Lemon Almond Tilapia
Lemon Almond Tilapia
Author: The Blue Jean Chef, Meredith Laurence
Serves: 2
This quick and easy tilapia can be served casually on a weeknight, or dressed up with a simple lemon cream sauce for a more special occasion. Tilapia is so versatile and offers a nice large surface for a delicious crust.
Ingredients
- flour, for dredging
- 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
- ½ cup almonds, finely ground
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 (6- to 7-ounce) fillets Tilapia
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- oil, in a spray bottle
Instructions
- Set up a dredging station. Place the flour in a shallow dish. Place the beaten egg whites in a second shallow dish. Finally, place the ground almonds, lemon zest, dried thyme and salt in a third shallow dish.
- Pre-heat the air fryer to 400ºF.
- Coat the fish fillets one at a time by first coating in flour. Shake off any excess flour and then dip the fish into the egg white, coating completely. Immediately press the fish into the almond-lemon mixture. Set the coated fish fillets aside.
- Spray the coated fish fillets with oil and then transfer them to the air fryer basket. You might have to overlap the fillets a little if you have a smaller air fryer. Just make sure you overlap the thin edges of the tilapia. Air-fry at 400ºF for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping the fish over halfway through the cooking process. The crust on top should be nice and toasty and the fish should feel firm to the touch.
- Optional: To make a simple lemon cream sauce, pre-heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of butter, 1 sprig of thyme and 1 smashed garlic clove and cook for a few minutes until the garlic clove just starts to brown on the edges. Add ¼ cup of white wine and bring the mixture to a boil. Add ½ cup of heavy cream and return the sauce to a boil. Simmer for a minute and remove the saucepan from the heat. Season the sauce to taste with salt, freshly ground black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Stir in a little lemon zest and chopped thyme and serve.
