Learn how to cook frozen tilapia in air fryer with my simple air fryer tilapia recipe. It is easy and quick to cook and the fish fillets come out flaky, flavorful, and perfectly cooked in under 15 minutes.
When I buy frozen Tilapia, I don't bother thawing them before cooking and they come out flavorful, flaky, and delicious. The best part is that it is quick to cook with minimal prep. It is one of my go-tos when I want to cook a healthy fish dinner in under 30 minutes.
Here are other frozen fish recipes you should try: Air fryer frozen haddock, Air fryer frozen fish fingers
Cooking Frozen Tilapia In Air Fryer
I love using my air fryer to cook frozen foods because it just gives the perfect result texture and taste-wise. It is also less messy than any other cooking method.
Cooking tilapia from frozen saves time as you don't have to wait to thaw the fish. It also prevents contamination that might occur if they are not thawed safely.
When cooking frozen Tilapia, I use a simple seasoning of paprika, black pepper, onion, garlic, and parsley but you can customize the seasoning to your taste. For example, I sometimes add a bit of lemon pepper seasoning to the above listed for a variation in taste.
Apart from my first daughter who doesn't like to eat fish, my family loves eating tilapia and we like serving it with fries or rice.
Frozen tilapia fillets come in different sizes. The most common sizes are a pack of 4 fillets and a pack of 2 fillets.
For this recipe, I used a pack of 4 frozen Tilapia fillets (500g) and they fit in my Cosori 5.5l air fryer. When I get the big pack of two, they also fit comfortably in my air fryer.
I buy my frozen Tilapia in the UK from Sainsbury. Costco, Asda, and some other stores also sell them. In the US, you can get it from stores like Walmart. The brand I used for this post is the Taj Tilapia fillets.
Ingredients
Here are what you will need to make this recipe:
Frozen Tilapia fillets
Paprika
Black pepper
Parsley
Stock cube- This is optional but I like to add it to my seasoning occasionally.
Onion granules
Garlic granules
Salt
Olive oil
How To Cook Frozen Tilapia In Air Fryer
Step 1- Mix the paprika, black pepper, parsley, onion granules, garlic granules, stock powder, salt, and olive oil.
Step 2- Bring out the frozen Tilapia fillets from the packaging and run the fillets under cold water to deglaze them (this helps the seasoning mix stick better to the fish fillets).
Steps 3- Pat them dry with kitchen towels and brush the seasoning mix all over the fish.
Step 4- Arrange the seasoned Tilapia in the air fryer basket and air fry frozen Tilapia for 10 minutes at 190C/390F.
Step 5- Bring out the air fryer basket and rest the fish fillets for 3 minutes.
Serve and enjoy.
How Long To Air Fry Frozen Tilapia
Tilapia fillets come in different sizes and there will be a few minutes variation between the cooking time depending on the size.
How long to cook frozen Tilapia in air fryer is 10-12 minutes at 190C/390F. If cooked at a lower temperature such as 180C, it might take longer to cook so you might have to add a couple of minutes.
After testing different temperatures numerously, I found that air frying frozen tilapia at 190C/390F gives the best result for flaky and tender fish.
When cooked, the internal temperature of the Tilapia should be 145F/65C. Use an instant thermometer to check the temperature. Also, the fish will be opaque and flaky when done.
Serving Suggestion
Here are some side dishes we like to serve with Tilapia:
Tips
- You can use this recipe to cook fresh Tilapia however the cooking time will be shorter so check on the fish from 6 minutes so it does not overcook.
- You don't have to preheat the air fryer for this. I don't and I get great results all the time.
- Squeeze some lemon juice on the fish for lemon flavor. Add or use any fish seasoning you've tested and loved. Customize the flavor to how you like it.
- No need to flip the Tilapia when cooking it to avoid the fillets breaking apart.
More Fish Recipes
Frozen fish fingers in air fryer
I hope you like this air fryer frozen tilapia recipe as much as I do. If you find this post helpful, please rate it 5 stars and leave me a comment below. I love reading from you.
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Air Fryer Frozen Tilapia
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 500 g Frozen Tilapia Fillets
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Parsley
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic granules
- ⅛ teaspoon onion granules
- 5 g Stock cube (crushed) optional
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
Instructions
- Mix the paprika, black pepper, parsley, onion granules, garlic granules, stock powder, salt, and olive oil.
- Bring out the frozen Tilapia fillets from the packaging and run the fillets under cold water to deglaze them (this helps the seasoning mix stick better to the fish fillets).
- Pat them dry with kitchen towels and brush the seasoning mix all over the fish.
- Arrange the seasoned Tilapia in the air fryer basket and air fry frozen Tilapia for 10 minutes at 190C/390F.
- Bring out the air fryer basket and rest the fish fillets for 3 minutes.Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- You can use this recipe to cook fresh Tilapia however the cooking time will be shorter so check on the fish from 6 minutes so it does not overcook.
- You don't have to preheat the air fryer for this. I don't and I get great results all the time.
- Squeeze some lemon juice on the fish for lemon flavor. Add or use any fish seasoning you've tested and loved. Customize the flavor to how you like it.
- No need to flip the Tilapia when cooking it to avoid the fillets breaking apart.
I had no idea how to cook my frozen tilapia in the air fryer. I found your recipe and viola came out perfect!! Thanks for sharing.
I'm glad you found my recipe. Thanks for your feedback 🙂