Air Fryer Tilapia

5 from 4 votes

Easy air fryer tilapia — tender, crispy fish seasoned simply and ready in under 20 minutes. Perfect healthy main dish for quick dinners!

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fryer tilapia

Servings: servings

Calories: 443kcal

Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees F and spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray.
Add the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to a shallow bowl and whisk them all together.
¼ cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Add the milk and egg to a second shallow bowl and whisk the egg with the milk, breaking up the egg completely.
1 tablespoon milk, 1 egg
Pour the breadcrumbs into a third shallow bowl.
2 cups Italian-style breadcrumbs
Dip the first tilapia filet into the spiced flour mix and coat both sides of the fish with the flour. Then, dip the fish into the eggs, covering it completely in the liquid. Finally, dip the fish into the breadcrumbs and make sure both sides are covered completely in breadcrumbs.
4 tilapia filets
Place the breaded fish filet on the prepared air fryer tray then continue to dip and bread the remaining fish filets.
Once you have all the fish breaded and lined up in your air fryer basket, place the basket into the hot air fryer and cook for 10 minutes. The fish will be golden brown and crispy. Enjoy right away!

Avoid overcrowding: Cook in batches if needed for even air flow.
Pat dry: Removing surface moisture helps crisp the outside and stick the seasonings.
Adjust the cooking time if needed: Fish in the air fryer should reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. If you cook frozen tilapia, you will likely need to adjust the cook time, adding a few minutes.
Oven method: If you do not have an air fryer, you can still make this easy tilapia recipe. Preheat your oven to 350ºF, and line a baking sheet tray with foil. Spray the foil with cooking spray, and arrange the breaded tilapia in an even layer. Bake for 5 minutes. Then, flip and bake for five minutes more or until the fish cooks through.