Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Baked Tilapia (With Lemon Butter)
Lemon-butter tilapia makes a gentle, savory dinner with a bright edge. The garlic and parsley catch on the fish, with thin lemon slices over the top to make the plate inviting.
- Prep
- 8 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 7 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Fish
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Dry and arrange one layer
Pat the fish dry and lay the fillets in a single layer in the dish before preparing their lemon butter coating.
2. Divide the lemon's uses
Juice and zest one half, then thinly slice the other half for arranging over the coated fish.
3. Brush and season both sides
Add lemon butter and seasoning to one side, turn and repeat, then put lemon slices over the fillets.
Get to know the ingredients
Crushed garlic
Crush the garlic before stirring it into the melted butter with parsley, lemon juice and zest off the heat.
Unsalted butter
Melt the butter in the microwave or saucepan, then remove from heat before adding the garlic and lemon mixture.
Tilapia fillets
Use the listed individual fillets, kept in a single layer so both sides can be brushed and seasoned before baking.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 6 steps completeMake room for Baked Tilapia (With Lemon Butter)
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Check the thickest fish
Bake until the tilapia looks opaque and flakes easily with a fork, remembering the timing varies with thickness.
A little more help as you go
Two ways to melt butter
A small microwave-safe bowl or stovetop saucepan is included for melting the butter before the flavorings are stirred in.
Save slices for the oven top
Keep the thin lemon slices separate from the juice and zest, placing them over the fish after its coating is complete.
A few questions you might have
Do I need two lemons?
One lemon is split: half supplies juice and zest, while the other half is thinly sliced for the top.
Is parsley only a garnish?
It is stirred into the melted butter with garlic, lemon juice and zest before the mixture coats the fish.
Does the garlic cook in butter first?
Remove melted butter from the heat, then stir in crushed garlic with lemon and parsley before brushing the fillets.
Should I turn the fish while coating?
Yes. Brush and season the first side, flip and repeat on the second before arranging lemon slices over the top.
Why might a thicker fillet need longer?
The recipe ties baking time to fillet thickness and uses opaque, easily flaking fish as the finished sign.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: wholesomeyum.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.