Name: Garlic Butter Baked Tilapia
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 4 tilapia fillets (6 ounces each); 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 4 Tablespoons salted butter; 6 garlic cloves (minced); 1/2 teaspoon paprika; 1/2 teaspoon onion powder; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 2 Tablespoons lemon juice; 1 lemon (thinly sliced); 2 teaspoons fresh minced parsley

Deliciously flavorful Garlic Butter Baked Tilapia – ready in 20 minutes or less! Perfectly seasoned with a blend of melted butter, garlic, lemon juice, and spices, this recipe is easy, foolproof, and guaranteed to make a tilapia lover out of anyone.

I partnered with the United Soybean Board and Best Food Facts to bring you this recipe. As always, all opinions are my own.

One of the main questions I get anytime I share a fish recipe is “what kind of fish is best to use?” Specifically when it comes to fresh-caught vs. farm-raised. There often seems to be a stigma associated with farm raised fish, and I’ve always been interested in learning more about it.

So when I was invited by Best Food Facts to visit Evans Fish Farm in Pierson, Florida, I jumped at the opportunity. Not only to learn more about how to answer this question, but to learn more about fish farming (aka aquaculture) on a firsthand basis.

Best Food Facts is an organization with a mission to provide objective, fact-based information about food. In this case, the goal of my visit was to learn more about aquaculture and the fish we eat. You can read more about my experience below!

After learning that Evans Farm raises tilapia for local live markets, I was inspired to create this recipe to share with you. Delicious Baked Tilapia… seasoned with a blend of melted butter, minced garlic, fresh lemon juice, paprika, onion powder, and crushed red pepper flakes. It’s literally dripping with flavor, and delicious served with mashed potatoes, rice, or any of your favorite roasted vegetables. (We especially love it with Parmesan Roasted Green Beans!)

Best of all, it comes together in just 20 minutes and makes the best busy weeknight dinner. Not to mention… it would be perfect for date night, too!

what you’ll need for this recipe

Tilapia – I started with four 6 ounce filets of tilapia. Look for similar sized filets for even cooking.
Butter – For the sauce, I used 4 Tablespoons salted butter. Feel free to use unsalted butter and add a bit more salt to the sauce.
Garlic – I added 6 cloves of fresh minced garlic for a delicious burst of garlic flavor.
Spices – I also added 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, and 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. Feel free to add more to taste.
Lemon juice – I used 2 Tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice. Bottled will work, too.
Parsley – I used fresh minced parsley for garnish. Substitute fresh tarragon, oregano or thyme if you’d like.

how to make garlic butter baked tilapia

Season the tilapia. Season the filets with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer in a 9×13 inch baking dish.

Make the garlic butter sauce. Combine the butter, garlic, paprika, onion powder, and crushed red pepper flakes in a small saucepan OR microwave-safe container. Heat until the butter is melted. Stir in the lemon juice, then pour the sauce evenly over the fish in the pan. Arrange lemon slices over the top.

Bake. Bake at 400°F for 12-15 minutes, until fish is opaque, flakes easily with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of 145°F. Remove from oven and garnish with fresh parsley.Serve. Spoon the garlic butter sauce over the tilapia and serve.

Recipe Variations

Lightly coat the tilapia in breadcrumbs or panko crumbs before baking
Add additional seasonings to the sauce, such as dried oregano, thyme, tarragon, or a lemon pepper seasoning blend
Add an extra kick of heat with cayenne pepper
Garnish with any of your favorite fresh herbs
Serve over mashed potatoes, noodles, rice or salad
Flake the tilapia and add it to your favorite pasta dish

storage & reheating tips

Leftover baked tilapia can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat, bake in the oven at 350°F, covered with foil to avoid drying it out, until warmed through.

Evans Farm is a family-owned farm that was established in 1982. Multiple generations of family still work on the farm today, raising three different species of fish: tilapia, bass, and sturgeon. While I was visiting I learned about the family’s commitment to animal care, sustainability, innovation, and ultimately producing the best product for the consumer.

I learned about the levee system they use to move and recycle water throughout the farm. I learned about how they hand select fish for spawning, and how they transfer fish between ponds at different stages of the life cycle. I also learned that they are constantly re-evaluating and reformulating the fishes’ diets, which always include soybean meal. I found this especially interesting based on my trip to a soybean farm a few years back, where I learned all about soybean farming (and shared this delicious Edamame Salad recipe!)

Throughout my time at Evans Farm, I was keenly aware of the pride the family takes in their fish, the level of care they offer them, and the high quality of fish they ultimately produce for us as consumers. While fresh caught fish is often imported from overseas and subject to very few regulations, U.S. Farm-Raised Fish is strictly regulated and must undergo both state and federal inspections. And at the end of the day, we know exactly what went into the fish so we can feel confident in what we’re getting out of it.

More Fish Recipes to Try

Looking to add more fish to your diet? These are some of our favorite recipes!