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Sautéed Tilapia with Lemon-Caper Pan Sauce

Seasoned fish is cooked to perfection and served with a tangy sauce in this easy Sautéed Tilapia with Lemon-Caper Pan Sauce recipe.

A white, square plate holds an oblong piece of golden brown fish with visible green capers on top. It's glistening. Next to it is a pile of creamy-colored rice topped with scallions. A leaf of parsley can be seen in the background.

Last Monday, I had a total kitchen disaster trying to make a blood orange tilapia. Meanwhile, Cate at Sweetnicks hit the culinary jackpot with her Sauteed Tilapia with Lemon-Peppercorn Sauce. Not only did she rave on her blog about it, but she raved to me about it.

So, that tilapia recipe ended up at the top of my “must try” list. I didn’t wait long to try it and I am so glad — this recipe is delightful.

Seasoned tilapia is sauteed to tender, flaky perfection. Then a lemon-caper pan sauce completes the dish. It’s light but filled with so much tangy, savory flavor. I love the combination of lemon and capers especially and they shine here.

Best of all, it’s so easy to make. This recipe is going on repeat in my house. If you are a fan of tilapia, lemon, capers and good, light meals, then you should try it too. Soon. Seriously, run — don’t walk.

Serve this Sautéed Tilapia with Lemon-Caper Pan Sauce with a rice or orzo dish like One Pot Lemon Butter Orzo. Steamed green beans or a nice tossed salad with be an excellent accompaniment too.

Looking for more delightful, light fish recipes? Try these:

Sautéed Tilapia with Lemon-Caper Pan Sauce

Sautéed Tilapia with Lemon-Caper Pan Sauce

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup chicken stock, look for a low-calorie one like Emeril’s
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons drained capers, the original recipe used green peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • 6 tilapia fillets, about 1 1/2 lbs total
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons butter
  • Lemon wedges, optional

Instructions

  1. Whisk together chicken stock, lemon juice and capers. Lightly crush the capers.
  2. Season the tilapia fillets with salt and pepper. Then dredge them in flour, shaking off any excess. Set aside.
  3. In a large skillet, melt one teaspoon of butter over medium heat. Turn up the heat to medium-high and brown the butter (it should be a golden brown color). Add the fillets to the pan. Sauté for about 3 minutes on each side (they are done when the fish flakes easily with a fork). Add olive oil to the pan as needed if the pan becomes too dry. Transfer fillets to plates.
  4. Pour the broth mixture into pan, being careful of splatter — it will instantly boil, steam and hiss. Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Continue heating and stirring until the mixture is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Remove the pan from the burner and whisk in two teaspoons of butter. Spoon two tablespoons of mixture, give or take, over each fillet.
  5. Serve with rice (or as I did, a nice rice/pea mixture with a bit of lemon juice and pepper).

Notes

Based on a recipe from Pam Anderson, Cooking Light, MARCH 2004 via Sweetnicks

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 673Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 103mgSodium: 794mgCarbohydrates: 96gFiber: 11gSugar: 20gProtein: 56g

Kevalyn

Monday 1st of July 2013

Wonderful recipe! Made for the first time last week. It's a light, tasty dish that's so easy to put together. Making it again tonight. Definitely will be a staple fish dish in our house.

Susan

Saturday 14th of July 2012

Fabulous dish! I was never a fan of tilapia but this dish has converted me! Fabulous! Almost came out halibut-like. I used quite a bit more capers and followed the recipe exactly. Perfect! Served with jasmine rice and garlic/parmesan roasted asparagus. Amazing dinner!

Kristen

Sunday 27th of January 2008

Oh - I have made this recipe before and I LOVE it! I have tilapia in the fridge for tomorrow night. May have to change how I make it as I had forgotten about this recipe.

shauna

Tuesday 22nd of January 2008

Of course I popped over! I love being able to help. For dredging fish, I love sorghum flour. It's the closest in texture and density to wheat, and it works like a charm. Sweet rice flour also works really well.

But it's always worth just playing, as well!

Sarah Caron

Tuesday 22nd of January 2008

Sally, I am sure it would work with a gluten-free alternative, but am not sure what particular flour you should use. I popped over to Gluten Free Girl to see if she might weigh in and help you out though. *fingers crossed*

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