Panko Crusted Tilapia

We love panko crusted tilapia so I always return to this favorite meal every lenten season.  Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and perfectly seasoned...it's a treat we enjoy every time.  

This is a family favorite I have been making for a couple of years.  Since I made it for dinner last night, I decided to update my old photos on this post. 

I adapted my pork schnitzel recipe to make this delicious Panko Crusted Tilapia. We love it.  It is especially good with lemon juice squeezed on top.  This is pretty easy to make and tilapia is an affordable fish.  I paid just over $5 for two pounds of frozen tilapia filets at ALDI the other day.  That's less than $3 a pound!  

Our boys really like fish so I double this recipe for our family of five.  Last night we had one fish filet leftover after making eight.  

If you buy frozen filets, they are easy to thaw in the fridge or in cold water. Read the package for detailed instructions.  This recipe works well with other fish too. I am thinking of trying it with shrimp sometime.  

This may look complicated since you have three bowls of batter dipping ingredients, but it's not.  My four year old helped me last night with the battering.  The fish cook quickly in the skillet too so even though you have to cook in batches, it doesn't take too long.  

Ingredients:

4 Tilapia filets
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp milk
1 cup Japanese style Panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon paprika
Old Bay Seasoning
Olive oil 

1.  Set out 3 shallow bowls.  One with a mixture of the flour, seasoned salt, and pepper.  The second with the egg and milk whisked together.  The third with a mixture of the panko bread crumbs and paprika.

2.  Drizzle a little olive oil in a large skillet and heat at medium heat.  Dredge the filets first in the seasoned flour, then dip the filets in the egg mixture, and then into the mixture of bread crumbs and paprika.

3.  Working in batches, sauté the filets for 4-5 minutes on each side.  While cooking, sprinkle each side with Old Bay seasoning.  When you flip the filets, drizzle more olive oil in the skillet as needed.  Remove the filets from the skillet and cover with foil or place in a warm oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining fish.

Yum