Pan-Roasted Tilapia with Garlic Tomato Basil Sauce
Delicate tilapia fillets pan-roasted to perfection, topped with a fresh garlic tomato basil sauce bursting with Italian flavors. This Italian-inspired seafood recipe, ready in about 25 minutes, pairs tilapia fillets, salt, black pepper for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 210 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 4 fillets (5 oz each) tilapia fillets
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves, minced garlic cloves
- 1 cup, halved cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Pat dry 4 tilapia fillets and season both sides evenly with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
- Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes. Add tilapia fillets and cook for 3-4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through, with an internal temperature of 145°F. Remove fillets and keep warm.
- Step 3: Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to the skillet. Add 4 minced garlic cloves and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Step 4: Add 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes until softened.
- Step 5: Pour in 1/4 cup white wine and 2 tbsp lemon juice, simmering for 2 minutes until sauce reduces slightly.
- Step 6: Stir in 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil and spoon the sauce over the cooked tilapia fillets before serving.








