This easy Baked Lemon Pepper Tilapia is tender, buttery white fish brushed with zesty lemon pepper and baked until it flakes apart with a fork. You only need three ingredients and about 20 minutes, and at 0g net carbs per serving it's a keto dinner the whole family will happily eat.
I love cooking (hence the food blog and all that), but I'm also a busy working mom, so I don't have all night to get dinner on the table. That's why I keep coming back to recipes like this one. Melt a little butter, stir in the seasoning, brush it over the fish and let the oven do the rest. By the time your side dish is ready, the fish is too.
It's also a great "starter fish" for anyone who isn't sure they like seafood. Tilapia is mild and not at all fishy, and the lemon pepper gives it plenty of bright, peppery flavor without hiding the fish. Each serving has about 23g of protein, so it's filling, too. (If you love this flavor combo, try these Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings next.)
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Tilapia filets. Four filets weigh about a pound in total. Fresh or frozen both work fine; just thaw frozen filets completely first. Tilapia is budget friendly and easy to find, but any thin white fish works the same way. Cod, haddock, flounder, snapper or sole are all good swaps (thicker filets like cod need a few more minutes in the oven).
- Butter. Melted butter carries the seasoning and keeps the fish moist. Salted or unsalted is fine. For dairy free, use olive oil or avocado oil instead.
- Lemon pepper seasoning. This does all the heavy lifting. I use McCormick Lemon & Pepper Seasoning, but any brand works. Some blends are quite salty and a few contain a little sugar, so check the label. At one teaspoon split across four servings, the carbs barely register.
- Fresh lemon (optional). A squeeze of fresh lemon juice right before serving wakes everything up. Lemon wedges on the side look pretty, too.
Helpful Tips
Pat the fish dry first. Tilapia (especially thawed frozen tilapia) holds a lot of water. Blotting the filets with paper towels helps the butter and seasoning stick instead of sliding off into a puddle on the pan.
Line the pan. Delicate fish loves to stick. A sheet of parchment paper on a rimmed half sheet pan means the filets lift right off in one piece, and cleanup takes about ten seconds.
Brush, don't pour. A silicone basting brush spreads the lemon pepper butter evenly so every bite gets seasoning. If the butter starts to firm up while you work, pop it back in the microwave for a few seconds.
Cook it to 145°F. Fish is done when it turns opaque all the way through and flakes easily with a fork. If you have an instant-read thermometer, the thickest part should read 145°F (63°C). Thin filets can be done in as little as 12 minutes, so start checking a little early.
Thaw frozen filets the easy way. Move them to the fridge the night before, or seal them in a zip-top bag and submerge it in cold water for about 30 minutes. Skip the microwave, which tends to start cooking the thin edges.
Variations
- Lemon garlic. Stir 1 minced garlic clove or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder into the melted butter.
- Add some heat. A pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes in the butter mixture gives it a nice kick.
- Homemade lemon pepper. Mix 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest, 1 tablespoon coarse black pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Fresh zest is very moist, so use it within a few days or dry it on a sheet pan in a low oven before storing.
- Parmesan crusted. Sprinkle a little grated parmesan over the buttered filets before baking for a savory, golden top.
- On the grill. Brush the fish with the butter mixture and grill over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until it reaches 145°F. A grill basket or tray keeps the delicate filets from falling through the grates.
- On the stovetop. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add the brushed filets and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side. A thin fish spatula makes flipping much easier. For a different flavor entirely, try this Low Carb Mexican Fish.
Serving Ideas
This simple fish goes with just about anything, which is part of why it's in my regular rotation. Roasted vegetables are my favorite pairing: asparagus, zucchini, bell peppers or broccoli can roast right alongside the fish if you bump the oven up a little. Roasted Asparagus with Bacon is especially good with the lemon.
If you want something to soak up the buttery juices, serve it over cauliflower rice or a scoop of Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower. Our roundup of The Best Low Carb Rice Alternatives has more ideas. For a lighter plate, add a simple green salad with cucumbers and a light vinaigrette, or a crunchy side of Keto Sweet & Spicy Coleslaw.
Leftovers (if there are any) are great flaked over a salad for lunch the next day, or tucked into lettuce wraps with a little mayo and fresh herbs.
Storing & Freezing
Let the fish cool, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat it gently so it doesn't dry out: cover it loosely with foil and warm it in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes, or microwave it in short bursts at half power. It's also perfectly good cold.
You can freeze cooked tilapia for up to 2 months, wrapped tightly and stored in a freezer bag, but the texture gets softer once it's thawed. That makes it better for salads or wraps than for serving as filets. For the best results, freeze the raw filets instead and bake them fresh. They thaw quickly, so this recipe still comes together on a busy night.
More Low Carb Fish Recipes
If you love this Baked Lemon Pepper Tilapia, here are a few more easy seafood dinners to try:
- Cod with Lemon, Basil, and Butter
- Low Carb Fish Tacos with Avocado Crema
- Mexican Salmon
- Keto Garlic Butter Shrimp
- The Best Low Carb Fish Recipes
📖 Recipe
Baked Lemon Pepper Tilapia
Ingredients
Equipment
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray it lightly with cooking spray.
- Pat the tilapia filets dry with paper towels and arrange them on the baking sheet in a single layer, without overlapping.
- In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter and lemon pepper seasoning.
- Brush the lemon pepper butter evenly over the tops of the filets.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the fish is opaque all the way through, flakes easily with a fork and reaches 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part.
- Squeeze fresh lemon over the fish, if using, and serve right away.
Nutrition
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is my best approximation. Net carbs are calculated as the total grams carbs minus the total grams of fiber.
Comments
No Comments