Sheet Pan Greek Tilapia
This Greek Tilapia sheet pan meal is super easy to toss together and offers a tasty mix of flaky fish and tender bell peppers, zucchini, and tomatoes, with crumbled feta, olives, and fresh herbs on top. Nutritious and satisfying, thanks to all these classic Mediterranean flavors!
Tastes good, feels good.
With tender veggies seasoned with a healthy sprinkle of oregano, my favorite Mediterranean herb; flaky white fish roasted with a lemon butter sauce and smidge of fresh garlic; and a dash of creamy feta cheese and briny olives for the finishing touch, this dinner has more way flavor than your average sheet pan. Yet, it delivers plenty of protein and vibrant veggies for a meal you can feel really good about eating. Even seconds!
The origins of this recipe are simple: a sudden spike in traffic to this lemon butter tilapia recipe motivated me to make related content, yet my husband was craving the Greek flavors we usually enjoy with chicken meatballs, a salad, or this chicken skillet. Voila: the hybrid was born, we absolutely loved it, and hope you do, too!
Ingredient & Substitution Notes
Here’s a quick overview of the key ingredients involved in this meal. As always, find the full printable recipe with measurements below.
- Tilapia or another firm white fish. Tilapia is an economical, relatively sustainable fish — look for fish labeled with endorsements from the Marine Stewardship Council or Aquaculture Stewardship Council to prioritize sustainable fishing practices — and is an easy contribution to the average person’s recommended intake of two portions of fish per week. Other firm white fish such as cod, bass, or haddock are also great options and can be used interchangeably in this recipe.
- Veggies: cherry or grape tomatoes, zucchini, red onion, and bell pepper. Freestyle the veggie component as you like! It’s no problem to use more of, less of, or omit any you don’t love or can’t find in season. The idea is just to round out and add color to the meal.
- One lemon. Not pictured, whoops! For maximum citrus flair, use both the zest and the juice in the buttery sauce that will season the fish.
- Basics: butter, olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper, fresh garlic, and dried oregano.
- Finishing touches: crumbled feta, Kalamata or other olives for a signature briny touch, and fresh herbs such as dill or parsley for a final pop of green.
Serving Suggestions
This fish and veggie combo is delicious served alongside rice, pearled couscous, orzo, or roasted potatoes. A classic Greek salad with homemade dressing will satisfy those who crave even more veg. A little whole wheat pita on the side doesn’t hurt if you can make the time!
How To Make Greek Tilapia
Chop and Season Veggies. This is probably the most hands-on step, as you’ll want to chop the onion, pepper, and zucchini into bite-sized pieces, then season with olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried oregano. The cherry tomatoes can get tossed onto the sheet pan intact. Give them about a 10 minute head start on the fish in an oven set to 425 degrees F.
Season and Add Fish. Sprinkle the fish lightly on both sides with salt and pepper, then prep a lemon-butter seasoning mixture to pour over top.
Pro Tip
Zest first, then juice! Maybe I’m just clumsy, but zesting a whole lemon is, in my experience, considerably easier than zesting a half. What’s more, having the right simple tools makes both jobs a breeze. Use a Microplane to zest the whole lemon first, then slice it in half and grab a hand-held citrus press to make quick work of the juicing — and not have to fish any stray seeds out of the sauce.
Add fish to the middle of the baking sheet and return everything to the oven for another 10-12 minutes.
How to tell when fish is done?
You’ll know tilapia is fully cooked when it is opaque throughout and flakes easily when pressed with the side of a fork. If you have an instant read thermometer, this cuts out all the guesswork: the FDA recommends cooking fish to an internal temperature of 145° F.
You can typically remove it from the oven when it reaches 140° or even 135°, as the internal temperature will continue to rise for a few minutes and this can prevent overcooking.
Garnish and Serve. After removing the pan from the oven, sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese and olives, as desired, then finish with a touch of fresh herbs–dill or parsley are my favorite for that Mediterranean touch.
More Frequently Asked Questions
Is fresh or frozen tilapia best?
If you happen to live near the water and can buy fish that has been freshly caught and cleaned within about 48 hours, that will deliver top freshness and quality. For most of us, though, that’s an impossible standard. In all likelihood, all of the fish sold at the grocery store has been frozen at some point in order to keep it fresh for transport.
The good news? Fish is typically processed and flash frozen right after it’s caught. So, filets sold in the freezer case are most likely at least as good as those sold at the counter – probably better, since you can defrost and prepare them on your own schedule!
Can I bake tilapia straight from frozen?
Although you can bake tilapia filets straight from frozen just by adding an extra few minutes to the oven time, in the case of this recipe I don’t recommend it. The baking time will be off, and while for the sake of baking time you could just start the fish alongside the veggies, the extra water that runs off the frozen fish will compromise the texture of the zucchini, pepper, and tomatoes.
Storage & Reheating
- Storage: Tuck away any leftover tilapia and veggies in tightly-sealed containers in the refrigerator. If storing with rice or another grain, package that together with the fish. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Warming: Fish can be most easily reheated in the microwave on 50% power for 1-2 minutes per filet. Using half power reduces the fishy odor and prevents overheating, which is the usual culprit behind a rubbery texture. If you have more herbs, a sprinkling of fresh ones can really help bring the leftovers back to life.
More Quick and Easy Fish Recipes
- Blackened Fish with Mango Salsa
- Blackened Tilapia
- Quick and Healthy Fish Tacos
- Teriyaki Salmon
- Lemon Herb Roasted Salmon
If you try this Sheet Pan Greek Tilapia, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. I love hearing how recipes turn out in your kitchen, and it helps other readers, too.
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Sheet Pan Greek Tilapia
Ingredients
- 1-2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1 small zucchini sliced and chopped into halves or quarters
- 1/2 red onion chopped into chunks
- 1 bell pepper any color, chopped into chunks
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano divided
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 3-4 medium tilapia filets roughly 6 ounces each
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 Tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta optional topping
- 1/3 cup Kalamata or other olives optional topping
- fresh dill, parsley, or red pepper flakes optional garnishes
- rice or couscous for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the tomatoes, chopped zucchini, onion, and bell pepper in a large bowl. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few cracks of pepper. Toss to coat, then spread veggies in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 10-12 minutes.
- While the veggies start roasting, season both sides of the fish lightly with salt and pepper. Whisk together the melted butter, minced garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano. Set aside.
- After the veggies have been in for at least 10 minutes, take out the pan and make room to add the tilapia filets. Pour the butter mixture evenly over the fish (don’t worry that some will run off into the veggies) then return pan to the oven and roast for another 10-12 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
- Remove pan from the oven and sprinkle with crumbled feta, olives if using, and a bit of fresh dill or parsley. Serve with extra lemon wedges and red pepper flakes over rice or couscous, if desired, and enjoy right away.
