Air Fryer Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

I love fish, there is so much to choose from, and it’s all delicious. Surprisingly, even though I live in a state that has ocean on three sides, fish is still expensive. This is especially true for locally caught fish. So I have red snapper and mahi mahi on more special occasions. My go to fish for a Wednesday night dinner is tilapia. It’s relatively cheap, available everywhere, extremely versatile, and as with all fish, it’s good for you. And what better way than to cook it in an air fryer, so, here is air fryer parmesan crusted tilapia, easy to make and delicious on the plate.

Because tilapia is such an extremely versatile fish, I have a few recipes here to choose from; Baked, pan cooked, and with wine . And now, another to add to the list.

Lately, air fryers have become all the rage, and, why not? An air fryer is essentially a small counter top convection oven. Originally designed for the commercial kitchen application, size and price have come down, and, they are now readily available. When cooking with an air fryer, the finished product is delicious, in this case, the tilapia filets are crispy all around, for a great texture. It’s certainly cheaper to run an air fryer for 20 mins than a regular oven. And, living in south Florida, the apartment gets so hot with the oven on. Air fryers make a lot of sense

Tilapia is one of the most abundant fish available world wide. Over 90% is farmed, and that is something we need to discuss. Farming fish makes it cheaper and more abundant, however, not all countries have the same rules about how the fish are raised and what they are fed. Because the fish are raised together the chances of disease are increased, so the are fed antibiotics to control this. In small amounts the effects are minimal, but some countries don’t control it as much. In the case of salmon, they are fed a diet that helps to give their flesh that orange color we want to see.

This may all sound scary, however, there is a very simple solution. When you buy fish here, a little of its life story is on the packaging. Farm raised or fresh caught, and the country of origin too. This is all very important information that you need to understand. Remember, knowledge is power. So, use this information to guide you to buying the correct fish. I usually buy my tilapia frozen, I read the label to make sure I’m getting what I want, and, always keep some in the freezer, as a quick weeknight dinner.

Defrosting frozen fish is really easy, there are two options. let it thaw in the fridge overnight, or, put the frozen filets, still in their wrapping in a bowl under running water. Either way, before you prep them, use a paper towel to absorb excess liquid. They say there’s a secret to a good coating that sticks. Although, I don’t think it’s much of a secret. It’s a three step process. Starting with the fish filets that have been patted dry with a paper towel. Dredge in flour, then dip in some beaten egg, then dredge in the outer coating, in this case seasoned breadcrumbs and grated parmesan cheese.

There is a science behind this, because, with cooking or preparing food, there’s always a science. By dredging the fish (or anything that you’re coating) in flour, the egg will bind better to the protein. And, in turn, the grated cheese and seasoned breadcrumbs will stick to the beaten egg. As the egg cooks the bond will become better, therefore minimizing the amount of coating you’ll lose during the cooking. Another thing, is, also, to minimize the amount you move the food while cooking, that helps too. In this case, they’re not going to be touched, that’s great.

Now that the tilapia is coated in the cheesy breadcrumbs, on to the cooking part. Most air fryers these days are preprogrammed, this makes everything easier. Place the coated fish in the air fryer basket and set the appropriate preprogrammed timer and temp, or, to the manufactures recommendation, that’s it. Some displays will also show the cooking temp and a countdown timer while it’s cooking. Now is a good time to prepare whatever side you desire, rice pilaf, salad, vegetables, the choices are endless.

When everything is done, serve and enjoy your air fryer parmesan crusted tilapia. Thank you for reading