This Nigerian fried tilapia recipe is simple, flavourful and perfect for any meal. This easy recipe will help you make perfectly seasoned fried fish that is crispy on the outside, tender and tasty on the inside.
Read till the end for helpful tips on how to make fried fish with whole tilapia.
Recipe details
- Prep time : 45mins
- Cleaning time : 10mins
- Frying time: 15-20 mins
What you need :
- 2 frozen tilapia fish
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1/2 tsp salt to taste
- Clean water
- Knife
- Gloves (optional)
Proceed with these steps to make sure the fish is well cleaned, properly seasoned and fried to perfection.
How to Clean Tilapia
Step 1: Defrost Fish
- Put the fish in a big bowl.
- Fill the bowl with room temperature water till the fish is covered.
- Allow to defrost and soften for 30-45 mins or until it is soft enough to be cleaned according to your preference.
Step 2: Trim the fins
- Get a strong and sharp kitchen scissors.
- Cut off the fins at the sides of the fish head.
- Remove the strong bony fins close to the tail.
- Also cut off the bony tail/fin.
Step 3: Remove the Gills
- Open up the fish head.
- Push the gill to the other side with your finger and pull it out.
- Check for any residue and remove as well
Step 4: Clean out the Fish gut
- Open up the belly of the fish by making a shallow cut from the side of the fish head downwards to open the belly.
- Pull out all the internal organs including the fish eggs
- Scrap out the blood line to remove everything.
- Rinse properly to remove any residue from the belly and the head.
- The fish should look like the image above after cleaning
- Then scoop out the fins, gill and fish gut from inside the bowl and put in a disposable bag.
- Tie up the bag – to prevent unpleasant smells in kitchen- and put in the bin
Step 5: Final Rinse
- Get another clean bowl of water.
- Rinse inside and outside of the fish again
- Clean tilapia fish is ready for cooking
How to Fry Whole Tilapia Fish
To make fried fish with whole tilapia, after thoroughly cleaning it as explained above, the next thing to do is to season it before proceeding to fry it.
Follow this steps to make sure that the fish is fried perfectly.
Step 1: Season the Fish
- Put the clean fish on a flat surface
- Make shallow diagonal cuts on both sides – this is to enhance even seasoning
- Sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt all over both fish
- Rub the salt into the fish on both sides with your hands
- Cover and allow to marinate for 5-10 mins
Step 2: Fry the Fish
- Place a large frying pan on the cooker
- Pour a generous amount of cooking oil into it
- Wait till the oil is hot enough
- Turn down the heat when the oil is hot
- Gently put the seasoned fish in the hot oil – this is to avoid hot oil splashes
- Turn the tempearture of the cooker back up
- Fry the fish until it shows signs of browning at the sides
Step 3: Cook the Fish Evenly
- Once again, turn down the temperature of the cooker
- Turn the fish so that the other side cooks evenly
- Increase the cooking temperature again
- Fry for 5-6 mins
- For extra crispy finish, turn the fish on both sides again and fry for 1-2 mins each
- Remove the fish from the hot oil and transfer onto a flat plate lined with kitchen towel to soak up excess oil
Whole fried tilapia can be enjoyed on its own or served with jollof rice, fried rice, stew, yam, or as a protein option for any favourite meal of choice.
Tips for Perfect Fried Fish
- Defrost the frozen fish overnight to reduce the prep time
- For extra aroma, first fry a big slice of onions in the oil
- For beginners, stand at a reasonable distance to the hot oil before putting the fish in it or remove the frying pan from the cooker before putting the fish in it to reduce hot oil splashes
- Turn the fish with a flat-faced spatula to avoid fish breaking apart when turning it
Here is a self-help video tutorial on how to fry whole tilapia fish from scratch at home.
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