Lemon Garlic Oven Baked Tilapia
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This lemon garlic oven-baked tilapia recipe is simple and quick. It’s fresh, light, healthy, and delicious!
Lady Lee’s Note…
I love tilapia! I know that there are mixed feelings about this fish (since it’s farm-raised) and yes, I get that wild-caught fish is healthier… But, I still love tilapia. I love its flavor and texture and I love how simple it is to prepare it in so many different ways.
I posted a recipe for grilled whole tilapia on the blog before, but this time, I’d like to share with you an oven-baked recipe that is so easy to put together. No need to fire the grill or deal with a whole fish. This is a fresh, lemony tilapia recipe that I’m sure you’re going to love!
Fresh or Frozen Tilapia?
You can use either or. If you are using frozen tilapia, let it thaw first. If you’re short on time, place the fish in a bowl of warm water, the filets usually thaw very quickly.
Skin On or Off?
You’ll notice in the video tutorial and images below that we used filets of tilapia with the skin still on. In Israel (this recipe is coming to you from my mother’s kitchen in Israel) it’s easy to find filets of tilapia with the skin still on, in the US, at least where I live, I don’t have access to it.
The skin gets crispy in the oven which makes the dish extra special. However, if you don’t have access to filets of tilapia with the skin on, follow the same recipe, skin on or off it doesn’t matter.
Ingredients…
- Filet of tilapia
- Bell pepper
- Lemon
- Garlic cloves
- Olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
- Parsley or cilantro
- Roasted sliced almonds
Kitchen Tools…
Step by Step Instructions…
Step one – make the sauce. Start by slicing the sweet pepper and place it in a large bowl. Slice the garlic cloves and add to the bowl. Peel and dice half a lemon and add to the bowl. Squeeze the juice of the other half of the lemon right into the bowl. Add olive oil, salt, and black pepper and mix well.
Step two – prep for baking. Line a deep baking pan with parchment paper. Add half of the sauce to the baking pan, then place the tilapia on top of it before adding the rest of the sauce on top of the fish (if your filets still have their skin on, place them with the skin side up).
Step three – bake. Bake the tilapia in a 350 degrees F preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Step four – garnish. After removing the fish from the oven, let it cool for a few minutes before garnishing it with chopped cilantro or parsley and roasted sliced almonds.
What to Serve With Baked Tilapia…
- Rice – any kind of rice. My personal favorite is wild rice.
- Bulgur – if you never tried bulgur, give it a try! Bulgur is cracked wheat. It’s easy to make and is delicious.
- Mashed potatoes – however you like to make it, place the baked tilapia with some of the sauce right on top of the mashed potatoes. Give this purple mashed potato a try!
- French fries – fish and chips someone? Also, try to serve it next to these sweet potato fries.
- Baked potatoes or roasted potatoes – because there is just something about fish and potatoes, no matter how they are made!
- Salad – I love making this simple Israeli salad and serving the fish on top of it (add these delicious roasted chickpeas!). Also try serving it next to this eggplant salad, cabbage salad, or roasted pepper salad.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers…
If you’re left with leftovers, store the fish in a plastic container in the fridge. It should last just fine for up to a week. To reheat, transfer to a microwave-safe dish and reheat for a couple of minutes. You can also reheat the fish in a 350-degree preheated oven for ten minutes or so.
Kitchen Notes…
- Veggies – there are many veggies that you can add here. Broccoli, thinly sliced carrots, thinly sliced potatoes, jalapeno peppers, brussles sprouts… Really any vegetable that can be baked in 30 minutes can be added here.
- Make it spicy – Feel free to either add fresh, sliced, spicy pepper or season your fish with cayenne pepper or hot paprika.
- Garnish – definitely add chopped parsley or cilantro (I prefer cilantro). As far as the almonds… You can try different kinds of nuts. I feel like roasted pine nuts can be delicious here, maybe even cashews or any kind of nut that you like. I think that roasted is best.
- Other fish – it doesn’t have to be tilapia! This recipe can work with any kind of fish.
This is a go-to recipe for us. In just over 30 minutes, you have a delicious and healthy main dish that is filling yet light. I sure hope that you’ll give it a try!
More Delicious Recipes…
- Savory Sweet Potato Pies
- Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves
- One Pan Chicken and Veggies
- Chicken Liver and Onions Recipe
- Chicken Gizzard Recipe

Lemon Garlic Oven Baked Tilapia
Filling yet light, easy to put together, and delicious oven-baked tilapia.
Ingredients
- 4 filet of tilapia
- 1 bell pepper
- 1 half lemon, peeled and diced
- 7 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
- Juice from half a lemon
- Salt to taste (about a teaspoon)
- Black pepper to taste (about a teaspoon)
- 1/2 a cup of chopped parsley or cilantro leaves
- 1/2 a cup of roasted sliced almonds
Instructions
- Start by slicing the sweet pepper and place in a large bowl. Slice the garlic cloves and add to the bowl. Peel and dice half a lemon and add to the bowl. Squeeze the juice of the other half of the lemon right into the bowl. Add olive oil, salt, and black pepper and mix well.
- Line a deep baking pan with parchment paper. Add half of the sauce to the baking pan, then place the tilapia on top of it before adding the rest of the sauce on top of the fish (if your filets still have their skin on, place them with the skin side up).
- Bake the tilapia in a 350 degrees F preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- After removing the fish from the oven, let it cool for a few minutes before garnishing it with chopped cilantro or parsley and roasted sliced almonds. Serve over rice, with a side of french fries, or on top of a salad (more ideas in the post above).
Notes
Kitchen Notes...
- Veggies – there are many veggies that you can add here. Broccoli, thinly sliced carrots, thinly sliced potatoes, jalapeno peppers, brussles sprouts… Really any vegetable that can be baked in 30 minutes can be added here.
- Make it spicy – Feel free to either add fresh, sliced, spicy pepper or season your fish with cayenne pepper or hot paprika.
- Garnish – definitely add chopped parsley or cilantro (I prefer cilantro). As far as the almonds… You can try different kinds of nuts. I feel like roasted pine nuts can be delicious here, maybe even cashews or any kind of nut that you like. I think that roasted is best.
- Other fish – it doesn’t have to be tilapia! This recipe can work with any kind of fish.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 419Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 267mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 4gSugar: 9gProtein: 38g