Parmesan Crusted Tilapia with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
on May 17, 2015, Updated Jan 07, 2025
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Parmesan Crusted Tilapia with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce are a healthy and easy to make dinner! Gluten free and perfect for weeknights or special occasions.
How has your weekend been going? Mine has been fantastic so far, well except for our cloudy weather again. I seriously don’t know what’s going on, I’m pretty sure Colorado is one of the sunniest states in the country and yet I feel like I’ve been living in the pacific northwest the past couple weeks. At least there hasn’t been any snow this weekend, that is something to smile about! Since I’m faced with another not so ideal weekend for sitting out on our deck and doing some grilling and relaxing I’ll be cooking this delicious Parmesan Crusted Tilapia with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce.
Whenever the weather starts warming up I start getting some serious cravings for fish and seafood. My favorite way to eat fish is to grill it, but when it’s cloudy and threatening to rain that isn’t always the best option. Luckily the parmesan crusted tilapia is perfect for broiling and cooks up in about 10 minutes. The fast cooking time makes it ideal for a busy weeknight or a lazy weekend when you don’t want to spend a lot of time making dinner.
Normally cheese isn’t something I add to my fish, but since tilapia is such a mild and let’s face it, almost flavorless fish on it’s own, the parmesan actually works really well with it. The tilapia is broiled and the parmesan cheese creates a nice salty crispy crust on top of the fish which I just loved. The second element of this meal that is so tasty is the roasted red pepper sauce. I’m such a sauce addict! I love dipping meat and veggies into a good sauce and this one is no exception. Along with the roasted red peppers there is also shallot, garlic, and red wine vinegar in this sauce to flavor it. Once the ingredients have sautéed for a few minutes they are blended until they form a beautifully colored red, delicious, and smooth sauce.
The sauce can be served underneath the plated tilapia or on the side, either way you are going to want to repeatedly dip the fish in it. For the weekends when the weather isn’t cooperating and you can’t use the grill, turn on the broiler instead and make this parmesan crusted tilapia with roasted red pepper sauce!
More Fish Recipes
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Parmesan Crusted Tilapia with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Ingredients
Parmesan Crusted Tilapia
- 4 tilapia fillets
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Black pepper to taste
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
- 12 ounces roasted red peppers drained and chopped
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons minced shallot
- 1 garlic clove minced
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
- In a medium sized sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot add in the minced shallot and garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes. When the shallots have softened add in the roasted red peppers, salt, and pepper and sauté for another 2 minutes.
- Add in the broth and vinegar and cook for another 2 minutes stirring occasionally until the liquid has reduced slightly. Turn off the heat and add the roasted red pepper mixture to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside until ready to serve.
- Parmesan Crusted Tilapia
- Preheat oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and spray it with cooking spray.
- In a shallow dish combine the parmesan cheese, thyme, paprika, salt, and pepper, tossing together until combined. Place the tilapia fillets one at a time into the dish coating them with the parmesan cheese mixture. Place the parmesan coated tilapia onto the prepared baking sheet. Continue the process until all of the fillets are coated.
- Spray the tops of the fillets with a little cooking spray or a drizzle of olive oil. Place them in the oven and broil for 7-10 minutes or until the thickest part of the fish is opaque. Serve the tilapia on top of some of the roasted red pepper sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Could you add cayenne to the tilapia seasoning for some heat or would that ruin the dish?
Yes! A little cayenne or red pepper flakes would be a great way to add a little heat to the recipe.
Just made this tonight! The sauce was amazing and it pairs with the fish really nicely. Hubby loved it!
Thank you Danae!
Hi, I was wondering what kind of roasted red peppers you used. I was in the store today to pick up the ingredients to make this dish and the only jar of red peppers was roasted red bell peppers. Is that what I need? Thanks
Hi Brittany! Roasted red bell peppers is what I used. I hope you like it!
Your tilapia is stunning and the RRP sauce is amazing. I also feel your pain with the weather, I am your neighboring state and am ready for spring to be here and the rain to go away.
Thanks Michelle! I am so over all this rain, I want my sun back!
I can’t get over how amazing that sauce looks! And the fish is cooked to perfection. Sending a little sunshine your way!
Thanks Ashley! And please, please, please, send all the sunshine you can, I can’t take these clouds much longer!
Oh my, I love your recipes, striking and tasty. No I just have to decide between the Salmon or Tilapia.
Thanks so much Linda! I hope you like both recipes, I’m especially fond of the tilapia right now!