Lemon Herb Tilapia Asparagus (Print Version)

Flaky tilapia seasoned with lemon and herbs, paired with crisp steamed asparagus for a healthy meal.

# Ingredient List:

→ Fish & Marinade

01 - 2 tilapia fillets, about 5.3 ounces each
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
04 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
05 - 1 garlic clove, minced
06 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
07 - 1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped or 0.5 teaspoon dried dill
08 - 0.25 teaspoon salt
09 - 0.125 teaspoon black pepper

→ Vegetables

10 - 8.8 ounces asparagus, trimmed
11 - 1 teaspoon olive oil
12 - Pinch of salt
13 - Pinch of black pepper

→ Garnish

14 - Lemon wedges
15 - Extra chopped parsley

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper.
03 - Pat tilapia fillets dry and place on the prepared baking sheet. Brush both sides generously with the lemon-herb mixture.
04 - Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until flesh flakes easily with a fork.
05 - While fish bakes, bring water to a boil in a pot and place steamer basket on top. Add trimmed asparagus, cover, and steam for 4 to 5 minutes until tender and bright green.
06 - Toss steamed asparagus with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
07 - Arrange tilapia fillets on serving plates alongside asparagus. Garnish with lemon wedges and additional parsley if desired.

# Helpful Tips:

01 -
  • It actually tastes fancy even though you're essentially brushing fish with seasoned oil and letting the oven do the work.
  • Your kitchen smells incredible for the next hour, which is honestly half the appeal.
  • The whole thing comes together in less time than it takes to decide what to make, so no more standing in front of the fridge wondering what's for dinner.
02 -
  • Pat your fish completely dry before cooking or it'll release moisture and steam itself instead of developing any flavor from the heat, which I learned the hard way on my first attempt.
  • Don't skip the parchment paper because cleaning fish off a bare baking sheet is genuinely unpleasant and makes you resent cooking for at least an hour afterward.
03 -
  • If your tilapia fillets are thicker than usual, tent them loosely with foil halfway through baking so they don't dry out on top while the center finishes cooking.
  • The lemon zest is where most of the flavor lives, so don't try to substitute it with just juice thinking you'll get the same result.
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