Panko and Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

Recipe

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
• In a medium mixing bowl, add the panko crumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, lemon pepper, parsley and paprika and give it a stir. 
• Dampen the fillets with water (or olive oil) and individually dip the fillets into the breading mixture until both sides are nicely coated. 
• In a foil-lined baking sheet, lay the fillet down and continue with the remaining fillets. 
• Use the remaining breadcrumb mixture and sprinkle some extra on top of each fillet to give it some extra crunch while baking. 
• Bake in the oven at 400 for 10-13 minutes depending on how thick the fillets are. Do not overcook. You want them to be flakey and the breading to be slightly browned on top. 
• Add a little bit of squeezed lemon juice on top of each fillet and serve immediately.

I haven’t been great at making seafood in my house lately and I usually like to serve it a couple times a month. It’s great for omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and delicious for summer meals since it’s on the healthier side depending on how you cook it. I go for baked or grilled mostly, but a good cast iron method is also delicious.

This recipe is for tilapia which has more omega-6 fatty acids, is a great source of protein and relatively low in fat. I usually keep frozen filets in my freezer for a random craving, but always recommend fresh seafood from the grocery store when possible.

To keep the tilapia on the healthy side, I like to dampen it with water instead of butter. You can also use olive oil.