How to Make Almond Crusted Tilapia in 35 Minutes
With summer break just a few weeks away, we’re really excited about giving you tips to get your kids into the kitchen all summer long. This recipe for Almond Crusted Tilapia is not only kid friendly and kid-helping-in-the-kitchen friendly, it can also be easily turned into a paleo recipe for those looking to eat more like our cavemen ancestors.
Almond meal can be bought in the bulk aisle of your local grocery store, but it’s just as easy to make at home in a food processor. Kids love it when you give them responsibility and they’ll love getting to be the “button pusher” on the food processor and watching whole almonds become fine almond meal. Let them pulse the almonds until they’ve reached the size of steel cut oats, like the photo below:
Next, let your kids help with the dredging and breading. Set up 3 stations: one with flour or almond flour if you’re paleo; a second with an egg wash (some egg mixed with water, seasoned with some salt and peper); and a third with the almond meal and brown sugar. Put your kids on a stool and let them dip from station to station.
Once all the tilapia fillets have been crusted with almonds, let them brush the fish with melted butter (paleo followers can use melted ghee or coconut oil), which will give the fish a nice golden color out of the oven. After your kids have gotten to see how much fun it was to make this meal, there’s no way that they won’t take at least take one bite!
Helpful tools: 1) Food processor; 2) Mixing bowls; 3) Sheet pan
Pair this dish with: 1) Green beans with fennel; 2) Coconut kale; or 3) Kale salad
Ingredients
- Tilapia - 4 fillets
- Almonds - 1 cup (shortcut: buy 1¼ cup almond meal)
- Flour - ½ cup (sub almond meal for gluten-free or paleo)
- Egg - 1
- Water - 1 tbs.
- Brown sugar - 2 tbs. (sub maple syrup for paleo)
- Butter - 2 tbs. (sub ghee or coconut oil for paleo)
- Lemons - ½, wedges
Instructions
Prep
- Fish – Rinse and dry with paper towels
- Almonds – Pulse in a food processor until it becomes the texture of cornmeal or grits like the photo below. You can also use a blender, stick blender, mortar and pestle, or place almonds in a bag and crush with a rolling pin
- Dredging stations – Mix together flour and some salt & pepper in one bowl / pan. Whisk together egg and water in second bowl / pan. Mix together almonds with brown sugar and a dash of salt in a third bowl / pan
Make
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil
- Melt butter by microwaving for 30 seconds
- Dip fish into the flour mixture, then egg wash, then into the almond crumbs. Place onto sheet pan and brush on both sides with melted butter
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until almonds are golden brown
