Learn how to cook tilapia in the air fryer! This air fried tilapia is a great option for weeknight dinners because you don’t even need to thaw the fillets. Simply season and then cook frozen tilapia in air fryer and it’s ready in less than 15 minutes. Serve this air fryer tilapia recipe with a side of air fryer broccoli, haricot verts, or cheesy potato casserole.
And if you’re on your seafood kick, be sure to try my grilled tilapia foil packets, salmon foil packs, panko salmon, and Old Bay shrimp boil next!
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Table of Contents
- What You’ll Love About Air Fried Tilapia
- Frozen Tilapia in Air Fryer Ingredients
- How to Cook Frozen Tilapia in Air Fryer
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Storage Instructions
- How to Serve Air Fried Tilapia to the Whole Family
- Substitutes
- What to Serve with Air Fryer Tilapia Recipe
- More Easy Air Fryer Recipes
- Helpful Tools to Make Air Fried Tilapia
What You’ll Love About Air Fried Tilapia
- Cooks quickly in air fryer
- No need to turn on the oven
- Can cook right from frozen
- Made with just 3 simple ingredients
- Cooks in less than 15 minutes
Frozen Tilapia in Air Fryer Ingredients
This air fried tilapia needs just 3 basic ingredients:
- Tilapia fillets – You can use fresh or frozen tilapia. I typically buy it frozen and then thaw it before I make it. But with this air fryer frozen tilapia recipe, you don’t even need to thaw it.
- Olive oil – Use an olive oil spritzer for fast and even application, otherwise use a pastry brush to brush the olive oil over the fish.
- Lemon pepper seasoning – You can use your favorite seasoning blends, I’ve shared some other ideas below.
How to Cook Frozen Tilapia in Air Fryer
Cooking tilapia in air fryer is beyond simple:
- Preheat air fryer. While you’re prepping the tilapia, preheat the air fryer.
- Season tilapia. Spritz tilapia with olive oil spritzer and season with lemon pepper on both sides.
- Air fry tilapia. Cook frozen tilapia in air fryer for 12-14 minutes, or until fish is flaky and has reached an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long to cook tilapia in air fryer?
The air fryer tilapia time will vary depending on size and whether it’s frozen or thawed.
Cooking time for frozen tilapia in air fryer takes about 12-14 minutes; thawed tilapia in air fryer takes about 8-10 minutes.
What temperature should tilapia be cooked to?
Tilapia should be cooked to 145 degrees F. Use a meat thermometer to check, otherwise the tilapia will be white and flake easily.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover lemon pepper air fryer tilapia in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
How to reheat
For best results, don’t microwave fish! Bake it at 375 degrees F in the oven or 375 degrees F in the air fryer until hot.
Can you freeze air fryer tilapia?
You can freeze leftover air fried tilapia for 2-3 months, but it’s best fresh.
How to Serve Air Fried Tilapia to the Whole Family
I get it, feeding kids can be tough! But following the Division of Responsibility and knowing your job and your child’s job makes it SO much more enjoyable. You’ll be able to feed your kids any meal, which will help ensure that they are eating a variety of nutritious foods – with plenty of play food sprinkled in. 😉
Serve this air fried tilapia recipe with 1-2 items that you know your kids will eat, along with the tilapia and a vegetable side like haricot verts or air fryer broccoli.
All of my articles on feeding kids can be found here and if you want a FULL list of all of the videos I have with hacks, tips, scripts, and ideas for feeding kids, check out my instagram or tiktok page.
Substitutes
If you want to swap out any of the ingredients and toppings, here are a few ways you can add even more nutrition into this meal:
- Butter – Using butter instead of olive oil will add great flavor, but won’t coat as easily as olive oil.
- Seasonings – Use any seasoning blend you like! Lemon pepper, garlic salt, Cajun, Old Bay Seasoning, and Greek seasonings are all delicious.
What to Serve with Air Fryer Tilapia Recipe
These simple air fryer tilapia fillets need a simple side dish recipe:
- Grilled Potatoes in Foil
- Roasted Carrots with Dill
- Sauteed Frozen Peas
- Haricots Verts
- Cheesy Potato Casserole
More Easy Air Fryer Recipes
If you like this recipe for air fryer tilapia, you might also like some of these other air fryer recipes:
Helpful Tools to Make Air Fried Tilapia
- Air Fryer – You can’t make tilapia fillets in air fryer without the air fryer!
- Olive Oil Spritzer – This is the best way to make crispy, browned food in the air fryer, and it can be refilled so you don’t need to buy cooking spray anymore.
Menu Plans by My Everyday Table can help you out.
The plan addresses three major issues when it comes to weeknight dinners: having a plan, time, and one family meal.
You’ll save time, save money, waste less food, and feel calm when 5pm hits because your dinner is already planned.
Easy Air Fryer Tilapia Recipe
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 14 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This frozen air fried tilapia recipe cooks in less than 15 minutes! Learn how to cook tilapia in air fryer, with only 3 ingredients.
Instructions
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Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F.
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Spritz tilapia with olive oil spritzer and season with lemon pepper on both sides.
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Lay down piece of parchment paper on bottom of air fryer basket and place fish on top.
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Air fry at 400 degrees F for 12-14 minutes. Edges will be golden brown, flesh will be white, and the fish will flake easily when done cooking.
Notes
- If your tilapia is thawed, the cook time is 8-10 minutes.
Keywords: air fried tilapia, tilapia in air fryer, air fryer tilapia recipe, frozen tilapia in air fryer, how to cook tilapia in air fryer
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