Breaded Tilapia Fish Fillets

Breaded fish fillets are a family favorite. Even if prep time for breading the fish takes three steps, it’s fairly easy to do. If I can, I use Panko bread crumbs which I get from the Asian markets or major supermarkets. The larger-sized crumbs give a bigger crisp crunch to the fillet. Coating the entire fish fillet in breadcrumbs also makes it easy to handle in the skillet. Serve these breaded tilapia fillets with a tangy sweet sour sauce on the side, a fresh salad of cucumbers and tomatoes and a bowl of steamed rice. This recipe was adapted from Fine Cooking.com.

Course: Dinner, Fish, Lunch

Cuisine: Asian, Filipino

Keyword: Breaded Tilapia Fish Fillets

Servings: people

Calories: 314kcal

Author: Elizabeth Ann Quirino

Equipment

large skillet or wok

Ingredients

4 pieces (4 oz. each) Tilapia fish fillet
1 Tablespoon calamansi juice (or use lemon)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 whole eggs, beaten
2 cups Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
whole lemon, sliced, for serving
1/2 cup sweet sour sauce, for serving (sweet sour sauce in past blog post)
for serving: cucumber-tomato salad
for serving:steamed white or brown rice

Instructions

Pre-season the tilapia fish fillets with lemon or calamansi juice, salt and black pepper powder for about 20 minutes (not longer than this). Cover and refrigerate till ready to cook.
On the counter, line up three medium bowls, each with one of these ingredients for coating: flour, beaten eggs, breadcrumbs.
Take out the fish fillets from the refrigerator. Drain the marinade or any excess liquids. Use a fork or a pair of tongs to hold the fish fillet. Coat the fish with these ingredients by dipping each fish fillet individually into each bowl in this order – first the flour, second the beaten eggs, last the breadcrumbs.
You can choose two ways to cook the fish fillets: pan fry in a skillet, stove top or bake them in the oven.
To pan fry fish : in a large skillet, over medium high heat, add the vegetable oil. After oil is hot enough (but not smoking) in about 2 to 3 minutes, using a cooking spatula, place the breaded fish fillet into the skillet. Lay the fish flat, each one next to the other. Do not overlap the fillets or they will not cook evenly.
Cook each side of the fish fillets for 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Turn them only once. The bread crumbs will turn brown and crisp. If cooking oil gets too hot, lower heat to a medium. The total cooking time for this amount of fish fillets will be about 10 to 12 minutes. Make sure fish is cooked thoroughly. Drain on parchment paper to remove excess oil.
To bake fish: preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the breaded fish fillets in a shallow baking sheet (like a cookie sheet) which will fit all the pieces, lined with parchment paper. Bake tilapia fillets (uncovered) for about 11 to 12 minutes or till bread crumbs are brown.
Serve the breaded tilapia fillets with additional slices of lemon, sweet sour sauce or bottled chili sauce, a cucumber-tomato salad with a light vinaigrette dressing and a bowl of steamed rice (brown or white).
Cook’s comments: I used tilapia fillets for this recipe because they were on sale. On other occasions, I have used catfish fillets, red snapper (lapu-lapu in the Philippines) or even salmon.
Recipe: I use bottled chili sauce. Or if I have time, I make my own Sweet Sour Sauce. Click here for the past blog post recipe.
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Nutrition