Air Fryer Tilapia. This quick weeknight main dish is ready in about 20 minutes with thawed tilapia. (If the tilapia is still frozen but individually plastic-wrapped, it only takes another 15 minutes to thaw it under cold running water.) Sprinkle the tilapia with the spice rub, spray with some cooking oil, and air fry at 400°F for 10 minutes. Done!
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After years of using the air fryer lid on my Instant Pot pressure cooker, I finally cracked and bought a dedicated Air Fryer. (The Black Friday deal on Amazon was too tempting.) With our kids away at college a lot of the time, I’m learning to enjoy having what is essentially a small convection oven in my kitchen, so I don’t have to heat up the whole oven to cook, say….two tilapia fillets.
Quick weeknight fish has been a recipe in my rotation for years, but the air fryer makes it easy. Season the tilapia with a spicy Cajun rub, spray it with cooking spray, and air fry it for 10 minutes. It’s not fried, really, but it is well cooked, flaky and juicy, and a little crispy around the edges, a great way to make an easy main dish on a weeknight.
Ingredients
- 2 tilapia fillets
- ½ teaspoon Paprika (preferably smoked paprika)
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea Salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne (optional)
- Cooking oil spray (preferably no-propellant cooking spray)
How to Air Fry Tilapia
Season and oil the tilapia
Pat the tilapia fillets dry with paper towels. Mix the paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper, and cayenne and sprinkle it evenly over the fish fillets. Spray both sides of the fillets with a light coat of cooking spray.
Air Fry for 10 minutes at 400°F
Preheat your air fryer to 400°F, then add the tilapia fillets, flat side down. Air fry for 10 minutes, flipping the fillets halfway through the cooking time.
Serve
Remove the tilapia from the air fryer (Be gentle; it will want to flake apart.) Serve and enjoy!
Substitutions
- Can I use a different type of fish? This recipe works well with any thin, white fish – trout, catfish, and mahi-mahi are good substitutes.
- Can I use a different spice blend? Absolutely! The spices I include above are a simple version of my Cajun spice mix (plus salt), and a store-bought cajun spice blend will work just as well. Or, if you want to aim for Chesapeake Bay, replace all the spices with Old Bay seasoning (you will still need the salt). Or, try seasoned salt, or a salt + pepper + garlic mix.
Scaling
The number of tilapia fillets you can cook depends on your air fryer basket size. You can cook as many as you can fit in a single layer without the tilapia overlapping each other. In my cooker, I can just squeeze in 3 fillets. Or, cook in batches. Scale up the spice rub to the number of fillets you are cooking – use ¼ teaspoon each of paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper, and then ⅛ teaspoon of cayenne per fillet.
How to Quick-Thaw Vacuum-Sealed Tilapia
When I buy frozen tilapia at my local grocery stores, the fish fillets are individually plastic-wrapped. I put the plastic-wrapped fish in a bowl and ran cold water over them for about 15 minutes. (If you have large fillets, check that the fish thawed; they should be easy to bend and not feel frozen anymore. If they are still a little frozen in the middle, leave them under the running water for another 5 minutes or until they are bendable and don’t feel frozen anymore.)
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen tilapia without thawing?
Yes, you can. Season and spray the tilapia as directed, then air-fry for 15 minutes (an extra 5 minutes). But…I much prefer the results when I use the quick-thaw method above.
Do I need to preheat the air fryer?
Now, I can’t tell you what to do in your own kitchen, but yes, you should preheat your air fryer. The fish will be less likely to stick to the basket and come out a little more crispy on the edges. My air fryer lets me know when it’s up to temperature, and it only takes about 3 minutes to preheat.
How do I keep the fish from sticking to the air fryer basket?
Preheat the air fryer (see above) and oil the fish, not the basket. I spray both sides of the fish with vegetable spray before adding it to the basket.
Why didn’t my tilapia get crispy?
Air frying isn’t really frying—it is convection baking—so you will not get the same crisp as a deep-fried fish. But you should get nice browned spices, and the fish should be crispy around the edges. If your tilapia was not crispy, it was probably still wet; water is the enemy of crisp food. Thoroughly pat the tilapia dry with paper towels before seasoning and oiling it.
What if I don’t have an air fryer?
You can cook this recipe as written by baking it in the oven on a small baking sheet with a rack. It won’t come out as crispy, but it will still be good. If you have a convection oven, then you do have an air fryer—just turn on convection mode. When cooking with an oven, make sure to preheat the oven.
What to serve with Air Fryer Tilapia
I like to serve these fish with a lemon slice and hot sauce. (I use Tabasco or Crystal hot sauces since the spice rub is Cajun-inspired.) They are great with a vegetable side like Instant Pot Collard Greens or Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Green Beans. I also like to serve with a little tartar sauce or cocktail sauce on the side. French fries are the obvious choice for a starchy side (I break out my old Air Fryer lid so I can cook Instant Pot Air Fryer Frozen French Fries with the fish), and a batch of simple white rice also works.
Print
Quick Air Fryer Tilapia (with Spice Rub)
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 2 fillets 1x
Description
Air Fryer Tilapia. This quick weeknight main dish is ready in about 20 minutes with thawed tilapia. (If the tilapia is still frozen but individually plastic-wrapped, it only takes another 15 minutes to thaw it under cold running water.) Sprinkle the tilapia with the spice rub, spray with some cooking oil, and air fry at 400°F for 10 minutes.
- 2 tilapia fillets
- ½ teaspoon Paprika (preferably smoked paprika)
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea Salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne (optional)
- Cooking spray (preferably no-propellant cooking spray)
Instructions
- Season and oil the tilapia: Pat the tilapia fillets dry with paper towels. Mix the paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper, and cayenne and sprinkle it evenly over the fish fillets. Spray both sides of the fillets with a light coat of cooking spray.
- Air Fry for 10 minutes at 400°F: Preheat your air fryer to 400°F, then add the tilapia fillets, flat side down. Air fry for 10 minutes, flipping the fillets halfway through the cooking time.
- Serve: Remove the tilapia from the air fryer (Be gentle; it will want to flake apart.) Serve and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Weeknight Dinner
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: Cajun
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My other Air Fryer Recipes
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