Baked Lemon Basil Tilapia

Baked Lemon Basil Tilapia is a delicious flakey tilapia dish made with butter, basil, and lemon.

baked lemon basil tilapia on a dinner plate

There’s something very satisfying about a flakey piece of fish. Each time I serve it, I tend to dress the table up a bit more than usual. Maybe it’s because fish is normally something I’d order while on vacation or out at a nice restaurant so it has a distinct feeling to it.

Fish might seem a bit intimidating if you are not used to preparing it yourself. But the truth is, it is one of the easiest meat dishes to prepare. I find the best way to make fish is to use simple fresh ingredients and use a mild fish with a subtle flavor.

There are many different ways to make fish, but I say anytime you can bake it and use the pan juices as a flavorful sauce, you have a winning recipe.

Baked Lemon Basil Tilapia Is…

  • A great recipe for a busy day.
  • Simple to make and a tasty recipe.
  • One of my go-to easy dinner recipes.
  • A healthy meal that is ready for the oven in minutes.
  • An easy baked tilapia recipe for any night of the week.

Ingredients

Tilapia Filets- Use good quality frozen or fresh filets about 4 oz each.

Butter- Use salted butter not margarine.

Lemons- Fresh lemon juice provides a nice brightness and flavor to the fish filets. It also works nicely for presentation as well.

Basil- Use fresh basil. It adds a delicious depth of flavor that pairs nicely with the bright lemon and white fish.

Garlic- Use large garlic cloves. Garlic melds into the butter creating a delicious lemon garlic butter sauce as the fish cooks. Feel free to top the fish and even rice if your serving it, with the delicious sauce.

Seasoning- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper add the perfect simple seasoning to the dish. If you don’t have sea salt, use Kosher salt or standard table salt and pepper will do.

ingredients for baked tilapia with basil and lemon

Directions

Make sure the tilapia filets are defrosted before starting if using frozen filets. To defrost quicker, place filets in a bowl of cool water. When ready, salt and pepper the tilapia filets. Lay them out in a nonstick baking dish.

tilapia being sprinkled with pepper and salt

Chop the basil finely and mince the garlic. In a small bowl combine the chopped basil and garlic. Add the zest of one lemon and its juice.

chopped basil and garlic on a cutting board

Melt the butter and pour it into the bowl. Mix well.

pouring melted butter into a bowl of fresh basil and lemon

Pour the contents over the tilapia filets. Slice the second lemon and place it on top of the filets.

woman adding lemon slices to the top of tilapia

Bake at 400℉ for 16 to 20 minutes. Or until the fish flakes with a fork. Serve immediately.

baked lemon basil tilapia in a baking dish
a plated tilapia dinner

Cooking Notes

  • If using frozen tilapia filets, be sure to defrost them before preparing. To defrost quickly, set your filet packets in a bowl of cool water.
  • Cooking times may vary from oven to oven. Make sure to check the tilapia at the 15-minute point. The fish is done when it flakes with a fork.
  • I use fresh herbs for this recipe however, you can use dried ones if that is what you have on hand. Just be sure to adjust the amount since dried herbs are stronger than fresh.
  • This recipe can be doubled. Just ensure to use a baking dish that has room and adjust the cooking time if the fish is overlapping. It may take a few minutes longer.

Serving Suggestions

I like keeping things simple when making a dish like baked lemon basil tilapia. So I usually serve with a vegetable and plain white rice with butter. Here are some other great ways to serve this dish.

  • Serve with a baked potato and green salad.
  • This baked lemon basil tilapia is great alongside these Crispy Oven Fries and coleslaw for a seaside-style meal at home.
  • Tilapia pairs well with white wines such as Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, or Sauvignon Blanc.
  • Leftover fish is great for next-day fish tacos. Simply fry up the corn tortillas, and reheat the fish. Add shredded cabbage, salsa or other favorite taco toppings.

FAQ

If using bottled lemon juice, how much would be needed for this recipe?

If using a bottle of lemon juice over fresh lemon, you will want to put about 1/4 cup of lemon juice. I normally get about 3 to 4 tbsp. of juice from a lemon.

Can I use dried basil for this recipe?

Absolutely! I would use about 2 tbsp. of dried basil in place of the half cup of fresh that the recipe calls for. As a general rule, you would use three parts fresh for every one part of dried herbs.

What size baking dish works for this?

I use my 9 x 12 baking dish for this but a 9 x 13 would work fine too.

Can I make this ahead?

You can put the sauce together and leave it separately in a bowl in the fridge until ready to bake. Or you can bake up the dish and then reheat it later as well. It is best to have it fresh from the oven. However, I do reheat the leftover fish the next day from the fridge and find it tastes great when I do this.

More Recipes To Try…

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baked lemon basil tilapia in a baking dish

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Yield: 4 servings

Baked Lemon Basil Tilapia

baked lemon basil tilapia in a baking dish

a flakey flavorful baked tilapia with basil and lemon

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 (4 oz) Tilapia filets
  • 2 lemons
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
  • 5 tbsp melted butter
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

Instructions

    1. Make sure the tilapia filets are defrosted before starting if using frozen filets. To defrost quicker, place filets in a bowl of cool water.
    2. When ready, salt and pepper the tilapia filets. Lay them out in a nonstick baking dish.
    3. Chop the basil finely and mince the garlic. In a small bowl combine the chopped basil and garlic.
    4. Add the zest of one lemon and its juice.
    5. Melt the butter and pour it into the bowl. Mix well.
    6. Pour the contents over the tilapia filets. Slice the second lemon and place it on top of the filets.
    7. Bake at 400℉ for 16 to 20 minutes. Or until the filets flake with a fork.
    8. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • If using frozen tilapia filets, be sure to defrost them before preparing. To defrost quickly, set your filet packets in a bowl of cool water.
  • Cooking times may vary from oven to oven. Make sure to check the tilapia at the 15-minute point. The fish is done when it flakes with a fork.
  • I use fresh herbs for this recipe however, you can use dried ones if that is what you have on hand. Just be sure to adjust the amount since dried herbs are stronger than fresh.
  • This recipe can be doubled. Just ensure to use a baking dish that has room and adjust the cooking time if the fish is overlapping. It may take a few minutes longer.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 202Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 418mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 7g

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