Almond-Crusted Tilapia
We’ve been making this recipe for several years. It’s easy, quick, and delicious!
Tilapia is a great fish to cook with. It’s a flaky white fish. Think of it as Halibut’s less firm cousin 🙂 Tilapia is thin, which means that it cooks quickly and it’s small enough that it’s already a good serving size. 
We typically buy a pack of Tilapia filets at Costco and freeze them two to a ziplock. You can also find Tilapia at your local grocery store at the seafood counter, or in the frozen section.
This recipes also uses almond meal. You can usually find it in the baking aisle at your local grocery store next to the flours. If you can’t find it, finely grind up unsalted almonds using a food processor or mortar and pestle.
Lightly sprinkle the Tilapia with salt and pepper and set aside. Put the almond meal in a plate or shallow dish that is big enough to hold one of the Tilapia filets. Mix in the salt and garlic powder with a fork (or your hands) and break up any clumps.
Heat a skillet over medium heat and melt 2 tablespoons of butter. If you have cast iron, that works best because it keeps really even heat. While the butter is melting, coat each of the Tilapia filets with the almond mixture. Press the filet into the dish- you want the almond mixture to really adhere to the fish.
Once both filets are coated with the almond mixture, put in the skillet with the melted butter. Be careful placing it in the pan. If you’re too rough, all of the coating will fall off and the butter may spit at you.
The cooking time varies depending on the size of your filets. The ones I used from Costco are gigantic, so they took about 10 minutes per side! For filets smaller than these, cook one side for about 7 minutes until golden.
Before flipping the filets, add the rest of the butter to the skillet. Flip the filets (again, carefully) and finish cooking to a golden brown (about another 5-7 minutes). The filets are done when the inside is opaque and flaky. Test one of the thicker areas with a fork. If the layers separate easily and the fish is white, you know it’s done.
Serve as soon as the filets are done. I would recommend a roasted veggie or a nice salad as a side to pair with this.
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Ingredients
- 2 6-8 ounce Tilapia filets
- 1 cup almond meal
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Sprinkle both sides of the fish with salt and pepper and set aside. Put the almond meal on a plate large enough to fit the Tilapia. Add the salt and garlic powder and mix with a fork.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet on medium and add 2 tablespoons of the butter.
- While the butter is melting, dip the Tilapia in the almond mixture. Firmly press it into the mixture turn over and do the same thing on the other side. You are trying to get as much of the almonds to adhere to the fish as possible. Repeat with the other filet.
- Put the filets in the skillet and cook about 7 minutes or until golden on one side. Add the rest of the butter to the skillet. Flip and cook another 5 minutes or until opaque and flaky.
- Serve immediately.