This tender and flaky chili lime air fryer tilapia is cooked to perfection in the air fryer or oven in under 15 minutes for a quick and easy weeknight meal. Enjoy in tacos, burrito bowls, salads, or on its own!
What Makes This Recipe Great
I’ve recently started cooking with white fish more often. While I love how nutritious and flavorful salmon and tuna can be, the milder and cleaner taste of white fish like tilapia is always a crowd-pleaser. Plus, it’s a super flaky fish that melts in your mouth and cooks amazingly in an air fryer! I also like that you can be more flexible with the variety of spices as well.
This healthy Air Fryer Tilapia is coated in a zesty and delicious chili lime spice mix. Tilapia is already quick and easy to cook in the oven, but it’s even faster air fried. Whatever method you choose, the spice coating gets blackened during the cooking process and the tilapia fillets turn out so perfectly flaky and moist!
Get ready for the most delicious dinner that’s easy enough to make on busy weeknights, but yummy enough that the entire family will enjoy it!
Ingredient Notes
Because tilapia has such a mild flavor, it takes to spices super well. For this recipe, I’ve made a simple seasoning mixture that pairs so well with any Mexican-inspired sides or accompaniments you desire! Here’s what you need for this healthy meal:
- fresh tilapia fillets: If you want to use other white fish fillets like cod or halibut, feel free to substitute. You can also use frozen fillets. See the printable recipe card below for notes.
- chili powder
- cumin
- garlic powder
- oregano
- sea salt
- ground black pepper
- lime zest
- lime juice
- olive oil spray
Step-by-Step Instructions
The air fryer is probably one of my favorite kitchen gadgets next to the Instant Pot. Not only can you cook things so much faster in it, the texture of the food always comes out amazing as well. And it did not disappoint with this deliciously spiced tilapia recipe. Here’s how to cook tilapia in the air fryer with simple steps:
- Most air fryers need to be preheated for 5-10 minutes in order for the food to cook properly. Mine doesn’t need to be, but I do it anyway for best results. Set it to 400 degrees F.
- Grease the air fryer basket or tray. This is important so the tilapia filets don’t stick. I use a cooking spray, but you can just brush cooking oil on the grates.
- Pat dry the fish with a paper towel.
- Make the spice mixture: In a small bowl combine the spices.
- Press the spice mixture into the tilapia fillets on all sides.
- Cook in a single layer the preheated air fryer for 8-10 minutes until opaque and flaky.
- Garnish with lime juice before serving!
I’ve cooked the fish following this air fryer tilapia method multiple times now, and the fish always comes out with such a tender texture and is so perfect and delicious, without ever drying out.
Oven Method
If you don’t have an air fryer, you can just use the oven instead to bake fish! It still takes less than 15 minutes of cook time in the oven, and the flavors and textures are fantastic. Just remember to coat the pan with oil like coconut oil or olive oil.
The instructions are exactly the same as air fryer tilapia, but you cook a bit longer for about 12-14 minutes. That’s it! Easy baked tilapia that’s delicious and perfect for a quick weeknight meal.
Serving Tips
This air fryer tilapia recipe is full of zesty and spicy Mexican seasoning, so I like to enjoy in dishes that complement those flavors. Here are some ways to serve and enjoy it:
- for fish tacos
- in burrito bowls
- in salads
- with rice or cauliflower Mexican rice
- with cooked plantains
- covered in salsa or mango salsa
- with roasted vegetables
It’s such flavorful and healthy dish that you can enjoy in so many different ways and with your favorite side dishes. Since it’s so easy and quick, I recommend you make just enough to serve without having leftovers. It’s hard reheat white fish without over-drying, and tastes best fresh out of the air fryer or the oven!
Storage Tips
Leftovers: It’s best served right away, however, if you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat and use in burritos, tacos, rice bowls, and more.
Freezing: To freeze cooked tilapia, wait for it to cool completely. Store in a freezer-safe, airtight container for up to 4 months. When ready to eat again, defrost in the refrigerator completely before heating it up.
Reheating: The best way to reheat leftover tilapia is to use the same method it was originally cooked with. Place back in the oven or the air fryer at the same temperature for up to 10 minutes until heated through.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! If you do plan to use frozen fish instead of fresh fish, increase the air frying cooking time to 12-13 minutes. For the oven method, it’ll be cook for 5 minutes longer than stated.
Depending on the thickness of the fish, it’ll cook through in 8-10 minutes in the air fryer, or 12-14 minutes in the oven.
This tender white fish is done and ready to eat when it easily flakes with a fork.
More Fish & Seafood Recipes
Mustard Dill Walnut Crusted Alaska Salmon (Paleo, Whole30, Keto)
Swordfish Steak with Creamy Lemon Basil Sauce
Pan Seared Whole30 Scallops with Lemon Garlic Ghee (Paleo, Keto)
Paleo Mahi Mahi in Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Sauce (Whole30, Keto)
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Easy Air Fryer Tilapia Recipe (Fresh or Frozen!)
Ingredients
- 12 oz tilapia fillets 6-8 oz each
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- Lime zest from 1 lime
- Juice of ½ lime
Instructions
Air Fryer Method
- If your air fryer needs preheating, preheat to 400 degrees F. Grease the air fryer basket or tray with your favorite cooking oil. Pat dry the tilapia fillets with a paper towel.12 oz tilapia fillets
- In a small bowl, combine all the spices, except lime juice, and stir together. Press the spice mix into the fish on all sides.2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, Lime zest from 1 lime
- Cook the fish in the air fryer without touching each other for 8-10 minutes, until opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
- Drizzle with lime juice and serve immediately.Juice of ½ lime
Oven Method
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and grease a baking sheet with your favorite cooking oil. Pat dry the tilapia fillets with a paper towel.12 oz tilapia fillets
- In a small bowl, combine all the spices, except lime juice, and stir together. Press the spice mix into the fish on all sides.2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, Lime zest from 1 lime
- Place the fish on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes, until opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
- Drizzle with lime juice and serve immediately.Juice of ½ lime
Notes
Serving Tips
This air fryer tilapia recipe is full of zesty and spicy Mexican seasoning, so I like to enjoy in dishes that complement those flavors. Here are some ways to serve and enjoy it:- for fish tacos
- in burrito bowls
- in salads
- with rice or cauliflower Mexican rice
- with cooked plantains
- covered in salsa or mango salsa
- with roasted vegetables
Storage Tips
Leftovers: It’s best served right away, however, if you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat and use in burritos, tacos, rice bowls, and more. Freezing: To freeze cooked tilapia, wait for it to cool completely. Store in a freezer-safe, airtight container for up to 4 months. When ready to eat again, defrost in the refrigerator completely before heating it up. Reheating: The best way to reheat leftover tilapia is to use the same method it was originally cooked with. Place back in the oven or the air fryer at the same temperature for up to 10 minutes until heated through.Regarding other affiliate links and affiliate relationships: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. Thank you for your support and understanding.
i didn’t make it but i looks YUMMERS
This was good, though a little too seasoned on the thinner part of the filet. I recommended focusing on the thicker parts of the fish with the bulk of the seasoning. Very good though!
We made this tonight and it was so easy, light, delicious and flavorful. We opted for the baked version and the timing was perfect at 400 degrees for 13 minutes – the fish came out perfectly flakey and to drizzle of lime
Juice highlighted the seasoning nicely. We paired with WhatGreatGrandmaAte’s Cauliflower Mexican Rice along with Sautéed Onions & Bell Peppers. Definitely will make again!
This was very good thank you
Absolutely delicious and so fast. I used grouper instead and it was great. We had it with wild rice and a salad and made grouper sandwiches with it the next day.
Wow, making a sandwich with it sounds delicious!!