Description
Brighten up your weeknight dinners with this 20-Minute Lemon Pepper Tilapia served over fluffy butter rice. This dish features flaky tilapia fillets seasoned with zesty lemon and black pepper, complemented by rich and buttery rice. Perfect for busy nights or casual gatherings, it’s a quick, satisfying meal that never compromises on flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 tilapia fillets (approximately 1 lb)
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter (divided)
- 1 cup long grain rice (jasmine or basmati)
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients by measuring out the rice and thawing the tilapia if frozen.
- In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Stir in 1 cup of rice and a pinch of salt. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes until fluffy.
- While the rice cooks, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter, then add tilapia fillets seasoned with lemon juice, black pepper, and garlic powder. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Squeeze additional fresh lemon juice over the tilapia once cooked, then remove from heat.
- Fluff the cooked rice with a fork and mix in the remaining melted butter and chopped parsley.
- Serve tilapia alongside buttery rice, garnished with extra parsley if desired.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main
- Method: Pan-frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Approximately 170g
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 290mg
- Fat: 17g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 70mg