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Lemon Pepper Baked Tilapia with Rice

Name: Lemon Pepper Baked Tilapia with Rice
Prep time: 38 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: unsalted butter — 41 g; yellow onion — 110 g; garlic — 6 g; long-grain white rice — 266 g; low-salt chicken broth — 532 g; salt — 7 g; olive oil — 14 g; tilapia fillets — 680 g; black pepper — 10 g; lemon zest — 15 g; lemon juice — 30 g; lemon — 65 g; parsley — 7 g

Lemon Pepper Baked Tilapia with Rice reads citrus 7.4, sourness 6.2 and fruity 4.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a American main, about 45 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 4.2 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 5.4 / 10
Sour & Bright — 9.3 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.2 / 10
Rich & Fat — 4.8 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.7 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Citrus 7.4 · Sourness 6.2 · Fruity 4.7 · Richness 4.5 · Allium 4.1 · Salinity 3.7 · Umami 3.2 · Herbaceous 2.4 · Sweetness 2.2 · Floral 2.0 · Warm Spice 1.7 · Marine & Briny 1.2 · Bitterness 1.1 · Earthy 1.0 · Nutty 1.0 · Heat 1.0

What's in it (13)

unsalted butter — 41 g
yellow onion — 110 g
garlic — 6 g
long-grain white rice — 266 g
low-salt chicken broth — 532 g
salt — 7 g
olive oil — 14 g
tilapia fillets — 680 g
black pepper — 10 g
lemon zest — 15 g
lemon juice — 30 g
lemon — 65 g
parsley — 7 g

Time & effort: about 45 min (38 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 100.9 kcal, 9.1 g protein, 3.2 g fat, 14 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 4 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the rinsed rice and toast, stirring constantly, until the grains look translucent at the edges and smell nutty, 2-3 minutes - this toasting step is what keeps the rice from turning gummy.
Pour in the chicken broth and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer undisturbed for 16-18 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
While the rice simmers, heat the oven to 425 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and brush with the olive oil. Pat the tilapia fillets completely dry with paper towels - this is what keeps baked tilapia from steaming in its own liquid and turning mushy - then arrange them on the sheet.
In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, the black pepper, and the lemon zest; sprinkle evenly over both sides of the fillets. Cut the remaining 1 tablespoon butter into small pieces and dot over the fish, then lay the lemon slices over the top.
Bake the tilapia until it is opaque throughout and flakes easily with a fork, and reaches 145 F at the thickest part, 10-12 minutes (thin fillets closer to 8 minutes).
Once the rice is tender, remove it from the heat and let it stand, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and stir in half the lemon juice.
Remove the tilapia from the oven, drizzle with the remaining lemon juice, and let rest 2 minutes.
Spoon the rice onto plates, top with the tilapia, and scatter with the parsley to finish.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Sheet Pan Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Asparagus — American
Greek Turkey Meatballs with Orzo — Greek
Lemon Butter Baked Cod — American
Greek-Marinated Grilled Pork Chops — Greek
Brik a l'Oeuf — Tunisian

Keep reading: what citrus, sourness, fruity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.