than not, if they just take one bite, they realize that they actually like it! Sometimes it takes a few tries before they come around, but I’m persistent and I just keep serving what I want to serve, and they usually get on board eventually!
That said, I do try to make sure that I have at least one portion of the meal that I know everyone will enjoy. For instance, if I’m trying a new seafood dish and I’m not sure how much the kids will eat, I try to pair it with either one of their favorite veggie side dishes (like broccoli) or with some bread, pasta, or rice that I know they love. That way, even if they just take a few bites of the new food, I know that they can fill up on the other options. Some nights they might go to bed with mostly broccoli in their stomach, or with mostly bread in their stomachs, but I figure it balances out over time. As long as they make an effort to try the dish, I certainly don’t force them to eat anything! 🙂
I hope that helps, and thanks so much for following along!
Made this tonight with steamed carrots, broccoli, and spinach. Turned out fantastic! Thank you 🙂
Awesome! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, Samantha! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
I don’t eat tilapia, but I like other kinds of white fish. I will fix this SOON with some fish I have on hand and am SURE I will love it!! I can tell just because I love the ingredients. Thanks, Blair, for sharing this part of your life. Oh, also, I like your philosophy on feeding your children. Present them with everything, expect them to taste, NO forced eating. They’ll come around. (My son is now a Chef)
Thanks so much for your thoughtful note! I hope that you enjoy the fish! I agree — the flavors would be perfect with just about any type of white fish!
Have a wonderful evening!
Best fish recipe I’ve used in a long time. Also the easiest. Can’t wait to use again. Actually tasted the flavor and it was the perfect crispness. Thank you!!
Wonderful! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, Billy! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
Hi Blair, I plan on making this for dinner for my family and checked my oven for the broiler setting and it’s set to 500 F. Should I decrease the temperature or leave it at 500?
Hi, Yvonne! If your broiler is set at 500 that’s perfect! Just leave it there. 🙂
Hi! 🙂 What do you mean by “bottom side UP” ?
Hi! There’s a flat side of the fish fillet that I consider the “bottom” of the fillet (i.e., not the fleshy top part that you see in the photos). When you begin cooking the fish on the tray, you’ll want to start with the bottom of the fish facing up towards you. Then you’ll flip it over so that the “top” fleshy side of the fish is facing up during the second half of cooking. Basically you just want to make sure that you cook the fish on both sides! 🙂
Blair,
Thanks for this quick and easy recipe that I made tonight. I added fresh steamed green beans and I used a small crock egg poacher which only takes 2 minutes for the beans. Living alone and only having to feed 1 mouth has made the small steamer a must have. When I did have family members living with me, I would definitely have tried the Libby vegetable pouches. Looked great.
Wow! What a smart idea to broil tilapia with those 5 ingredients. The parmesan cheese added such a great touch and the broiling tip made it delicious. To complement my meal, I boiled fettuccine noddles and added the leftover 5 ingredients as a sauce.
I’m a new fan. Can’t wait to try a new recipe recommendation from you.
Hi, Jennifer! I’m so glad that you found the blog and that you enjoyed the fish. That small steamer sounds ideal for a single-person household, and the addition of pasta must have been delicious.
Thanks for your note, and enjoy the recipes on the blog! 🙂
Hi. I was wondering if you used fresh grated or the green jar/canister of grated Parmesan? Thanks!
Hi, Bryn! You can definitely use either one, but I typically go with the canister because that’s what I have on hand (and it’s easy)! 🙂
There’s a reason that Chef say that cheese and fish doesn’t go together and another reason why I always, always never cook fish with any kind of fish….well tonight I decided to give it a try but what a disappointment it was from everyone at the kitchen table!!
Good solid recipe! I will reuse with tilapia and other fish. Who doesn’t love lemon butter with garlic? But as for me, I have in the past made a delicious sauce but couldn’t taste it, so today, I doubled the sauce and figured, so what if I had too much! And… I did. but good for me, what was left over I mixed with my cheese to make a paste, which I pressed on each fillet with a spoon. Wow! You get a huge flavor boost when you coat your parmigiana with lemon butter! Try it! (Double the sauce first though–don’t be scared of too much lemon butter!)
Thanks for the tip, Donna! No such thing as too much lemon butter, right?! 🙂
PS I used a combination of fresh grated from a big Costco block and the shaker stuff! Both are great!
I made this recipe but did cooked it in foil pouches turned out amazing.
Great idea! Thanks, Miles!
With 2 family members having problems with fat and dairy, the butter is a challenge for us. Has this ever been tried with olive oil instead? I worry that the heat of broiling would make it smoke.
Hi, Linda! Butter has a smoke point of 350 degrees F, which isn’t very high compared to a lot of oils. While I prefer the flavor of the butter, you should be fine replacing it with an oil instead. A high quality (low acidity) extra virgin olive oil has a smoke point of 400 degrees F, so that would be a good option. Another great oil that stands up to high heat is avocado oil, which has a smoke point of 520 degrees F. Hope that helps!
Is there a way to cook this in a frying pan as my oven doesn’t work.
Hi, Sarah! I would suggest looking at this recipe for general pan-frying instructions. You can do the same thing with the tilapia. 🙂 https://www.theseasonedmom.com/southern-fried-catfish/
I found this recipe through google while trying to look for some way different to make tilapia well all I have to say is wow it came out awesome and so simple will check out your other recipes 👍
Thanks for your kind note, Belinda! I hope that you find plenty of other easy recipes on the blog! 🙂
Really great recipe. Thanks. However, you should consider taking down your comment about how you used parchment paper. Even though I kept my fish six inches away from the broiler, my parchment paper nearly caught on fire. There are many novice cooks who might not see the danger of using parchment paper with a broiler recipe who may not end up as lucky as I did.
Thanks, Mary!