Home Page > Seafood Recipes > Sauteed Tilapia

Recipe Background

Nekole from Virginia graciously submitted this recipe for Sauteed Tilapia with Citrus Butter. It sounds and tastes complicated but it's a really quick dinner recipe that is a snap to make. Cooking tilapia for dinner is a great option if you are really short on time. This recipe, for instance will take only 20 minutes. This recipe does call for minced anchovy fillets or anchovy paste. This ingredient gives a deep salty flavor to the dish. If anchovies make you squeamish you could substitute capers or just add a bit more salt. My family loved this dish. I made the sauce with anchovy paste to make it easier and one of my kids liked the sauce so much they spooned it over their noodles and green beans as well as their fish! Nekole recommends sautéing the fish in the citrus butter. I sautéed the fish separately to give my kids more control over how saucy the dish was. Either way, it's delicious!

Sauteed Tilapia with Citrus Butter

Preparation Time: 10 minutes. Cooking Time 10 minutes

3 Tablespoon salted butter
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus an additional 2 teaspoons
4 anchovy fillets, minced or 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1.5 teaspoons minced garlic or 2-3 cloves minced
2 Tablespoons orange juice (lemon or apple juice could be used as well)
1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper or to taste

Heat the butter and 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat until the butter is melted. Add the anchovies or anchovy paste and stir until dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds. Remove from the heat, stir in the orange juice and season to taste. This sauce can be made 1 day ahead, cook then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before using.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper and add the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil into a warm non-stick pan. Place the fish in a single layer in the pan and sauté the fish about 3 minutes per side or until just opaque in the center. Transfer the fish to a platter, cover with foil and keep warm in the oven while cooking the second batch of fish. Serve fish with citrus butter.

As an alternative, Nekole, who submitted this recipe recommends sautéing the fish in the citrus butter.

Serves 6