Tortilla-Crusted Tilapia

A quick and easy recipe for crispy tortilla crusted tilapia that’s both healthy and delicious! It makes a great weeknight meal! (gluten-free)

Tilapia is great for making easy, healthy dinners. It’s inexpensive, readily available at most grocery stores, and it’s a very mild fish for those who don’t care for stronger tasting varieties. Tilapia is also a great source of lean protein and cooks quickly, perfect for healthy dinners in a hurry.

The one problem with tilapia, though, is that I think many people get stuck on how to prepare it.  Like any white fish, it’s good with a variety or herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice. You can grill it in the summer or bake it in the winter. But doing a quick search doesn’t yield a great variety of recipes for tilapia. For the most part, they’re pretty boring.

I wanted to change that. I wanted to make people (especially Mr. Table) more excited to eat fish more often. Now that I’ve finally converted him to a salmon eater, he can’t get enough of it. But salmon is usually more expensive, so I wanted to get him more excited about budget-friendly white fish.

One way to do that is to buy it in bulk. Mr. Table loves Costco, so he gets excited about anything we buy there. They happen to sell tilapia. Score. I also love the kind that they sell there, labeled “tilapia loins” (how knew fish had loins?) because the filets are much thicker and more hearty than some of the ones you can buy that are paper thin, aka, not filling. A more filling filet when trying to convert a manly man = another win.

My last strategy is where this Tortilla Crusted Tilapia recipe comes into play. Dudes like Mr. Table love fish when it’s breaded and deep fried. Ok, so I wasn’t exactly going to do that, but I could recreate the crispy exterior and firm, flaky interior using my oven. And since we both love Mexican food, I decided to go with that theme.

The result was a flavorful, crispy outside thanks to crushed tortilla chips, and a delicious tender center that was just perfect for a substantial meal for Mr. Table and me. This budget-friendly Tortilla Crusted Tilapia is both delicious and healthy, since it’s baked. It’s a great option for when you’re tired of the same old lemon and herb fish recipe, and so fun to dress up with your favorite salsa, guacamole, and Mexican-inspired side dishes! For the full recipe, head over to the Healthy Aperture blog, where I guest-posted this yummy creation. Enjoy!

This post was written for the Healthy Aperture Blog, and I was compensated for my time. As always, all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make Lively Table possible!