Fried Tilapia has a crispy golden brown crust on the outside and a juicy flaky inside. It’s a super easy fried fish recipe that you can make in less than 15 minutes!
Fried Tilapia is very easy to make, you just have to add some seasonings, and flour, pass through your batter, and fry until you get the perfect fried fish.
In some Spanish-speaking countries, it is called tilapia frita but in others, it is called mojarra frita. A nice crispy fried fish like tilapia is best served with a nice acidic sauce like this creamy cilantro sauce.
I like my tilapia with a couple of pieces of lemon and some good french fries.
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Why This Recipe Works
- This recipe makes a fried fish that stays crispy!
- Is a versatile fish recipe that you can use to make salads, fish tacos, or fish burritos.
Recipe Ingredients
- Tilapia- This recipe calls for 1 pound of tilapia. You can buy fresh or frozen.
- Lemon- I used lemon because they tend to be sweeter but if what you have is lime then you can use them.
- Seasonings- This recipe calls for salt, pepper, and garlic powder. If you like some spice you can add some cayenne pepper or chili powder. You can also add ½ of a teaspoon of some sazon to enhance flavor and color.
- Flour- You need all-purpose flour and cornstarch but you can substitute the cornstarch for rice flour.
- Cornstarch- The reason to use cornstarch is to give the tilapia a very crunchy outside that you won’t get with all-purpose flour alone.
- Baking Powder- Helps to make the batter fluffy.
- Club Soda- The club soda is used to incorporate bubbles into your batter. You can use the same amount of beer and will not only incorporate bubbles into your mix but it will also add some flavor.
- Oil- I used vegetable oil.
How to make Fried Tilapia
- Photo 1: Marinate your tilapia with half of a lemon. This is an essential step to get a great acidic taste in your fish. Then season with a little bit of salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Just enough to enhance the flavors, not mask them.
- Photo 2: Now in a large dish add your flour and season because we want every layer to have a nice flavor. Flour your tilapia and dust off any excess. The reason for flouring your fish is to make sure your wet batter sticks to it.
- Photo 3: Make and season your batter but make sure not to over-mix. Just mix enough to incorporate the wet and dry ingredients. Your club soda must be cold because this will make a crispy crust. Dip your fish in the batter and let the excess drip.
- Photo 4: Now is the time for frying. How long you fry fish depends on the thickness of the fish but usually is around 2-5 minutes per side. Since tilapia usually comes thin, 2 and ½ minutes per side is all you need.
Recipe Tip
- If you want to infuse more flavor into the tilapia, try frying with a few pieces of green onions and garlic. You can even add herbs to your oil and all of this flavor will penetrate the fish.
Common Questions
To make my fish taste better what I do is soak it in lemon juice for at least five minutes. The lemon juice makes the fish firmer, and less crumbly, and it helps to neutralize the fishy smell and the muddy taste some fish can have.
Yes, it is good to season your fish before frying because some of that seasoning will penetrate the fish and enhance the delicious fish flavor. Not only should you season your fish before frying but you should also season your flour and batter. It is very important to season all layers to maximize the flavors in your fish.
To give your fish a flour coating, all-purpose flour is perfect. As for the batter the best you can use is making a mix of flours. To get a very crispy outside you should use all-purpose flour and cornstarch. Another great mix is all-purpose flour and rice flour. Both of them with a little bit of baking powder added because this breaks down the proteins helping you to get a nice golden brown crust.
The secret to frying fish without sticking to your pan is in the temperature. The first thing you should do is heat your pan. Then add your oil and bring it to a high temperature. Once your oil is hot, add your fish. Another major reason for your fish sticking to your pan is that you’re moving it around too fast. Before moving it around you should let the fish form a crust at least for 1 minute.
Delicious Sides For Tilapia
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Fried Tilapia
Ingredients
- 1 pound tilapia
- ½ lemon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1-2 cups oil for frying
Dusting
- ½ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Batter
- ½ cup flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 ounces club soda cold
Instructions
- Take half of a lemon and squeeze it over your tilapia. Let it rest for about 5 minutes. Remove any excess liquid. Now add your salt, black pepper and garlic powder and mix.
- In a medium bowl add ½ cup of flour and 1 teaspoon of salt and mix. Dust your tilapia with the flour. Give it a little shake to make sure to remove any excess flour.
- In a medium bowl, add flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and club soda. Stir until there are no lumps and make sure not to overmix. Make sure your club soda is cold as this will aid with getting a nice crispy outside.
- Take a large pan and set it over medium-high heat. Add your oil. Once your oil is hot dip your tilapia into your batter. Give it a good shake to remove any excess batter and put it in your oil. Fry for about 2 ½ minutes on each side or until golden brown. Fry in batches. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Stephenie says
Savory food for breakfast? Yes, yes, yes!!!! I love it! That salad sounds good, thank you for the visit.
Carolyn Bentley says
I add a pack of tilapia and I live by myself and there were two large pieces in it, I thought there was only one. So last evening I fixed the fried tilapia, tomato, onion, and mushroom salad. It was absolutely delicious. It was so good that I actually fixed the other piece and had it for breakfast. thank you so much for sharing.
Stephenie says
Thank you for visiting us Nazim.
N azim says
That was so cool the club soda is tripping me