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Air Fryer Tilapia is a delicious, fast, and juicy meal. This recipe uses a simple seasoning, but is full of flavor. A perfect weeknight dinner your entire family will love.

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Golden seasoned tilapia cooked and served on a white plate with broccoli

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EASY AIR FRYER TILAPIA RECIPE

One of the best things about this recipe is it’s so easy to make, and can be done in less than 15 minutes. This recipe is perfect for a nice fish dinner, or for a busy weeknight meal. It can also be adapted easily. By swapping different herbs and spices, You can have a different flavor every time you make tilapia.

If you love this dish, you might also enjoy our other air fryer seafood recipes. Or if you are looking for the best way to reheat leftovers, save this post for how to reheat fish in the air fryer.

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WHAT KIND OF FISH IS TILAPIA?

Tilapia is a white, mild tasting fish that goes with almost any side dish or seasoning. Making it in the air fryer gives it a slightly crispy outside, and a tender, flaky inside, without needed to fry it in oil.  

INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE TILAPIA IN AIR FRYER

Uncooked tilapia filets on a white plate with olive oil and seasonings.
  • tilapia fish fillets- about 6 ounces each
  • olive oil-extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil-will help prevent the tilapia filets from sticking to the basket. 
  • chili powder- for extra heat, you can use cayenne pepper
  • paprika- mild red spice that adds just a touch of heat to the recipe
  • kosher salt- enhances the flavors of the tilapia
  • black pepper– ground black pepper adds a little bit of heat and enhances the flavor

HOW TO MAKE TILAPIA IN AIR FRYER

STEP 1. Lightly pat each piece of fish with a paper towel, then set aside.

brushing oil onto fish filets before seasoning and cooking

STEP 2. In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Stir together to combine. Brush each filet with olive oil on both sides, or use olive oil spray, and then sprinkle the seasonings to coat each filet.

seasoned tilapia filets in the air fryer basket before being cooked

STEP 3. In a single layer, without overlapping, place tilapia in air fryer basket, without overlapping. Air Fry at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, for 5-6 minutes, until golden brown and when done, each piece should easily flake with a fork.

Golden brown cooked tilapia filets in the air fryer basket

STEP 4. Additional cook time may be needed as cooking times may vary depending on the thickness of fish.

Fish should be eaten with an internal temperature of 130-135 degrees F. Use an instant read meat thermometer to confirm doneness. 

I make this recipe in my Cosori 5.8 Air Fryer. Cooking time may vary depending on your air fryer. Besides the air fryer, you will need just a few simple ingredients to make a delicious and easy dinner in minutes.

Air fryer tilapia, cooked and golden, seasoned and garnished with parsley flakes in air fryer basket.

AIR FRYER TILAPIA TIPS

  • Don’t overfill or overlap: To avoid an uneven cook, don’t overfill the basket with too much fish, or have overlap. 2-3 tilapia fillets should fit easily in most air fryer baskets.
  • Make clean up easy: Even though the tilapia is lightly coated with olive oil, you could also use parchment paper or cooking spray to ensure it doesn’t stick to the basket. This makes air fryer clean-up easier too.
Fork bite of cooked tilapia served with broccoli

MORE AIR FRYER SEAFOOD RECIPES

Golden brown cooked tilapia filets in the air fryer basket
4.56 from 29 votes
Servings: 2

Air Fryer Tilapia

By Becky
Air Fryer Tilapia is a delicious, fast, and juicy meal. This recipe uses a simple seasoning, but is full of flavor. A perfect weeknight dinner your entire family will love. 
Prep: 3 minutes
Cook: 6 minutes
Total: 9 minutes
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Equipment

  • 1 Air Fryer

Ingredients 

  • 2 Tilapia Filets, about 6 ounces each
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions 

  • Begin by patting each piece of fish dry with paper towels, then set aside. 
  • In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Stir together to combine. Brush each filet with olive oil on both sides, or use olive oil spray, and then sprinkle the seasoning mixture over the filets, on both sides of each piece.
  • In a single layer, without overlapping, place tilapia in the air fryer basket. Air Fry at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, for 5-6 minutes, until golden brown.
  • Additional cook time may be needed as cooking times may vary depending on the thickness of fish.

Notes

To confirm doneness, use a fork to flake tilapia fish fillet. It should flake easily.
Fish should be eaten with an internal temperature of 130-135 degrees F. Use an instant read meat thermometer to confirm doneness. 
I use fresh tilapia fillets for this simple recipe, but you can use frozen fillets as well. Add an additional 2-3 minutes to cooking process. 

Nutrition

Calories: 458kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 69g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 170mg, Sodium: 1373mg, Potassium: 1078mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 673IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 44mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

Becky Abbott

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4.56 from 29 votes (26 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




5 Comments

  1. Elizabeth says:

    This is one of our favorites! It’s so quick, so easy, and so delicious! I’ve put a bunch of the spice blend into a shaker, which makes it quicker and easier.

    Reply
  2. Beatrice Cruz says:

    5 stars
    OMG so delicious Mijo hubs really loved it…so easy recipe…

    Reply
  3. Warren c. says:

    5 stars
    Easy to cook and delicious to eat.

    a

    Reply
  4. Tasha hall says:

    5 stars
    I made it today very good

    Reply
    1. Rebecca says:

      Thank you! So glad you liked it!

      Reply