Tilapia | Health Notes at WWSM | Health Information at WWSM

Tilapia

Try it tonight—Quick tips for flavoursome tilapia

Best to buy
Look for tilapia that smells fresh like the ocean and has clear eyes, clean gills, and moist, shiny, tightly adhering scales.

Store it safely
Remove packaging, rinse fish under cold water, and pat dry. Refrigerate covered with crushed ice and for up to two days.

Flavoursome tip
When marinating tilapia, be sure to do so for only a short time or the fish’s delicate structure will start to break down.

Quick & easy recipe
Brush fillets with olive oil and season. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Baste pan juices over fillets before serving.

Also indexed as: Cherry Snapper, Hawaiian Sun Fish, Mouth Brooders, Ngege, Nile Perch, St. Peter’s Fish, Sunshine Snapper

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Preparation, uses, and tips

Tilapia can be broiled, fried, grilled, baked, poached, sautéed, or steamed. The skin has a bitter flavour and should be removed before eating. It is an excellent substitute in recipes calling for many kinds of fish including sole, snapper, pompano, flounder, cod, sea bass, and orange roughy.

When marinating tilapia, be sure to do so for only a short time or it will start to break down the structure of the meat.

Barbecuing

Fillets are great for grilling but are small and thin, so be careful during preparation as they can tear. Because of its mild flavour, tilapia goes well with most seasonings.

Baking

Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Place thawed fillets in buttered or oiled baking dish. Brush fillets with melted butter or olive oil and season. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Spoon pan juices over fillets before serving.

Sautéing

Heat 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of oil or butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season thawed fillets and place in hot skillet. Cook for approximately 2 to 4 minutes on each side until fish flakes easily. For additional flavour, spritz with lemon juice after turning.

Buying and storing tips

Choose tilapia that is moist and resilient; avoid cuts that have a musky odour. If frozen, discard tilapia that is mushy when thawed.

Fresh whole tilapia is available in stores, but fresh or frozen fillets weighing 4 to 7 ounces (114 to 200 grams) are more common.

If you purchase frozen tilapia, it will stay fresh for up to four months if it is wrapped tightly and stored at 0°F (-18°C). Thaw frozen tilapia in the refrigerator or under cold running water.

Thawed or fresh tilapia should be refrigerated at 32 to 38°F (0 to 3°C) and used within two days. Do not refreeze.

Varieties

Tilapia comes in a few colours, but red and black tilapia is the most well-known species. After preparation, the meat of both varieties is completely white. Both types of tilapia can thrive in either fresh or salt water. The taste will vary depending upon the water type since the fish absorbs the flavour of the water in which it is raised.

Nutrition Highlights

Tilapia (cooked, dry heat), 3.5 oz (100g)
Calories: 128
Protein: 26g
Carbohydrate: 0g
Total Fat: 3g
Fiber: 0g
*Excellent source of: Phosphorus (204.00mg), Niacin (4.74mg), Selenium (54.40mcg), and Vitamin B12 (1.86mcg)
*Good source of: Potassium (380.00mg)

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The information presented in the Food Guide is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or chemist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires September 2008.

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