Air Fryer
Whole Air Fryer Tilapia with Peppers & Onion
Whole tilapia is surprisingly easy to cook in the air fryer, especially when you keep the seasoning simple and let the fish do most of the work. For this version, I seasoned two whole tilapia with paprika, togarashi and salt, then cooked them over sliced bell peppers and brown onion. Everything went into an aluminium tray in my COSORI TwinFry FlexDrawer, which helped keep the vegetables and all those lovely cooking juices together underneath the fish. The result was beautifully browned tilapia with tender peppers and onion underneath. Serve it with fresh parsley and lemon on the side for squeezing over the fish as you eat.
- Prep
- 15 mins
- Rest
- 10 mins
- Cook
- 20 mins
- Total
- 45 mins
- Air Fryer
- 200°C
- Air fryer used
- COSORI TwinFry FlexDrawer (Grand Zone)
- Difficulty
- Easy
5.0 from 1 rating
Ingredients
- 2 whole tilapia, about 500g each, cleaned
- Approximately 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Approximately 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Approximately 1/2 teaspoon togarashi
- Olive oil, enough to mix with the seasonings and coat the fish
- 1 medium green bell pepper
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 1 brown onion
- Seasoned salt, to taste
- A little olive oil
- Fresh parsley, for serving
- Lemon, for serving
Method
- 01
Dry and prepare the tilapia: after cleaning the tilapia, pat the fish thoroughly dry with a kitchen towel, then score the fish so the seasoning can get into the cuts. If there is enough time, the fish can also be left to air dry for a couple of hours after cleaning. If not, thoroughly patting it dry is enough.
- 02
Season the fish: mix approximately 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon paprika and 1/2 teaspoon togarashi with enough olive oil to coat the fish. Rub the mixture all over both tilapia, including inside the cavities and into the scored areas. Leave the fish to marinate for 10 minutes.
- 03
Prepare the vegetables: while the fish is resting, slice the green, yellow and red bell peppers and the brown onion. Place them in the aluminium tray and season with seasoned salt to taste and a little olive oil.
- 04
Assemble: arrange the seasoned whole tilapia on top of the peppers and onion in the tray, so the vegetables cook beneath the fish and catch the juices released during cooking.
- 05
Air fry: place the tray into the COSORI TwinFry FlexDrawer, use Grand Zone, and air fry at 200°C for 20 minutes.
- 06
Finish and serve: once cooked, finish the tilapia with fresh parsley and serve with lemon alongside for squeezing over the fish while eating.
A little from me
Lackie's Notes
Dry the fish well. After cleaning the tilapia, pat it thoroughly dry. If you have time, you can leave it to air dry for a couple of hours; if not, thoroughly patting it dry with a kitchen towel is enough.
Season inside as well. Don't only season the outside of the fish; rub the seasoning inside the cavity and into the scored areas too.
Using a tray: I used an aluminium tray with the peppers and onion underneath the fish. The tray keeps the vegetables and cooking juices together rather than letting the juices drain through the air fryer basket.
No flipping: I cooked these tilapia for the full 20 minutes without flipping them.
Know your air fryer: I cooked this in my COSORI TwinFry FlexDrawer using Grand Zone. Air fryers can cook differently, and the size and thickness of whole fish can also affect cooking time. Check that your fish is properly cooked before serving.
