This dijon almond crusted tilapia is pan-fried, ready in 10 minutes and a healthy, grain free dinner.
I’ve been jotting down pros, cons and just general thoughts of this whole paleo challenge as the month has gone by so I can hopefully put together a comprehensive (and cohesive) summary post when it comes to an end later this week.
And I kid you not when I say one of the pros of this whole thing has been this simple almond dijon crusted tilapia recipe.
Or more pointedly, finally finding a way to enjoy tilapia.
As far as I’m concerned that’s just as much of a pro as having no bloating, clear skin and losing a few inches around my hips & waist.
Let’s face it, tilapia is just one boring fish.
The only thing it’s got going for it is it’s price tag.
I usually look at it sitting next to the wild salmon that I buy weekly, mentally debate whether I should spend half the money this time around and just go for it before coming to my senses and remembering how lame it tastes.
For some reason though, I caved last week and bought a single filet.
I took it home, sat it on the cutting board and literally said “what the hell will make you taste good?”
Don’t judge. Weeks get lonely when you work from home and only have your dog to talk to.
Somehow mustard, almonds and paprika ended up on the counter and the rest is history.
It was so transformative that I made this dijon almond crusted tilapia again 3 days later.
I’m not saying goodbye to salmon, I love this tart cherry glazed salmon and these easy salmon vegetable packets way too much for that, but this is definitely edging out a meat meal at least once a week.
5 ingredients (I refuse to count salt & pepper as an ingredient), 10 minutes and I promise you’ll never look at tilapia the same again. I’m also going to try some blackening season on the tilapia soon as blackened fish like this mahi mahi is one of my favorite simple yet hugely flavorful dinners.
And if you’re looking for a meat alternative to this recipe, these pretzel crusted pork chops use a very similar method and taste quite delicious too!
I also love this fish almondine recipe for a more elegant version. It’s great with other white fish like sole or cod too, just like this almond crusted tilapia recipe.
And for another simple white fish recipe, try my easy air fryer cod!
Love This Dijon Almond Crusted Tilapia? Check Out More Easy Seafood Dinners:
Honey lime sablefish
Shrimp Caesar salad stuffed sweet potatoes
Sweet and spicy mango shrimp
Lemony tomato herb scallops
Dijon Almond Crusted Tilapia
Ingredients
- 2 filets of tilapia, about 1 pound
- 1/3 cup whole almonds
- about 1/4 cup dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt & pepper
- coconut oil for pan-frying
Instructions
- Place almonds in a food processor and process until finely chopped. About 20 seconds.
- Transfer chopped almonds to a shallow dish. Add paprika and mix together.
- Season the tilapia filets generously with salt & pepper.
- Spread mustard on both sides of the filet and then transfer to the almond mixture to coat both sides.
- Heat coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Once hot, place the filets in the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes per side or until the fish is cooked through. Exterior should be browned and crispy but not burnt.
- Serve warm and garnish with parsley or lemon.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
I’ve never made tilapia before but I’ve had it served to me before in our lovely college cafeterias so I was a little nervous (can I get some flavor please?!) to try this but I AM SO GLAD I DID.
My mom had bought me some frozen tilapia that I kept setting aside in my freezer so I finally decided to put it to good use… Found your website by searching “tilapia” on popsugar, which I found from Fitness magazine’s favorite food and nutrition blogs post! You deserve to be on there from this recipe alone. Yum yum yum. Is it bad to have this twice in one day?
The first filet I cooked didn’t have an issue with the crust falling off but when flipping the second one I was on the phone… leading me to believe that is the source of my issue. I patted my fish dry with a paper towel before adding the dijon. Also, I didn’t add any salt at all and (maybe it was the type of mustard I used) it tasted great!
Ps. I made it with frozen hoki! I think it works with any flaky white fish
I just came across this recipe on foodgawker and its so yummy!!! I just had a green salad on the side and it was perfect. Although, wonder if I can cut out the pan frying altogether , has anyone tried oven baking it? Or will I not get the same crunchy crust
My guess is it would work be just like you said, not turn out as crunchy. Glad you enjoyed it!
Looks delish!
Could you make this with basa or say..barramundi??
I don’t have any tilapia but I have all the other ingredients to make this!!
I haven’t tried it myself, but I can’t see why not!
I’ve cooked this recipe twice, and it’s great. Only problem, though, is getting the crust to stay on the fish when I flip it. Any recommendations?
Hmm…you definitely have to flip carefully (I’ve found a plastic flipper better than a metal one) but the crust definitely stays on for the most part for me. I’d hate to tell you to just do it more carefully as that sounds so obvious, but that’s all I can think of!
Just had the same problem and googled some solutions. Apparently if your pan’s not hot enough when you put the fish in to start, the breading can stick to it. They also suggested dredging in flour (then egg, then breading), but that kind of defeats the purpose of the grain-free component of this meal ;)
Also, use a spatula and not tongs, as they can rip through/damage the breading and cause the fish to fall apart.
Good luck!
I tried this recipe last week and it turned out really good. The combination was definitely something I wouldn’t have tried otherwise and I was really happy with the flavor combinations. I had a hard time keeping the crust on cooking it in a pan so when I try this again I think I’m going to bake it. Also thought about switching the mustard out for a flavored Greek yogurt (lemon or mango maybe?) for some different flavors.
I always check out this website to find the best ways to cook tilapia – onlinenutrition. info . My personal favorite is the seering method because it shows a ton of ways to improve your daily diet.
I am looking for more ways to get fish into my diet, because honestly I am not a fan. But this looks like something I might enjoy!
Yes, i agree! Fish is a great way to get tons of good stuff into your body. It tastes amazing as well!
There was a time that I hated mustard, but that was before I had Dijon mustard. Hooray for Dijon mustard!
This looks amazing!!! Can’t wait to give it a try…I know my sons will love it b/c of the crunchy coating. Thx for sharing!