Bright and lemony, and topped with salty capers, this fish piccata recipe with pan-seared tilapia is delicious and ready to serve in under 20 minutes. Serve it over mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or rice for a satisfying, filling, easy weeknight dinner. This recipe for piccata with fish is very similar to my Chicken Piccata recipe, but with a few adjustments that make this method perfect for tilapia or any type of mild fish fillets. Looking to make grilled fish tonight instead? Try my Grilled Tilapia that is topped with a luscious lemon butter piccata sauce too.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients In Fish Piccata
Here’s what you need to make this tasty fish dinner: Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Tilapia: Tilapia fillets work perfectly in this recipe, or use tilapia loins, shown in the images. The loins are trimmed to only include the thickest part of the fillet, allowing the pieces to cook evenly. Flour, Salt, Pepper: These create a simple dredging mixture to coat and season the fish before pan-frying it. Olive Oil and Butter: I like to use both to cook fish. You get the best of both worlds this way! Butter is added in throughout the recipe to make the sauce silky and delicious.Garlic: To create a flavorful sauce, minced garlic gets the party started. Wine and Lemon Juice: Piccata sauce is definitely lemony, and a bit of dry white wine cooks down with it to create the best flavor. Feel free to use chicken stock in place of the wine if you prefer. Capers: If you see capers on top of fish or chicken, it’s safe to assume you’re eating piccata. These small pickled flower buds are sour, a bit bitter, and a must for this dish. Lemon Zest and Chopped Parsley: Added into the sauce at the last minute, these two items add the finishing touches.
What is the difference between Tilapia Loins and Tilapia Fillets?
Tilapia loins are generally cut from the thickest part of the fillet, which is a term that refers to any cut from the side of a fish. I enjoy buying tilapia fillets in bulk from Costco. They are individually wrapped and frozen and easy to thaw in the package.
How To Make Fish Piccata
Recipe Tips
Fresh Lemon Juice! Don’t use bottled lemon juice for making this dish. Fresh citrus is always best. Don’t overcrowd the pan: To get the fish fillets browned, there needs to be plenty of room around them in the pan. Work in batches if you need to. Use the right tools: I love my citrus juicer and Microplane when it comes to fresh lemons. You should only need one lemon to make this dish. Zest it first, then cut it in half and get all the juice out.
Storing Tips
Store any leftover fish piccata in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or in a skillet.
What To Serve With Fish Piccata
A skillet fish dinner like this one needs nothing more than a veggie side and something starchy to soak up all of the delicious piccata sauce! Salad: A big healthy salad is a perfect side dish for fish piccata. Try a simple tossed salad, my copycat Olive Garden Salad, or a Caesar Salad with homemade croutons. Sides: I love fish piccata served with creamy Boursin Mashed Potatoes. It’s also tasty with your favorite pasta side dishes! Creamy Lemon Pasta is perfect. Don’t forget the Garlic Bread, or try some Olive Garden Breadsticks instead. Fish Piccata is a delicious way to serve tilapia to your family, and I promise that they will love it! Be sure to Pin this recipe and add it to your menu plans ASAP. © Little Sunny Kitchen
