Lemon Herb Baked Tilapia
Mild, flaky tilapia baked in about 12 minutes under a bright lemon, garlic and herb butter. A fast, budget-friendly weeknight fish that even fish skeptics like.
Nutrition per serving
1 fillet with sauce- Net carbs
- 1.4g
- Calories
- 246kcal
- Protein
- 35g
- Fat
- 12g
- Total carbs
- 1.8 g
- Fiber
- 0.3 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Lemon herb baked cod: Thick, meaty cod loins with the same lemony garlic butter — flakier and a little sweeter than tilapia.
- Cod loins are thicker, so bake 12–15 minutes, until opaque in the center and 145°F (63°C).
Mediterranean (tomato & olive): Cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives and capers roast around the fish and melt into a quick, briny pan sauce.
- Scatter the tomatoes, olives and capers around the fillets before spooning over the butter, and bake as written. Stir the softened tomatoes into the pan juices before serving.
Dairy-free: Good olive oil replaces the butter in the lemon-garlic sauce — lighter, fruitier and just as easy.
- Stir the garlic, lemon zest and juice into the olive oil instead of melted butter and spoon it over the fish the same way.
- Fish
- Lemon herb butter
- Nice to have (optional)
- Fish
- Lemon herb butter
- Nice to have (optional)
- Fish
- Lemon herb butter
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
- Fish
- Lemon herb butter
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $9.49 for 4 servings ($2.37 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and lightly grease a baking dish or rimmed sheet pan large enough to hold the fillets in a single layer.
-
Lay the fillets in the dish and season both sides with the salt, pepper and paprika.
-
Stir the melted butter with the garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice and spoon it evenly over the fish.
-
Bake 10–12 minutes, until the fish is opaque all the way through, flakes easily with a fork and reads 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part. Thin fillets may be done in 8 minutes.
-
Spoon the pan juices back over the fillets, sprinkle with the parsley and dill and serve with lemon wedges, alongside roasted asparagus or cauliflower rice.
Tips for success
-
Frozen tilapia is fine. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, or in its sealed bag in cold water for about 30 minutes, then pat it very dry so it bakes rather than steams. - Tilapia is thin and lean, so set a timer — it goes from flaky to dry in a couple of minutes.
- Any mild white fish works: swai, flounder, haddock or sole. Thicker cod loins need a few more minutes (see the variation).
Nice to have, not needed
- A fish spatula lifts thin fillets without breaking them — any wide, thin spatula works too.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 3 days in the fridge
- Doesn’t freeze well
Reheat: Rewarm covered at 300°F (150°C) for about 10 minutes, spooning the butter over, or flake it cold into a salad.
Refrigerate up to 3 days. Rewarm gently, covered, at 300°F (150°C) for about 10 minutes, or flake cold leftovers into a salad.
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosLemon herb baked cod
ProteinThick, meaty cod loins with the same lemony garlic butter — flakier and a little sweeter than tilapia.
- tilapia fillets (about 6 oz / 170 g each) → cod loins (6 oz / 170 g each)
1.4 g net · 222 kcal · 31 g protein · 9.8 g fat · ≈$3.87 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
Mediterranean (tomato & olive)
FlavorCherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives and capers roast around the fish and melt into a quick, briny pan sauce.
- + 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- + 10 Kalamata olives
- + 2 tbsp capers
2.9 g net · 265 kcal · 35 g protein · 13 g fat · ≈$2.85 per serving (+1.5 g net carbs vs the original)
Dairy-free
DietGood olive oil replaces the butter in the lemon-garlic sauce — lighter, fruitier and just as easy.
- butter → extra-virgin olive oil
1.4 g net · 259 kcal · 34 g protein · 13 g fat · ≈$2.47 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
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Pin this recipe to your keto board so it’s there when you plan next week.
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