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golden-brown Simple Baked Tilapia fillets with lemon slices and fresh parsley on a white plate
Julia Monroe

Simple Baked Tilapia

Simple Baked Tilapia is a healthy, flavorful, fuss-free weeknight dinner. With a few pantry staples and a hot oven, you’ll get tender, flaky fish in about 20 minutes—perfect for busy nights or last-minute guests.
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Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 tilapia fillets (about 3/4-inch thick)
  • 4 tbsp butter, melted (about 1 tbsp per fillet)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper (optional)
  • 1 lemon (optional, for wedges or slices)

Equipment

  • oven
  • rimmed baking sheet
  • parchment paper
  • paper towels For patting fillets dry.
  • pastry brush (or spoon) For brushing melted butter.
  • instant-read thermometer (optional) Target 145°F internal temperature.

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and position the rack in the center.
  2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
  3. Pat the tilapia fillets completely dry with paper towels (this helps the texture).
  4. Brush melted butter over both sides of each fillet. Season evenly with garlic powder, paprika, salt, and (optional) black pepper.
  5. Bake for about 10–12 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily and reaches 145°F internally.
  6. Rest for 2 minutes, then serve (optional: finish with lemon wedges or slices).

Notes

Tips: Pat the fillets completely dry for the best texture. Bake at 400°F and start checking at 10–12 minutes; remove as soon as the fish flakes easily and reaches 145°F. Let rest 2 minutes before serving to keep it juicy.
Seasoning ideas: Add lemon pepper, dried thyme, or a little fresh herb-garlic butter. For a lighter option, swap butter for olive oil or avocado oil.
Nutrition: I couldn’t pull Nutritionix-style values here because live web lookup is unavailable in this environment—so the nutrition panel is set to 0s as placeholders.