Air Fryer Tilapia ready in 20 minutes! Seasoned with a simple spice paste and cooked until perfectly flaky. Easy weeknight dinner.
Tilapia in the air fryer
I must confess that I love making fish because it takes so little time to cook. Today I made Tilapia in the air fryer, a ridiculously simple recipe but incredibly fragrant and absolutely delicious.
Seasoned with a simple spice paste and cooked in under 10 minutes, it comes out tender, flaky, and just crispy enough on the outside- no oil-splattered stovetop required. The air fryer does all the heavy work so you barely have to.
The tilapia fillets are patted dry, rubbed all over with a bold spice paste made from olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, then air fried at 400°F until perfectly flaky. The high heat of the air fryer creates light browning on the outside while keeping the inside moist and tender — no breading, no mess. Serve straight from the basket with veggies and lemon wedges for a clean, bright finish.
I hope you try it!
🩷 xo, Ana
Ingredients
You actually don’t many ingredients to make this mild fish taste delicious. Most likely you already have everything in your pantry.
- Fresh or frozen tilapia fillets
- For the rub you’ll need:
- Olive oil teaspoon
- paprika
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- talian seasoning
- kosher salt and black pepper
- Your favorite side dish
How To Make Tilapia In The Air Fryer
Set it to 400°F (205°C) and let it run for 2 minutes. Starting with a hot basket gives the fish a head start on browning.
- Use paper towels to pat the tilapia completely dry. This will help with browning instead of steaming
- In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
It’ll come together into a thick paste.
- Rub the paste all over both sides of the fillets. Get into all the edges.
- Lay the fillets in a single layer with some space between them. Crowding = steaming, not crisping. Cook in batches if you need to.
- Cook for 8–10 minutes. Thin fillets are usually done at 8; thicker ones need closer to 10. The fish is ready when it flakes easily with a fork and hits an internal temp of 145°F.
- Transfer to a plate, top with fresh parsley, and squeeze lemon over everything. Eat right away.
Ana’s Recipe Tips
- Pat the fish dry before you do anything else. Moisture is the enemy of browning.
- Thin fillets (under ½ inch) are done at 8 minutes. Thicker fillets need the full 10.
- Don’t stack or overlap the fillets. Air needs to circulate around each one.
- Pull the fish the second it flakes easily, it dries out fast if it keeps cooking.
- Want some heat? Add a pinch of cayenne to the spice mix.
- Avocado oil works great in place of olive oil.
- No Italian seasoning? Use dried parsley or dried oregano instead.
Print Recipe
Air Fryer Tilapia
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450g) tilapia fillets (2–4 fillets depending on size)
- 1 Tablespoon (14g) olive oil
- 1 teaspoon (2.5g) paprika
- ½ teaspoon (1.5g) garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon (1.5g) onion powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5g) Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges for serving
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (205°C) for 3 minutes.
- Pat the tilapia fillets dry with paper towels.
- In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper into a paste. Rub the paste evenly over both sides of each fillet.
- Arrange the fillets in a single layer in the air fryer basket with space between them. Cook in batches if needed.
- Air fry for 8–10 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.
- Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Notes
- Pat the fillets completely dry before seasoning.
- Thin fillets are usually done at 8 minutes; thicker ones need closer to 10.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket or the fish will steam instead of crisp. Cook in batches if needed.
- Pull the fish as soon as it flakes .
- Add a pinch of cayenne to the spice mix for heat.
- Swap tilapia for cod, haddock, pollock, or catfish.
Private Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! cod, haddock, pollock, and catfish all work well here. Just keep an eye on cook time since thicker fillets may need a couple extra minutes.
You can mix the spice blend up to a week in advance and store it in an airtight container. You can also season the fish up to 4 hours before cooking and refrigerate it until you’re ready. For best texture, cook it fresh.
Let the fish cool, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, pop it back in the air fryer at 350°F for 2–3 minutes. Skip the microwave, it dries it out!