Tilapia is an easy fish to cook quickly and well in your air fryer. This recipe coats the tilapia with a light cornmeal crust that keeps the tilapia moist. The fish cooks in 12-15 minutes, depending on your air fryer. With the fish, I sometimes serve a vegetable and protein-packed sauce that includes onions, peppers, lots of garlic and tomatoes, and cannellini beans. Kalamata olives and feta cheese provide richness and saltiness. The fish and sauce are each great on their own, and together, they make an incredibly flavor-packed, filling meal. Try the fish with rice, polenta, or crusty bread to sop up the sauce. Enjoy!
Air Fryer Tilapia and Mediterranean Sauce -- Serves 2
Fish
3/4 - 1 pound of tilapia fillets
1/4 teaspoon of onion powder
1/8 teaspoon of lemon pepper
1/4 teaspoon of smoked paprika
2 tablespoons of cornmeal
Pat the fish dry with paper towels and cut each fillet lengthwise into two pieces along the dark center line that runs up the fish. Line the bottom and about two inches up the sides of your air fryer basket with aluminum foil and spritz the foil with non-stick spray. Put the fillets in the basket with the thinnest fillet in the middle. Sprinkle the tops of the fillets with the onion powder, lemon pepper, smoked paprika and cornmeal. Spritz the fillets well with non-stick cooking spray or olive oil (this keeps the coating in place). Put the fillet-filled basket in the air fryer and air fry the fillets for 12-15 minutes at 360 degrees or until the fish are cooked through and flake with a fork. Serve the fillets "as is" or with the Mediterranean sauce.
Mediterranean Sauce
1 tablespoon of canola or olive oil
1 cup of chopped onion (1 medium onion)
1 cup of chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 tablespoon of dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1/4 teaspoon (or to taste) of salt
1 14-16-ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 14-16-ounce can of cannellini beans with their liquid
6-12 pitted Kalamata olives and 2-3 tablespoons of olive brine
3-4 tablespoons of crumbled feta cheese
Heat the oil in a large skillet or chef's pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and saute them for 5-8 minutes until they soften. Add the garlic and saute it with the other vegetables for a minute or so. Stir in the oregano, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper and cook them with the vegetables for a minute or so. Stir in the tomatoes, cannellini beans and liquid, and the olives and their brine. Partially cover the mixture and let it cook for about 10 minutes to blend the flavors and reduce slightly (by about a third). Turn off the heat and stir in the feta (if you'd like, you can save half the feta and sprinkle it on the fish/sauce at serving time). Serve the sauce with the fish and rice, polenta, bread, etc..
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