I’m not above buying frozen fish sticks for an easy quick dinner. But I had some frozen tilapia on hand and figured this recipe was worth a go. As written it was very simple: dredge the fish fillets in some flour, egg, and panko to coat. Then fry them in some oil on a hot skillet. Serve with lemon and tartar (this homemade recipe is THE BEST). I decided to kick up the flavor a notch by adding Cajun seasoning. I didn’t have that on hand so I found a recipe and mixed it myself. (It makes more than you’ll need but will store in an airtight container for a least a year.) The fish was tender and flakey, crisp on the outside from the lightly fried panko crust, and so delicious with that tartar sauce.

You could definitely opt to bake the tilapia fillets instead. They just won’t be quite as rich or crispy. Preheat an oven to 400 F, place the prepared fillets on a baking sheet lined with foil, coat them in nonstick cooking spray, and bake until they’re golden and the centers flake easily.

Crispy Pan-Fried Tilapia

INGREDIENTS

Tilapia:
2 lbs. tilapia fillets
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups panko bread crumbs
Cajun seasoning, to taste (I used 2 tsp. of the recipe below and it had a kick but wasn’t too spicy for my kids)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
olive or vegetable oil (I used grape-seed oil), for frying

lemon wedges, for serving
tartar sauce, for serving

Cajun Seasoning:
1 Tbsp. paprika (I prefer smoked paprika)
2 tsp. fine kosher salt
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground white pepper
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme

DIRECTIONS

To make the Tilapia:

1. Cut the tilapia into “fingers” by first cutting the fillets in half. Leave the thin sides long, then cut the thicker sides in half on a diagonal so they appear longer. (I just cut my fillets in half.)
2. Set up three large shallow bowls in an assembly line. Put the flour in the first bowl; the beaten eggs in the second; and the panko (and the Cajun seasoning, if using) in the third.
3. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Dredge the fish fingers in the flour mixture, shaking excess into the bowl so just a light coating remains; dip in the eggs and turn to coat evenly; then dredge in the panko, turning several times to coat evenly. (This can be a messy job…it’s best to use one hand for the flour and eggs and the other for the panko.) Set the breaded tilapia fingers on the prepared baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook (this can be done several hours ahead of time).
4. Line a plate with 3 paper towels and set by the stove. Coat a large non-stick sauté pan generously with olive oil and place over medium heat. When the pan is hot, place the first batch of tilapia fingers in the pan (do not crowd) and cook until the first side is golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until done, about 2 minutes more. Transfer the fish fingers to the plate with paper towels and let sit for a minute to drain any excess oil. Remove any brown bits out of the pan, add more oil if necessary and continue to cook the fish in batches until done. Season the cooked tilapia fingers with more salt if desired. Serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce.

To make the Cajun Seasoning:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl or spice jar until evenly combined. Use immediately, or store in a sealed container for up to 1 year.

Serves 4-6.

Tilapia adapted from Once Upon a Chef and Cajun seasoning from Gimme Some Oven