Tilapia Piccata is a simple and nutritious dish that you can make in less than 30 minutes from start to finish! I cook tilapia in a lemony white wine caper sauce that's packed with flavor. It's a delicious dinner that your kids will love too!
This tilapia piccata is one of my favorite 30 minute meals. It’s the perfect addition to your dinner table on busy weeknights when you're looking for a delicious and healthy meal that the whole family will love.
This fish piccata recipe is a healthier spin on one of my favorite Italian dishes- chicken piccata. Chicken piccata is a delicious chicken dish made with pan-fried chicken cutlets served with a delicious, buttery lemon and caper sauce. It’s one of my favorite dishes to order at Italian restaurants but it’s also quite easy to make at home.
I like to put a twist on the traditional dish and make my piccata with fish instead of chicken. The bright, lemony sauce is the perfect pairing with flaky white fish like tilapia.
Tilapia is a white fish that's readily found in grocery stores. It has a mild flavor so it's a good option if you're trying to get your kids to eat more fish. It’s also a fairly firm fish so it won’t fall apart while you’re cooking it.
I like to cook tilapia in the air fryer or use it to make fish tacos. You can substitute just about any type of white fish in this piccata recipe like flounder, halibut, grouper or cod. You can also try my baked Mediterranean white fish recipe.
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Doctor's Tips
I’m always looking for ways to incorporate seafood into my family's diet. Seafood is packed with so many beneficial nutrients including protein, vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Fish really is brain food! It's packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which are especially important for brain health and heart health. Our bodies don’t make omega-3s so we must get them from our diet.
Why You'll Love This Dish
- Packed with flavor- flaky tilapia topped with a delicious lemony white wine sauce that everyone will love
- Quick and Easy- this recipe will make weeknight dinners a breeze
- Elegant and Approachable- this versatile dish is equally suitable for casually family dinners or special occasions
- Healthier Indulgence: my recipe is a lightened up version of traditional piccata recipes
- Kid-Friendly Introduction to Seafood: With its mild flavor, tilapia piccata is a fantastic way to introduce your kids to the world of seafood
Lightened Up Tilapia Piccata
Here's how I lightened up this tilapia piccata recipe:
Most traditional piccata recipes call for large amounts of butter to make the delicious, buttery sauce. Butter not only adds rich flavor, it also helps thicken the sauce.
This is a common cooking technique in French cooking. It’s called monter au beurre, which means to finish or “mount” a sauce with butter. It’s done by swirling pieces of cold butter into a sauce at the very end of the cooking process to give it a glossy, velvety texture and rich flavor.
To cut down on the amount of butter in this tilapia piccata recipe, I add a small amount of flour to the sauce. The flour acts as a thickener to thicken the sauce while it reduces. That allows me to swirl in only 1 tablespoon of butter at the end as opposed to several tablespoons of butter. It's just enough to add buttery flavor to the delicious white wine caper sauce.
I also cook the fish in olive oil rather than butter. By making that substitution, I'm replacing saturated fat with the heart-healthy monounsaturated fat found in olive oil.
Olive oil is one of the main ingredients in the Mediterranean diet, a healthy eating plan that has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and other chronic diseases. To learn more, read my post all about the health benefits of olive oil and ways you can incorporate it into your diet.
Ingredients
Ingredient notes and substitutions. See recipe card at the end of the post for complete list of ingredients.
- Tilapia- you can use tilapia fillets or any white flaky fish like flounder, halibut, grouper, cod or trout. If using frozen fish, be sure to defrost it first.
- Lemon- I use both fresh lemon juice and lemon zest for maximum flavor
- Capers- add a tangy, briny flavor that are classic in this dish. If you don't have them, you can leave them out or substitute green olives.
- Chicken stock- I used low sodium chicken stock or broth to control the sodium in the dish.
- White wine- use a dry white wine like a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
- Parsley- a sprinkle of fresh parsley on top of the fish at the end adds a pop of flavor
How To Make Tilapia Piccata Step-By-Step
See recipe card at the end of the post for full recipe details.
- Step 1- Whisk the chicken stock, lemon juice, zest, and flour together.
- Step 2- Pat the tilapia fillets dry and season them with salt and black pepper. Lightly dredge fish in flour on both sides. You can use a large shallow dish or these breading dishes. Dust off any excess flour.
- Step 3- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the tilapia about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from skillet.
- Step 4- Add garlic to pan, then pour in the lemon sauce and capers. Simmer until sauce is reduced. Stir in the butter and swirl it around until melted. Return the tilapia back to the pan and spoon the piccata sauce over them. Cook another minute until warmed through. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
Chef's Tips
- Get your pan hot so that you get nice golden crust on the tilapia. This will lock in the juices and flavor.
- You can use any type of white fish in this recipe like flounder, halibut, grouper, cod or trout. You can even use chicken breast or pork tenderloin.
- Use a dry white wine that you enjoy drinking, like a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. You can enjoy the rest of the bottle with your dinner!
- Garnish the tilapia piccata with a generous sprinkle of fresh parsley at the end for a pop of color and herbaceous freshness.
Recipe FAQs
Piccata sauce is a delicious Italian sauce made with fresh lemon juice, white wine, capers, and broth. Often used with sautéed meats, the sauce is finished with butter, which gives it a rich texture.
To fry tilapia without sticking, first make sure it is dry and then dredge it lightly in flour. Make sure your pan and oil are hot before adding the fish. Let the fish cook for a few minutes without moving it- when it's ready to be turned, it will release from the pan. Use a non-stick pan or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet for best results.
What To Serve With Tilapia
Tilapia is a mild fish so it can be paired with a wide variety of side dishes.
I like to serve this tilapia piccata on a bed of angel hair pasta or spaghetti squash for a low carb option.
You can serve it on a bed of rice or Italian risotto. You can also serve it on a bed of mashed potatoes to soak up all the delicious lemony sauce. Or serve it over your favorite grain like rice, quinoa or couscous.
You can also pair this tilapia piccata with vegetables, like roasted vegetables, diced potatoes, zucchini, or butternut squash.
Looking for some more tasty ideas? Read my post the 30 Best Side Dishes for Tilapia.
More Tasty Seafood Recipes
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Recipe
Tilapia Piccata (Tilapia with Lemon Caper Sauce)
Ingredients
- 1 cup reduced sodium chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- ¼ cup + 2 teaspoons flour, divided use
- 4 tilapia fillets (about 5 oz each) can substitute any mild, white fish like flounder, halibut, cod or grouper
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Whisk the chicken stock, lemon juice, zest, and 2 teaspoons flour together in a measuring cup. Set aside.
- Pat the tilapia fillets dry and season them with a pinch of salt and pepper. Place the remaining ¼ cup flour on a plate and lightly dredge the fillets in the flour on both sides, dusting off any excess. Discard the extra flour.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and add the fish. Cook until golden, about 3 minutes, then carefully flip the filets over and cook another 3 minutes on the second side. Remove the fish and place on a plate.
- Add the garlic to the skillet and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the white wine and cook until reduced by half. Then, pour the reserved chicken stock mixture and capers into the skillet and cook until the sauce thickens, 2-3 minutes.
- Lower the heat and stir in the butter, swirling it around until it melts into the sauce. Return the tilapia fillets back to the pan and spoon the sauce over them. Cook another minute until warmed through. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
Rod Vessels says
Tastes great the family loved it..
My son even asked for copy of the your recipe.
Rod
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
So happy to hear this! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
Laura says
This is my favorite recipe! I saved it on Yummly about a year ago, and I still make it regularly! Every time it is perfecto. Both my husband and I love it! Tonight, I tried making it with salmon and it was amazing!
Thank you so much and please keep posting recipes!
sonaliruder says
That's great! Thanks, Laura!
Jessica Flory says
Oh my goodness. This tilapia was incredible!! So flavorful and buttery! My toddler was scarfing down fish like there was no tomorrow 🙂 Thank you for this wonderful recipe we will make over and over again!
sonaliruder says
Thanks so much for your comment, Jessica! I'm so happy that you and your family enjoyed the dish! I know how hard it is to get toddlers to eat so that's a great compliment! 🙂
Forte Fitness says
This was SO good and love how healthy it is while still being so tasty! Thanks for posting. I'm keeping this in my recipe box as a favorite. I liked my plate clean!!
sonaliruder says
That's awesome! Thanks so much for stopping by and letting me know!
Amy says
Glad I found your page, this dish is awesome and so easy! I look forward to trying more recipes from you. Thanks for sharing.
sonaliruder says
Thanks so much!
Melissa Anderson says
Wow, looks great. I will definately be trying this. I even think my picky teen will like it. I used to eat a similar dish at a restr. in the South. It was made with catfish and had little chunks of lemon and tomato as well as the capers. I'm thinking it will be even better with Tilapia. Can the white wine be substituted with something else?
sonaliruder says
Yes, you can use extra chicken stock if you don't want to use wine. I hope you enjoy it!
FoodFiend says
My kiddos aka "piggery" love Tilapia. Ill definitely try this one. Have tilapia fillet in the ref...perfect! Thanks Sonali <3 -- Ojie
sonaliruder says
Thanks for stopping by!
sonaliruder says
Thanks, Carla! Let me know how it goes if you try it!
carla says
oh yummy!! i am making this tomorrow for our Sunday dinner. Thanks so much!!
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
Good morning! I just wanted to let you know that I shared this recipe on my weekly seafood roundup. Thank you for allowing me to share!
sonaliruder says
Thanks for your comment, Laura! Please let me know how it goes if you try it!
Laura @ A Healthy Jalapeño says
YOur tilapia looks excellent, and I love your photos, very clear. This recipe is something close to what I have been meaning to try, thanks for sharing!
Lynda - TasteFood says
What a wonderful variation. I rarely cook with tilapia, but will make a point of making this recipe. It looks delicious.
sonaliruder says
Thanks Lynda! This recipe would work well with almost any kind of fish.
ur says
hi doc, you make it look and sound so easy,I am definitely going to replace the chicken with the fish. So healthy too.
Our favorite Italian restaurant food is shrimp scampi or chicken picata.Never realised there is so much butter in the restaurant dishes.
sonaliruder says
Thanks! I love shrimp scampi too but it also has a lot of butter like piccata. You can cut down the amount of butter in the sauce by adding a little flour to thicken it, just like I did with this dish.
Elpiniki says
Looks really good and its realtively easy to make at home!
sonaliruder says
Thank you! Yes, it's very simple to make so it's one of my go-to quick weeknight meals.
M.J. says
Thanks so much! I'm bookmarking this and will definitely let you know when I make it..Keep em coming!!!
sonaliruder says
Thanks, M.J! Do let me know how it turns out if you try it.
Deborah Schoeny says
Dr. I love the recipe but the nutritional info does not include sodium content. Is that missing from all of your recipes?
sonaliruder says
Hi Deborah, thanks for stopping by! This is an old recipe- we’re in the process of updating all of the recipes on the site to include full nutritional information including sodium. I’ve updated this one for you now. I hope you try it out!