One Pan Lemon Garlic Tilapia With Risotto

You’ve never had tilapia like this before. Tender, flaky, and loaded with garlic butter, lemon, garlic, and herbs. This recipe is my oven-baked tilapia cooked in the same pan as creamy risotto rice. It’s a one-pot wonder that brings a delicious fish dinner together in 45 minutes.

I’ve heard from several readers that their young kids and even toddlers love this tilapia with risotto! It’s a quick, easy, and tasty family meal.

Reasons to Love This Lemon Garlic Tilapia Recipe With Risotto

• Quick. This tilapia and rice needs just 10 minutes of hands-on prep. It’s very beginner-friendly if you’re new to cooking fish or risotto!
• Zesty flavors. I use a mix of lemony garlic butter and herbs to infuse the fish while it bakes on top of the equally-seasoned risotto rice.
• One-pan. Baking dinner in one pan makes it mess-free and easy to clean. 
• Family-friendly.  Mild tilapia is a great way to introduce kids to eating fish, as it tends to take on the flavors of whatever you cook with it.

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make This Recipe

Many people knock tilapia because it’s milder compared to stronger-tasting fish, like salmon, and sweeter fish, like sea bass or branzino. But with the right ingredients and seasonings, it’s easy to turn this humble white fish into a flavor-loaded one-pan dinner!

I’ve included details on what I use below. Scroll to the recipe card for the full, printable recipe amounts.

• Tilapia Filets – Tilapia is a mild, firm white fish that you can cook by grilling, pan-searing, baking, or air frying. Most tilapia is farmed, so I look for the freshest tilapia you can buy that’s sustainably certified. You can make this baked tilapia recipe with fresh or frozen fish. If you’re using frozen tilapia filets, be sure to fully thaw them beforehand.
• Lemon Juice – Make sure it’s freshly squeezed and not bottled. You’ll taste the difference.
• Butter – Salted or unsalted and melted before you start.
• Garlic – Freshly mince the garlic if you can. If you don’t have fresh cloves, substitute 1 tablespoon of jarred garlic or ½ teaspoon of garlic powder per clove.
• Italian Seasoning – You can also use a blend of Italian herbs, like oregano, basil, and thyme. 
• Dried Thyme and Paprika – If you’d prefer to use fresh thyme, you’ll need about 3x the amount. You can use sweet or smoked paprika, whichever you prefer.

For the Rice

• Olive Oil – Or your chosen cooking oil, like avocado or canola.
• Onion and Garlic – Diced white or yellow onion, or shallot, also works. Again, I use fresh garlic, but you can substitute jarred/powdered garlic as needed.
• Arborio Rice – Arborio rice is the traditional choice for risotto recipes. It’s a starchy Italian rice that becomes creamy and chewy when cooked. You can make this recipe with long-grain white rice, such as basmati or jasmine rice, like I use in my garlic butter chicken and rice. The texture just won’t be as creamy.
• Rosemary – Freshly chopped. If you’re using dried rosemary, you’ll need slightly less as the flavor is more potent.
• Paprika – For a spicier dish, you could also use cayenne.
• Vegetable Broth – Or chicken stock. I like to cook with low-sodium broth and adjust the seasoning to taste.
• Milk – I use skim milk, but you can use whole milk or 2%, or any milk you have.

How To Make Lemon Garlic Tilapia with Risotto

Here are the steps to prepare a flavorful tilapia fish dinner over a bed of fluffy risotto, all in one pan. Since you’ll start on the stovetop and finish this dish in the oven, make sure you’re using an oven-safe skillet with a lid, either cast-iron or similar.

• Prep. While the oven preheats to 350ºF, rinse your tilapia filets and pat them dry with paper towels.
• Make the lemon garlic butter. Meanwhile, combine lemon juice with melted butter, garlic, Italian seasoning, thyme, and ½ teaspoon of paprika. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Marinate the fish. Brush or rub the lemon garlic mixture over the filets. Set the fish aside to marinate a little while you prepare the rice.
• Sauté. Next, heat oil in your oven-safe skillet and add the diced onion. Sauté over medium-high heat so the onions soften, then stir in the garlic.
• Stir in the rice. Add the risotto rice to the onions, along with the fresh rosemary and paprika. Stir and toast the rice in the pan for 2 minutes.
• Add broth. Now, pour in the broth and milk. Season with salt and pepper, and bring the pan to a boil. Then, lower the heat and let your risotto simmer for a few minutes.
• Add the fish. Nestle your marinated tilapia over the rice and let it cook for 4 minutes. Then, take the pan off the heat, cover it with a lid, and transfer the pan to the preheated oven.
• Bake. Bake the tilapia and risotto, covered, for about 20 minutes or until all the liquid has absorbed into the rice. Lastly, remove the lid and bake for another 5 minutes to lightly brown the top. You could use the broiler here if needed. Serve your fish and rice right away with your favorite veggie sides, and enjoy!

Storage and Reheating

• Refrigerate leftovers. Store the tilapia and risotto airtight and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking. It’ll last in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Reheat. Warm leftovers in the microwave, in the oven, or on the stovetop until they’re piping hot throughout.

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