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air fryer tilapia

Air Fryer Tilapia

The best 10-minute air fryer tilapia with lemon caper sauce is healthy, easy to make, and perfectly flakey. Seasoned with a blend of paprika, garlic, lemon, and melted butter, it is the ideal weeknight dinner!
5 from 7 votes
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Serving 2 servings

Ingredients
 

Tilapia:

  • 2 tilapia fillets, around 4 ounces each
  • Olive oil or avocado oil spray
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • Salt, to taste
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • 1 lemon, for serving

Lemon Caper Sauce:

  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp capers
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat your air fryer to 400°F and spray with olive oil non-stick spray.
  • Meanwhile, pat your tilapia filets dry with a paper towel and combine all your seasonings into a small bowl.
  • Season both sides of the tilapia. Use your fingers to gently pat the seasoning mixture onto each filet.
  • Once the air fryer is ready, use a spatula to carefully add both seasoned tilapia filets to the basket. They should not overlap. Lightly spray to tops with olive oil spray.
  • Air fry for 3 - 4 minutes, then use a spatula (not tongs) to flip them over and air fry for another 3 - 4 minutes, until cooked through. The thickest part of the fish would be 145°F.
  • While the tilapia is cooking, melt the butter in a small saucepot on the stove or microwave in a microwave-safe bowl. Then mix together the melted butter, capers, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and parsley.
  • Carefully remove the fish from the air fryer with a spatula and drizzle the lemon caper sauce over each filet.
  • Enjoy immediately with extra lemon if desired!

Notes

If using frozen tilapia, make sure you defrost them to room temperature before air frying.
Storing Leftovers: Store for meal prep by placing leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I recommend keeping the lemon caper sauce in a separate small container. Once you are ready to enjoy, you can top the tilapia with the warm sauce.
Reheating Leftovers: To reheat in the microwave, place tilapia on a microwave-safe dish and heat for 30 - 75 seconds until warm. Then top with the warmed lemon caper sauce. To reheat. in the air fryer, place tilapia in a preheated air fryer for 2 - 3 minutes at 350°F. 

Nutrition

Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 174mg | Potassium: 485mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 405IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg
Course Lunch & Dinner
Cuisine American, Healthy
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