Tortilla Crusted Tilapia
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Ground tortillas give this tilapia a deliciously crunchy (and kid-friendly) coating.
I first tried tortilla crusted fish at a restaurant out West, and ever since, I’ve been on a quest to recreate that dish in my own kitchen. Initially, I experimented with crushed tortilla chips as a coating. While it was tasty, the crust ended up being too tough, no matter the cooking method. Then, an idea struck: what about grinding fresh corn tortillas in my food processor, much like making fresh breadcrumbs? Bingo! That was the key to achieving a tender, flaky fish encased in a deliciously crunchy and flavorful crust. It’s quickly become a new dinner standby that my whole family loves.
What You’ll Need To Make Tortilla Crusted Tilapia
The recipe works best with smaller tilapia filets; if you can only find large ones (over 7 ounces), cut them in half.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by combining the corn tortillas with the spices in the bowl of a food processor, and process until the tortillas are coarsely ground.
I use a 3-step breading process to coat the fish: first flour, then eggs, then the tortilla crumbs. This ensures that the coating adheres perfectly to the fish.
Set up an assembly line with flour in the first bowl, beaten eggs in the second, and the ground corn tortillas in the third. Dredge the fish in the flour, shaking off any excess.
Dip in the eggs.
Then coat in the ground corn tortillas.
This can be done ahead of time (and even frozen), so all that’s left to do at dinnertime is pan-fry the fish.
When you’re ready to cook, coat a nonstick pan generously with oil. Pan-fry the fillets for 3-4 minutes on the first side, or until golden brown. Flip the fillets and cook a few minutes more.
Serve the fish with lime wedges and fresh cilantro, if desired. For a side dish, try my Mexican Rice Pilaf.
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Tortilla Crusted Tilapia
Ground tortillas give this tilapia a deliciously crunchy (and kid-friendly) coating.
Ingredients
- 8 corn tortillas, cut into quarters
- 1½ teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1½ pounds tilapia fillets (cut in half if the fillets are larger than 7 ounces)
- Vegetable oil for cooking
- 1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving
- A few springs cilantro, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Combine the corn tortillas, paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, 1½ teaspoons salt, onion powder and garlic powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process until the tortillas are ground into coarse crumbs. Transfer the tortilla crumbs to a dinner plate.
- Crack the eggs into a wide, shallow bowl and beat with a fork until blended. Place the flour on a dinner plate. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Set up an assembly line with the flour first, the beaten eggs second, the tortilla crumbs third, and the baking sheet fourth.
- Lightly season the tilapia with ¼ teaspoon salt. Working with one fillet at a time, dredge in the flour mixture, shaking excess over the plate so just a light coating remains; dip in the eggs and turn to coat evenly, letting any excess drip off so just a light coating remains; then dredge in the tortilla crumbs, turning to coat evenly. Place the breaded fillets on the lined baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook (this can be done several hours ahead of time).
- Coat a large non-stick sauté pan generously with vegetable oil and place over medium heat. When the oil is hot, place 2 tilapia fillets in the pan (you don't want to crowd them) and cook until the first side is golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until done, about 2 minutes more. Transfer the tilapia to a serving platter. Wipe the pan clean and repeat with remaining fillets.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 556
- Fat: 28g (approximate, depends on how much oil you use)
- Saturated fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Sugar: 1g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 42g
- Sodium: 1166mg
- Cholesterol: 178mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I used to love Costco’s corn crusted tilapia until you could barely see it was fish because the tilapia was so so thin. I then found frozen individual wrapped tilapia fillets at Sam’s Warehouse. So yesterday I tried this recipe. OMG it was so so good. I followed the recipe to a T except at the end I sprinkled some Tajin to add a little more lemon taste (if you haven’t tried that seasoning try it, I put it on everything since I found it in stores and Amazon). I plan on using this recipe with other seasonings and I wonder if I could use it with thin cutlets of chicken. Will try that today. Thank you, friend, for a great recipe.
My family loved it, of course! Because all of your recipes are always a hit with them! My son loves tarter sauce with fish, so as a substitute I whipped up the lime crema from your shrimp street taco recipe. He thought it was even better with this addition! Any other tarter equivalent ideas for next time?
Hi Jill, Love the crema idea. I think the avocado salsa from my grilled shrimp tacos would also be good.
This was ahhhhh-mazing. I’m not usually fan of either corn tortillas or fish (had to buy both just for this recipe), but we’re trying to eat more fish, and I’ve always had good luck with the other recipes I’ve tried from Jenn, so I decided to go for it. I wasn’t expecting the flavor profile to be so deliciously reminiscent of tacos. I followed the recipe exactly as written, and the crust crisped up beautifully and the tilapia came out perfectly cooked. Thanks for another great recipe, Jenn! You’re such a blessing to those of us that are clueless in the kitchen!
Amazing!!! I had some corn tortillas that were about to expire and came across this recipe. I used flounder fish, the crust was so tasty and crunchy but the inside was tender and juicy. This is definitely a keeper.
Just made this for dinner tonight with some trout I had in the freezer. So good! I loved the combination of flavors with the cumin and a tiny kick with the cayenne pepper. My family was glad to have fish a different way. I will definitely be making this again.
This was delicious! Just the right amount of crunch and spice. My husband is not overly complimentary of food, and, when he took his first bite, he said, “MMM!” I normally follow Jenn’s recipes to the T (because they are always fantastic), but I couldn’t find corn tortillas anywhere (sold out). So, I used crushed up tortilla chips instead, and it worked out perfectly! I did burn the second batch a little bit, so I might recommend turning the heat down after the first batch (which Jenn probably said anyway!).
Instead of pan frying this dish, could I grill the fish? Perhaps on some foil with plenty of oil? Thanks for your amazing recipe collective, all tasted and perfected!
Glad you like the recipes! 🙂
Unfortunately, I don’t think it will work to grill this — sorry!
This is an easy and quick delicious dinner. First I used cod because my husband does not like tilapia. It worked just fine. Next most everything is mixed up in the food processor making the prep time go quickly. Frying the cod leaves a nice crispy outside with just enough heat from the spices for a great meal. I also did the Mexican rice and some fruit for an easy dinner.
This recipe is such a favorite in our house! We use the same prep method for chicken for my non-fish eating husband and the whole family is happy. It is also a great gluten-free option (I just omit the flour) for my mom too! What is amazing is that it is just as good as leftovers… I can’t get over how it stays so crunchy. Delicious!
Delightful flavor – a spritz of lime is a great addition. Seemed to help hold the heat longer? (maybe it was just so good that we ate faster!) Paired with mashed butternut and parm dusted asparagus. My wife has her Parmesan Tilapia and now I have my own preperation. Thanks