Description
Okay, so tilapia gets a bad rap sometimes, but hear me out. When you slather it in garlic butter and cook it right, it’s absolutely AMAZING. This recipe was born out of one of those “OMG it’s 6 PM and I have nothing planned for dinner” moments. I grabbed some tilapia from the freezer, found some garlic and butter in the fridge, and 20 minutes later my family was asking me to make it again. It’s stupid easy, tastes way fancier than it is, and even my picky 8-year-old devours it.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Fish:
- 4–6 tilapia fillets (about 1.5–2 lbs total – frozen works fine, just thaw them completely)
- Salt and black pepper (the basics, but don’t skip them)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (for that light coating that makes everything crispy)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or whatever cooking oil you’ve got)
For the Magic Garlic Butter:
- 4 tablespoons butter (real butter, not that fake stuff)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced (or more if you’re like me and measure garlic with your heart)
- 1/4 cup white wine (or chicken broth if you don’t have wine open)
- Juice of 1 lemon (fresh is best, but bottled works in a pinch)
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (or whatever herb blend you like)
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, but adds a nice little kick)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (makes everything look fancy)
Optional Extras:
- Cherry tomatoes, halved (adds color and freshness)
- Capers (if you’re feeling bougie)
- Fresh thyme or basil (if your herb garden is thriving)