This 10-minute smothered baked tilapia is the EASIEST Sunday meal we’ve ever made. This tasty recipe is one you’re going to want to keep on hand! (Enter slow clap for Jordan actually making a healthy meal.)
Hold the phone! I've got a deliciously easy baked tilapia recipe that's going to take that fish from bland to WOW! in about 10 seconds. Since this recipe takes hardly any time at all from start to finish, it is the perfect go-to for those days when you look up and it’s already time for dinner. (Not that that ever happens, right?!)
*Note: When you click the links in this post, we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Most of the ingredients you need are probably in your kitchen already. As long as you have the tilapia, this is a great way to start shelf cooking! Seriously guys, this is the PERFECT meal for when you're wanting to be a little more on the healthy side of life. So whatcha waitin' for? Let's give ‘er a try!
GET THE FAMILY INVOLVED
Because of it's simplicity, this baked tilapia recipe is a great one to get your kids involved with! Gather all your ingredients, throw them into the bowl and let the kids mix away. They can stir until their little hearts are content—there's no messing this one up.
Worried about your pickiest eater?? When we get our kids involved with the cooking process, they learn to take pride in the meals they prepare and actually eat better. Now, that's a win!
PREPARING YOUR TILAPIA

We love to buy our tilapia fillets frozen from Costco, but you can use fresh from the meat counter as well. If you choose to use frozen tilapia, it's best to thaw overnight in the fridge. However, if you need to whip this up last minute, you can always throw it in a baggie and quick-thaw in a bowl of water. Whichever you choose, make sure your tilapia is completely thawed before cooking! This will help it to cook evenly and all the way through.
REHEATING YOUR BAKED TILAPIA
This tasty smothered, baked tilapia recipe is at it's very best when it's fresh out of the oven. But wait—we don't want to let those leftovers go to waste! Go ahead and store that leftover baked tilapia in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
When you're ready to reheat for a second go around, DON'T reach for the microwave! This will leave your tilapia dry and ain't nobody got time for that. Instead, preheat your oven to 275°F and let it bake for 10-15 minutes, or until hot. Sprinkle with a little water to prevent it from drying out and you'll have delicious seafood in seconds!
WHAT TO SERVE WITH BAKED TILAPIA

This baked tilapia recipe goes perfectly with a variety of sides! Just remember that the tilapia cooks quickly (in just about 10 minutes). Since you'll want to eat your fish as soon as it comes out of the oven, be sure to prepare any of these before you start on the fish.
- Rice
- Quinoa
- Pasta
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Broccoli
- Asparagus
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Squash
- Roasted Carrots
- Fruit
- French Bread
THE BEST BAKED TILAPIA RECIPE
You're going to love how easy this recipe is to throw together! If you choose to use cream cheese, give it time to soften or pop it in the microwave for a few seconds so you can easily stir it all together.

Smothered Baked Tilapia
Ingredients
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup mayonnaise or cream cheese
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp dried basil
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 4-6 tilapia fillets, thawed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to broil and line a baking pan or sheet with aluminum foil.
- In a bowl, mix together all ingredients, except tilapia.
- Arrange filets in a single layer on the pan and broil for 3 minutes on each side.
- Remove from the oven and smother the top side of the fillets generously with parmesan mixture. Broil 2-3 more minutes or until the mixture is lightly browned and the fish flakes easily with a fork.
Notes
Doesn't that sound like the most delicious tilapia recipe you've ever seen?? Trust us, it is. 😉
There you go! Hope you enjoy this as much as we did. This is such a great meal to get your whole family around the table for. We bet they'll love it! Let us know what you think in the comments below! We'd love to hear from you!

Have you checked out ShelfCooking.com yet? Our brand new site is dedicated to helping you cook delicious, homemade, down-home-cooked meals for your family without spending all your time in the kitchen!
Basically every parent's dream, right? Join our Shelf Cooking Community today!
Looking for more helpful posts?
- Make this ham dinner the next time you need a delicious meal for a family gathering!
- Check out these 10 ways to stretch a meal and watch your budget go farther!
- Meal planning is easier than you think! Learn how to do it the RIGHT way with these tips!
XOXO,

Looks delicious!! Tilapia is one of my faves!! I need to try this! 🙂
Mel | http://www.thegossipdarling.com
My whole family is in love with this recipe! I just made it again tonight, but didn’t have enough tilapia fillets so I added 5 frozen chicken breasts. I just cooked the chicken for an extra 3 minutes. Delicious! Way to go girl!!!
Is it suppose to be 2t of basil? Mine looks way more basil-y than your pictures do! It’s good though!
Yum! I am always looking for fresh ways to make tilapia!
I did 2t of Basil instead of the 2 T (that seems like a lot). It was yum yum yummy. My 5 year old called the sauce “awesome sauce” and put it on his broccoli too. I wouldn’t call a recipe “healthy” when the first three ingredients are cheese, butter, and mayo but this is definitely tasty and fast. Gotta get some more tilapia now!