Quick and easy sautéed tilapia fillets topped with a garlic butter herb sauce flavored with Dijon and prosciutto.
- Prep Time:
10 mins - Cook Time:
10 mins - Total Time:
20 mins
When my children get home from school, they are famished. My younger daughter will eat just about anything I put in front of her at that point. My older daughter is much more discerning. She will cast a critical eye over what I have cooked and photographed that day and then pass judgement. Unless I have made a dessert, my daughter usually gives me a lukewarm shrug of the shoulders before pulling out the gallon of ice-cream from the freezer.
However, yesterday was different. Yesterday, I made sautéed tilapia fillets topped with a garlic butter sauce that made you want to lick the plate clean. My older daughter took a small taste of the fish, exclaimed “This is soooo good!” and devoured the rest. When my daughter gets that excited about some pan seared tilapia, I know it’s a recipe I want to put in the regular dinner rotation.
With so much good stuff going into the sauce, how could you blame her for getting so excited. Butter, lemon, and garlic are already a great combination. Shallots, a hint of Dijon, and the unexpected addition of prosciutto only make it better.
Sautéed Tilapia with Garlic Herb Butter Sauce
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Sautéed
- Cuisine: American
Description
Quick and easy sautéed tilapia fillets topped with a garlic butter herb sauce flavored with Dijon and prosciutto.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced
- 2 teaspoons minced shallots
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced prosciutto
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 4 (5 to 6 ounce) skinless tilapia fillets
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Make butter: Mix butter with parsley, garlic, shallots, Dijon mustard, prosciutto, and lemon juice. Add a pinch of salt and pepper then stir until evenly mixed. Set aside.
- Cook fish: Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Season the tilapia fillets with salt and pepper. When oil is shimmering, add fish fillets top side down and until fish is almost cooked through and the underside is deep golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn fillets over.
- Top with butter: Using a small offset spatula, spread butter mixture over the top of each fillet, evenly dividing butter among the fillets. Cook for 1-2 minutes more or until fish is just cooked through and butter mixture has melted into the fish. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Recipe adapted from MyRecipes.com.
RossC says
Exactly what I searched for… I wanted butter and garlic as a base and you delivered… :O)
Taming of the Spoon says
I’m so happy you found what you were looking for here. Thanks!
Anthony says
freakin amazing…cooked it tonight
Taming of the Spoon says
Thanks, Anthony! So glad you loved it.
Olivia says
Through the rabbit hole of the great Internet, I happened upon this recipe. I tried it tonight (I can’t believe I had prosciutto) and it was absolutely delicious. The prosciutto was, surprisingly, such a perfect condiment for the fish. I don’t use Canola oil, so I used butter instead. And because I love garlic I added a few more cloves. But other than that I stayed true to the recipe. This one is a keeper that I will make again. Thank you!
Taming of the Spoon says
Welcome! I’m so glad you found your way here. Happy to hear you liked this recipe and thank you for coming back to leave a comment.
Adrienne says
Wow!
This recipe is still great and I even made several changes!
So I made the herb butter:
substituting dried parsley for fresh, dried minced onion for the shallots, and turkey pepperoni for the prosciutto lol! I spread my room temperature herb-butter onto the fish with a silicone spatula, then I Broiled 5 tilapia fillets on a foil-lined sheet pan on High for 8 minutes. When I k removed the fish, I covered the pan with a piece of foil so the fish wouldn’t dry out. It was delicious and the husband loved it!! Yaaay!!
Taming of the Spoon says
I love all your changes!! Broiling the fish is a great idea.
Josiane says
Wow i tried this evening the recipe and my kids loved it . Definitely my new way of cooking Tilapia now. Like Gigi used onions,dry parsley flake and used cooked ham ,the results was just perfect. Thank you for the recipe.
Taming of the Spoon says
That’s so great Josiane, I’m so glad you and your kids enjoyed this. Thank you for letting me know!
Emily says
I have everything but the fresh parsley to make this. Do you think it would be okay with dry parsley? If so, what adaptations do I need to make? Thanks!
Taming of the Spoon says
I think it would be fine to use dried parsley. I suggest using about 2 teaspoons since dried herbs tend to be stronger than fresh. Let us know how it turns out for you. Thanks.
Candice says
I do not have any of the prosciutto . How would this taste without it ?
Taming of the Spoon says
I think this would still stay delicious without the prosciutto. Let me know how it turns out for you. Thanks!
Gigi says
Came upon your recipe with a Google search, and decided to try it when you quoted your kids. Had to make minor changes to adapt to my refrigerator contents: chorizo instead of prosciutto, onions instead of shallots, dry parsley flakes instead of fresh minced… the results were excellent. My kids are good eaters, and have no issues with my new recipes so long as they don’t have to eat the inedible. They found the recipe flavorful and enjoyed every last bite. Thanks for the inspiration
Taming of the Spoon says
Hi, Gigi. I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe and that you were able to adapt it to what you had available. Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and let me know.