Looking for an easy tilapia dinner recipe that tastes like it was made in a high end restaurant? This is it! This flaky Parmesan lemon crusted tilapia and asparagus sheet pan dinner is SO GOOD, you’re going to make it again and again!
I’m trying to get more protein but…. We eat a LOT of steak and roast beef, so I’m trying to add in more fish into our dinner routines. I’m cooking salmon once a week and tilapia once a week, and it has to be good or my littles won’t eat it.
Last week I made the parmesan herb crusted salmon, and it was so good that I wanted to try it with tilapia. But, I wanted to make it even better, so I added LEMON ZEST to the parmesan and bread crumb dredge…. And it is absolutely delicious! You wouldn’t believe the wonderful burst of flavor the lemon zest adds to each bite! Hence, I call it Parmesan Lemon Crusted Tilapia;)
This recipe is part of a sheet pan dinner… I have to use 2 sheet pans, because I’m cooking more tilapia filets (I’m cooking 6 filets, but the recipe is written for 4) and they take up so much room. I’m roasting them in the oven along with the tastiest roasted asparagus you’ll ever have!
I use the lemon that I zested, and slice it into rounds, add those to the prepped asparagus, drizzle with oil, salt and pepper, toss and roast! You wouldn’t believe the flavor the roasted lemons give to the asparagus! it is SO GOOD! The insides of the lemons become sweet, the asparagus gets all that good flavor… Even my 6 year old enjoyed it! (And that’s saying a lot when it comes to asparagus. 😉
Key Ingredients
Besides the tilapia, asparagus and parmesan… The key ingredient here is the LEMON!!! Grated lemon zest in the parmesan herb crust really adds a freshness to the fish…. You don’t even need lemon juice on your fish because the lemon zest already give it that citrus flavor! Plus there’s no need to get your fish or the gorgeous crust on it wet with lemon juice!,
This is such an easy dinner to make. The parmesan lemon crusted tilapia is so fresh and loaded with flavor that I’ll have this one on repeat for years to come. If you like Tilapia, you’re going to love this recipe… You’ve got to try it, and let me know what you think!
Making Parmesan Lemon Tilapia
This is such a fast and easy dinner! First you get the parmesan crust ingredients mixed in a bowl. Using Italian bread crumbs add so much flavor, so don’t go crazy with the salt and pepper!
To get a good crust on the tilapia, you need to dredge the filets in a sticky liquid… Whisked eggs do a great job! You could also use sourdough starter if you have that on have! You don’t need to add salt and pepper to this bowl because the crust ingredient bowl already has that.
Prepping Tilapia Filets: I like to pat the tilapia fillets dry with paper towels for getting started… This really helps the beaten eggs stick to the filets and holds that gorgeous parmesan mixture to it.
Prepping Asparagus: First wash and trim the woody ends of the asparagus. I cut the bottom 3 inches off the asparagus bunches…. Those are woody, and hard to chew! (But the chickens love those.) Slice the lemon you zested for the parmesan crust into rounds and place the lemon slices all over the asparagus… I drizzle my asparagus and lemons with olive oil, salted and peppered them all… And gave the mixture a good toss with my hands.
Cook Time: Once your oven is up to 425 degrees F., you’ll bake for 10 minutes then flip filets and bake for another 3-8 minutes, until you get an internal temperature of at 145 – 165 degrees F in the middle of your fish filets.
The lemon slices caramelize, and add such a wonderful roasted lemon flavor to the asparagus!
Tips & Variations
- Tilapia Thickness: Tilapia fillets vary in thickness. Adjust the cooking time accordingly. Thinner fillets will cook faster. use an instant read thermometer and cook to 145-165 degrees F. internal temperature.
- Asparagus Thickness: Thicker asparagus may need a few extra minutes of cooking time.
- Lemon Intensity: If you want a stronger lemon flavor, you can add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice over the fish and asparagus after baking.
- Spice it up: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the parmesan crust for a little kick.
Parmesan Lemon Crusted Tilapia with Asparagus
Equipment
- 2 parchment lined baking sheets
- 1 zester grater
- 2 shallow bowls
- 1 knife to slice lemons
Ingredients
- 4 tilapia filets skin removed (You can make this with 6 filets too)
- 3 eggs large, whisked together
- 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 1 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
- 2 pounds asparagus spears trimmed and washed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
Prepare the Parmesan Lemon Crust:
- In a shallow dish, combine the Italian breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
- Whisk the eggs together in a separate shallow bowl.
Prep the Fish:
- Pat the tilapia fillets dry with paper towels. Dip each fillet into the beaten egg, fully coating it. Then, dredge the egg-coated fillet in the Parmesan-breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently to adhere the crust.
- Place the crusted filets on a parchment paper lined sheet pan.
Prepare the Asparagus:
- Trim the woody ends of the asparagus. On the same sheet pan, arrange the asparagus around the tilapia fillets, leaving space between the filets.
- Place the lemon slices around the fish and asparagus.
- Drizzle the asparagus and lemon slices with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Bake:
- Bake for 10 minutes then flip filets for another 3-8 minutes, to an internal temperature of at 145 – 165 degrees F. Until the tilapia is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork, and the asparagus is tender-crisp. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of your tilapia fillets.
- Serve: Carefully remove the sheet pan from the oven. Serve the crusted tilapia with the roasted asparagus and roasted lemon slices. You can squeeze some of the roasted lemon juice over the fish and asparagus for extra flavor.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
About Juliea
Juliea Huffaker is the creator of Farmhouse Harvest, and dedicated to teaching from-scratch cooking, sourdough baking, gardening, and food preservation. With over 25 years of hands-on experience she has preserved hundreds of jars of produce, mastered the art of meats and sourdough baking, and nurtured a thriving organic garden. Her recipes and articles have been featured across the web. And she’s passionate about inspiring others to embrace a simpler, self-sufficient life style.
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