Baked Garlic Tilapia Recipe

Tilapia is one of the most popular types of fish to use in cooking, and there are several different reasons why. Not only is this type of fish fairly easy to find in most grocery stores, but it's also one of the most affordable types of seafood, as others can be pretty pricey.

Recipe developer Catherine Brookes of Blue Sky Eating came up with this great garlic tilapia recipe that is perfect for anyone who is craving fish. "This dish is such a great one to make on a weeknight as you can have a wholesome, nutritious and flavorsome dinner ready in less than 20 minutes. It's so easy to prep just popping everything into one oven dish," Brookes raves. She also shares why she loves using tilapia in cooking. "Tilapia is flaky, tender, and delicious and makes a nice change from more commonly used cod or sea bass," she explains.

Once you are ready to begin, you must make a grocery list and head to the store. You will need tilapia fillets, garlic cloves, melted butter, lemons, salt, and pepper.

Let's get this cooking party started. To make this tilapia, you will need to set the temperature of your oven to 400 F. Then, take out your tilapia and place it into an oven-safe dish. Once in the dish, season the fish with a little bit of salt and pepper to taste.

Once you finish seasoning the tilapia, it's time to make the light and refreshing sauce to go on top. Take out a small bowl and add the garlic, melted butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

"The marinade has the punchy flavors of both garlic and lemon, a classic combo! It's delicious spooned over rice if you decide to serve the fish with that too," Brookes says of the wonderful flavor. 

Pour the marinade and the lemon slices over the fish in the baking dish, and then double-check to be sure that your oven has finished preheating. If it has, you can pop the fish into the oven and cook for 12 to 15 minutes.

Once you remove the tilapia from the oven, garnish and serve with some fresh chopped parsley. This garnish is optional, and you can always leave it out if you wish. This tilapia makes a great main course, and Brookes suggests some of her favorite sides, saying it's excellent "with rice, new potatoes or mashed potatoes."

As for anything you don't finish? "You can keep leftovers up to 1 day and reheat in the oven or microwave, but fish is generally best served right away, or it may lose its tenderness," Brookes says.