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This pan fried tilapia with creamy tomato sauce is absolutely perfect! You’ll love these easy tilapia fillets, pan seared to perfection and served in a rich and creamy tomato sauce. The combination of tender fish and luxurious sauce creates an irresistibly delicious dish!
If you are looking to add more fish recipes to your repertoire, you should also try my old bay salmon and this air fryer parmesan tilapia. Both are simple to prepare and packed with flavor, offering delicious seafood options for your meal rotation.
Most of us need to eat more seafood. It’s super healthy and nutritious! But often, the prep seems a little overwhelming, and it’s just easier to brown some hamburger or make grilled chicken. This flaky tilapia recipe, though, is not only delicious and good for you—it’s extremely easy and foolproof!
You’ll love the flavors of the gently seasoned, pan fried tilapia fillets in creamy tomato sauce, chock-full of buttery chopped onion and Italian herbs. Whether you’re a seafood enthusiast or just looking for a quick and healthy meal, this tilapia recipe is sure to become a favorite.
What’s in this Tilapia Recipe?
To pan fry tilapia fish, we will use only a handful of simple ingredients like olive oil and zesty seasonings. For the creamy tomato sauce, heavy cream, garlic, tomatoes, and broth will do.
For the Fish:
- Olive oil: For sauteing the fish.
- Tilapia fillets: You’ll need four fillets, each weighing about 6 ounces.
- Chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, and black pepper: Combined to make a delicious rub that adds a fantastic flavor to fish. You can also use your favorite spices and seasonings or try my tasty, homemade seafood seasoning mix.
For the Sauce:
- Butter: For sauteing.
- Onion: Dice the onion. I use a yellow onion, but any type of onion will be fine!
- Fresh garlic: I use about 3 cloves of garlic, minced or put through a garlic press.
- Heavy cream: You can substitute full-fat coconut cream here, but the sauce will not taste quite the same or have the same texture.
- Broth: You’ll need ½ a cup of broth. I use low-sodium chicken broth, but homemade broth and/or veggie broth will also work.
- Tomato sauce: Plain tomato sauce is great in this dish, but if you need to substitute pasta sauce, that is fine. Don’t substitute tomato paste, which is highly concentrated and has a different flavor.
- Dried Italian seasoning: You’ll need 1 teaspoon of your favorite dried Italian seasoning blend.
- Chopped fresh parsley: For garnish.
How to Make Pan Fried Tilapia
This skillet tilapia recipe is very simple to make! It comes together fairly quickly, served up in a pan sauce featuring tomato sauce and heavy cream.
- Season the fillets. Combine the chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small dish and season the tilapia fillets with the prepared spice rub.
- Cook the fish. Heat olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add tilapia to the hot oil and cook for 3 minutes per side; remove from skillet and keep covered. If you have a fish spatula, use that to flip over the fillets.
- Saute the onion and garlic. Set skillet back over medium heat and melt the butter. To the butter, add the diced onion cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until softened. Stir in garlic and cook for 20 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Whisk in remaining ingredients. Add in heavy cream, chicken broth, and tomato sauce; mixing until smooth. Season with Italian seasoning and bring mixture to a slow boil.
- Simmer. Lower heat to a steady simmer and continue to cook for 8 minutes. Whisk occasionally. Taste sauce for salt and pepper; adjust accordingly.
- Return the fish to the pan. Return the tilapia to the skillet and continue to cook for 2 more minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat, garnish with parsley, and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Perfectly cooked fish. To ensure your tilapia fillets are juicy and tender, avoid overcooking or undercooking them. Your fillets are done when they are no longer translucent and flake apart easily when you gently twist a fork in the thickest part. Fish is fully cooked at an internal temperature of 145°F.
- Don’t flip too often. When searing fish fillets, resist the temptation to adjust or move them around in the pan. Constantly wiggling and turning the fillets can lead to scorched or broken pieces that stick to the pan. For the best results, let the fillets sear undisturbed, only carefully turning them once when one side is done.
Serving Suggestions
Pair the creamy tomato sauce with the tilapia and your favorite pasta, like linguine, egg noodles, macaroni, or orzo. For a perfect side, try no-knead dinner rolls to soak up the delicious sauce. Brussels sprouts also make a great accompaniment, adding a tasty and textural contrast. Slow cooker brussels sprouts are a simple and flavorful choice.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
To refrigerate, place leftovers in food-storage containers or bags and keep them in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. To reheat, place the fillets and sauce in a covered skillet over medium heat and cook until just heated through.
More Seafood Recipe
Pan Fried Tilapia
Ingredients
For the Tilapia:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tilapia fillets
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
For the Sauce:
- ½ tablespoon butter
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat.
- Meanwhile, combine chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small dish. Season the tilapia fillets with the prepared spice rub.
- Add tilapia to the hot oil and cook for 3 minutes per side, or until cooked through; remove from skillet and keep covered. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the fillets.
- Set skillet back over medium heat and melt the butter.
- To the butter, add the diced onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until softened. Stir in garlic and cook for 20 seconds or until fragrant.
- Whisk in heavy cream, chicken broth, and tomato sauce; whisk until smooth.
- Season with Italian seasoning and bring mixture to a slow boil.
- Lower the heat to a steady simmer and continue to cook for 8 minutes. Whisk occasionally.
- Taste the sauce for salt and pepper and adjust accordingly.
- Return the fish to the skillet and continue to cook for 2 more minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Delicious! I made this tonight for the first time, and both my husband and I really enjoyed it. The only addition I made was adding a light splash of white wine to the sauce before simmering, but only because I already had the bottle out and open. Will definitely be using your recipe again. Thank you!
Made it twice it’s delicious. I added some sundried tomatoes because I had some in the fridge and it was a nice addition.
That’s great! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂