Pan-Fried Tilapia
in Garlic Tomato Sauce
With a burst of flavor, this one-pot dish is both light and satisfying. Spiced tilapia is lightly pan-fried and covered in a tangy garlic tomato sauce made with spinach, lemon, and optional feta.
September 1, 2020
Happy September! We welcome (another) new month today. Days and weeks creep by and we’re surprised that the next season is just around the corner. I keep asking myself, where did the summer go? I feel fortunate that my husband and I were still able to take trips to Michigan and visit family, but it’s hard not to feel that our ‘normal’ summer was robbed from us. No bar-side nachos. No last minute drives to Chicago to meet friends for Thai food and ice cream. No casual trip to the pool. No patio dining at our favorite restaurant.
But don’t despair! Fall is a beautiful season around here, and I love the feeling of turning a new leaf (get it?) as we enter another month. Besides, there’s always good food to fall back on when you’re feeling glum or frustrated with the world. Good food like this Pan-Fried Tilapia in Garlic Tomato Sauce.
This recipe took me by surprise. All I wanted was a fast dinner that felt healthy but wasn’t labor-intensive. I didn’t even document it the first time because I had low expectations. But boy, was it good. Bursting with fresh flavors of tomato, lemon, and spinach. Smokey from the paprika. Slightly creamy from the addition of feta.
I remade it and tried my tangy Mediterranean-inspired sauce with chicken thighs instead (hence the different protein pictured throughout). Of course, cooking chicken took me much longer — if you choose this, add at least 10 extra minutes to the cook time so that it’s cooked through. For consistency, I will refer to the tilapia version in this post, but reach out if you have questions about making this with chicken instead!
How to Make It
Prep the tilapia
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large skillet on medium heat. In a shallow bowl, combine paprika, salt, pepper, and GF flour. Rub this thoroughly into your tilapia filets and begin frying when your pan is hot.
My recipe calls for 8 ounces of tilapia, but you can easily adjust the recipe to accommodate more or less fish.
Fry the fish
Fry the tilapia for about 3-4 minutes, or until the edges start turning white. Flip and add chopped onion and garlic to the pan. Add margarine (or more olive oil) if your pan seems too dry.
Cook for another 3-4 minutes, or until the onions become translucent. Set aside the tilapia and continue cooking the garlic tomato sauce.
Make the sauce
Add more margarine to the onions and garlic, then mix in the crushed tomatoes (or tomato sauce or fresh tomatoes).
Let this mixture simmer for 1 minute, and season it with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. If the tomatoes begin to reduce and bubble too much, just add some water or broth to reach the desired consistency.
Return the tilapia to your pan and squeeze lemon juice over everything, then season to taste if needed. Add sliced cherry tomatoes and feta (leave this out if you’re dairy free). Cover and let the sauce simmer for 2 minutes, or until tomatoes wilt slightly. Finally, add fresh spinach and cook for another minute to let the spinach wilt.
serve
Remove from heat and top your tilapia with additional feta and serve with a lemon wedge.
Definitely take advantage of the best part — the citrusy, slightly creamy, flavorful sauce.
I recommend serving this with something starchy that will soak up every last bit, like quinoa, rice, pasta, or my creamy white beans.
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Pan-Fried Tilapia in Garlic Tomato Sauce
Equipment
- shallow bowl
- Dutch oven or large skillet with lid
Ingredients
Tilapia:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz tilapia filets, washed and patted dry
- 1/4 cup gluten free or all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Garlic Tomato Sauce:
- 1/4 medium onion, chopped into silvers
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp margarine, divided into 4 pieces
- 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, or fresh tomatoes
- 1/4 cup broth or water
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
- juice of half a lemon
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 2 cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta (optional)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large skillet on medium heat. Mix together flour, paprika, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Rub the flour mixture into both sides of the tilapia filets to coat thoroughly.
- When pan is hot, begin frying tilapia. Cook the first side for 3-4 minutes, or until you can see the fish turning white on the edges.
- Flip the tilapia and then add the onion and garlic to the pan. Add a piece of margarine if the pan seems dry. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, or until the onions start to become translucent. Remove the tilapia from the pan and set aside.
- Add remaining margarine to the onions and garlic, then mix in the crushed tomatoes. Let simmer for 1 minute, season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. If the tomatoes begin to reduce and bubble, add the water to thin out the sauce to desired consistency.
- Return tilapia to the pan and squeeze lemon juice over everything. Add cherry tomatoes and half of feta. Cover and let simmer for 2 minutes, or until tomatoes wilt slightly. Stir and add the spinach. Cover for another minute to let the spinach wilt.
- Top with remaining feta and serve with quinoa, rice, pasta, or white beans.
Notes
- Calorie count includes crushed tomatoes, water (instead of broth), and feta cheese.
- I've also made this recipe with chicken thighs instead of tilapia. Add 100 calories per serving, and add 10 minutes in the initial steps to cook chicken through completely.