Go Back
–+ servings
Tilapia fillets topped with piccata sauce and capers on a rectangular platter
5 from 13 votes

Fish Piccata

Fish Piccata is an easy fish dinner, made in a skillet with inexpensive tilapia fillets. You'll love this tender, seared fish topped with a briny and savory lemon caper sauce.
Author Diana
Servings 4 servings
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients

  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1.5 pounds (650g) tilapia loins or fillets thawed completely, see note 1
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons butter divided
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic about two cloves
  • ¾ cup dry white wine or chicken stock, see note 2
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh
  • 3 tablespoons capers in brine
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  • Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl and place each piece of fish into the flour. Turn to coat and then shake off any excess.
  • Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a non stick pan over medium-high heat and cook the fish in batches for 4-5 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the fish from the skillet onto a plate.
  • If there’s too much oil in the pan, discard most of it. Return the pan to heat, melt one tablespoon of butter, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Add wine (or chicken stock) to the skillet and cook until it reduces in half. Add lemon juice, and the remaining butter and cook gently until the sauce emulsifies.
  • Add in the capers, lemon zest, and chopped parsley and stir before removing from the heat.
  • Spoon the sauce over the tilapia and serve warm with mashed potatoes and vegetables or salad.

Notes

  1. You will use 4 or 5 tilapia loins or fillets, depending on their size.  Other types of mild white fish will also work well in this recipe. 
  2. If you'd prefer not to add wine to this dish, substitute it with chicken broth instead. I've made it both ways and while the flavor is a bit different, it's still quite tasty. You can also use a mixture of 50% white wine vinegar and 50% water to get the same type of acidity as the wine would add. 
  3. Don't overcrowd the pan. To get the fish fillets browned, there needs to be plenty of room around them in the pan. Work in batches if you need to. 
  4. I love my citrus juicer and Microplane when it comes to fresh lemons. You should only need one lemon to make this dish. Zest it first, then cut it in half and get all the juice out. Use fresh lemon juice rather than bottled whenever possible.
  5. If there is burnt flour in your pan after cooking the fish, add a small amount of water and then wipe up just the burnt parts with a paper towel!
  6. When fully cooked, the internal temperature of tilapia must be 145°F/63°C with an instant-read thermometer.
  7. To store: Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 400kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 907mg | Potassium: 588mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 357IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg
Find it online: https://littlesunnykitchen.com/fish-piccata/