Air Fryer Tilapia is a delicious, fast, and juicy meal. This recipe uses simple seasoning so it's full of flavor for a perfect dinner.

Name: Air Fryer Tilapia
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 6 min
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

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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.

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

Making this simple tilapia recipe is the perfect way to cook fresh fish and have a healthy meal. I served it with delicious Air Fryer Broccoli. If you are looking for other delicious air fryer fish recipes, you will love Swai Fish and Honey Mustard Salmon.

If you love this dish, you might also enjoy our other air fryer seafood recipes.

Looking for the best way to reheat leftovers? Save this post for how to reheat fish in the air fryer.

AIR FRYER TILAPIA INGREDIENTS

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.

Ingredients:

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
chili powder- for extra heat, you can use cayenne pepper
paprika
kosher salt
black pepper

HOW TO MAKE TILAPIA FILETS IN THE AIR FRYER

To make this air fryer fish recipe, begin by lightly rinsing and then pat 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 to coat with seasoning mixture.
In a single layer, without overlapping, place tilapia in air fryer basket, without overlapping. Air Fry at cooking temperature of 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.

PRO TIPS:

If you are in a hurry, you can adjust this air fryer tilapia recipe by using Cajun seasoning, like this one from Louisiana Cajun Seasoning.

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.

Even though the tilapia is lightly coated with olive oil, you will still want to use parchment paper or cooking spray to ensure it doesn't stick to the basket. This makes air fryer clean-up easier too.

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

FAQ's

What type of fish is tilapia?

It's a white fish that is farm raised. It does have a neutral taste, so for flavor, just add your favorite seasonings.

Why eat tilapia?

Some of the benefits of tilapia is that It is full of vitamins and nutrients, as well as Omega-3's. This healthy fish is very lean, low carb, low in calories, but full of protein.

How do I store leftovers?

Leftover tilapia fillets can be kept in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

What can I serve with these fish filets?

I like to serve my fish filets with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and lemon wedges. Then, I add a side dish of my favorite vegetables, like broccoli, potatoes, or wild rice. This tasty fish is the perfect fish to make into another delicious dinner of fish tacos. Cut into pieces, and add delicious tilapia chunks to a salad as well.

Fork bite of cooked tilapia served with broccoli

MORE DELICIOUS AIR FRYER RECIPES:

📖 Recipe

Golden brown cooked tilapia filets in the air fryer basket

Air Fryer Tilapia

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.

4.60 from 27 votes

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Prep Time 3

Cook Time 6

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Servings

Calories 458 kcal

Equipment

1 Air Fryer

Ingredients

2 Tilapia Filets about 6 ounces each
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

To make this air fryer fish recipe, begin by lightly rinsing and then pat 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 to coat with seasoning mixture.
In a single layer, without overlapping, place tilapia in air fryer basket, without overlapping. Air Fry at cooking temperature of 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 a 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: 458kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 69gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 170mgSodium: 1373mgPotassium: 1078mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 673IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 44mgIron: 2mg

*Nutritional information is a calculated guesstimate. Please note that this can change with different brands and modifications you may make to the recipe. For the most accurate information, use a nutritional calculator with the exact brands and measurements you're using with each recipe.

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