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I've always liked it steamed so it retains moisture. Then over top pour a sauce of heated olive oil, scallions, ginger and salt.

Ha ha, Perk we're on the same wavelength! I do mine just like your first suggestion, but without the panko, so it's like a meuniere/francaise style. I cook it in a non-stick skillet with less than a tablespoon of oil. Not TOO bad for me :)

BTW, I love tilapia. It succeeds everywhere that boneless chicken breasts fail. It's moist, meaty and flavorful.

@bitchin - I add parm sometimes also. If I don't have panko, I usually mix breadcrumbs, flour and parm for the final topping. I haven't tried baking, but I will. I usually just pan fry in a little oil mixed with a little butter. If I make a pan sauce, I like to add some capers and lots of lemon.

Grill it on a cedar plank, remove it from the plank and throw fish away, eat plank - sorry don't like tilapia!

Here is Giada's yummy recipe that is our favorite for the fish. I was disappointed to learn recently though that tilapia does not have the correct kind of Omega3 oil to be healthy like salmon. However, this recipe is good enough (and bad enough) that I am willing to forgo healthy for amazingly delicious.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/tilapia-with-citrus-bagna-cauda-recipe/index.html

Woo hoo, JEP is truly, really back! I knew right away it was your question:-).

I bake tilapia with spinach & tomatoes (for the record: I don't eat cooked fish, but I cook it for my friends and family, who seem to like it a lot:-)).

Basically, I saute some red onions, wilt spinach (or use frozen, thawed and drained, in which case, no extra cooking required), mix them together and add: cored, seeded and diced tomatoes (a couple), basil chiffonade, minced garlic, salt and pepper. I prep the fish by squeezing lemon juice over it and sprinkling it with cumin and paprika on both sides.

Then it's time to layer everything in a baking dish (I use pyrex): olive oil on the bottom, 1/3 of the spinach mixture, fish, the rest of the spinach mixture. Cover the dish with tin foil and bake for about 20-30 min at 380F.

Duh, i forgot to write that when I sprinkle the fish with cumin and paprika, I also sprinkle it with salt and pepper, of course!

Seasongs: always s&p, sometimes lemon zest mixed with the egg (I also like francais style Kerosena), sometimes just a pinch of cayenne in the flour, sometimes thyme, and I liked a pinch of emeril's seasoning also. Never Old Bay. I really, really don't like that flavor at all.

Tilapia ia great using the parchment envelope because it holds up so well and is mild enough that various veggies pair well with it. I'm usually cooking for one, so try not to use the oven, especially on hot days like today.

I lost a recipe I got at Wegman's when I first tried tilapia and used to buy it by the case. It had oatmeal in the coating and was baked. I actually still have some of the coating in a bottle in the freezer. I should try to figure it out. Anyone else remember getting that recipe?

JEP - What Perky said. Though I wouldn't wrap it in an envelope if you're breading it - the breading won't get crisp.

Poached in a little water with white wine, onions (or scallions) carrots, probably some other veggies as well, julienned. Whatever herbs I'm in the mood for.

Or, same sort of combo, cooked in parchment in the microwave. That recipe came from Good Eats, and I've used it a few times. Don't recall exactly what his veg mix was, but whatever you like or whatever you have on hand will be fine.

Or wrapped in banana leaves topped with whatever flavors I'm in the mood for, maybe some oilive oil or wine or veg, and then grilled.

I like to make it with lemon and capers. Dust w.flour, sauté in oil .. remove, add garlic for a minute, deglaze with white wine, add lemon juice, capers, parsley and add fish back for the last minute or 2. Always good.

Thanks for the tilapia recipes...mmm....I've got panko, parm, spinach & mushrooms...I'm off to the kitchen. Grabbed up some picked this a.m. sweet corn at a farm while picking blueberries with the grandkids this morning. Dinner in no time...yum.

@nobodyleaveshungry--i'm with you! my favorite guy at my favorite fish market won't even sell me talapia--tells me to go buy some chicken instead.

Broiled in a foil pack with:
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Cayenne pepper
Thyme
Chopped tomato
Garlic
Lemon rounds/juice
Parmesan

Tilapia, the tofu of the fish world. Doesn't have much flavor on it's own, but takes on flavor, most any flavor, very well. I really like it sauteed with a little butter and Paul Prudhomme's redfish seasoning. I've also had luck with using it as a sub for sole and stuffing it with crabmeat stuffing and poured cream sauce over it!

Marinated and grilled tilapia is perfect for fish tacos. Get some corn tortillas, cotija cheese, salsa verde and plenty of limes for squeezing. Muy rico.

I'm with everyone else -- gotta really jack up the flavors with tilapia! I lightly dust in seasoned flour and fry in butter/olive oil. Reserve the fish in a warm oven and prep the topping -- sautee spinach, halved cherry tomatoes, and garlic just until wilted and warm, then toss some chunked feta in. Serve that over your fish and you'll be in mediterranean heaven!

Dominic
the zen kitchen

Never. :) Just had to comment with something different.

I don't care for fish-but LOVE shellfish.

Seems like there are some delish ways to cook this fish... almost makes me wish I liked fish.

Nope. Nope. Nope.

I like to marinate it in a mixture of white miso, sugar or mirin, sake, garlic and ginger. Let it marinate at least 30 minutes (but you could let it go longer, overnight even). Then broil until cooked through (usually doesn't take long, maybe 5 minutes total). Garnish it with scallions and sesame seeds. This is pretty much my go to for most white fishes, although I have some wild salmon I may try this with tonight!