Coconut Crusted Tilapia

We are trying to be mostly grain-free and I wanted to find an alternative for breading some baked tilapia. I decided on using coconut which turned out quite ok if I may say so. And the bonus was that my kids really liked it too. I know there are several recipes out there already with coconut crusted tilapia, but most include some type of bread-crumb too. This one does not and therefore it can also be gluten-free by substituting the regular flour for something else.

Coconut Crusted Tilapia

Tilapia filets, thawed and patted dry with a papertowel

Flour (May be substituted for gluten free options)

Egg, whisked

Coconut, finely shredded and unsweetened


Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oven to 375⁰F.

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and lightly grease it with some oil.

Pour flour into a shallow dish and season it liberally with salt and pepper.

In a second shallow dish, wisk together the egg(s), and in a third dish pour some of the coconut.

Begin by drenching each tilapia filet in the flour mixture.

Continue by dipping the filets in the egg and finish by dipping them in coconut, making sure they are entirely covered.

Carefully place the filets on the cookie sheet and bake them in the middle of the oven for approximately 15-20 minutes or until the fish is done.

You can turn the filets with a spatula halfway thru if you want to, but it is not necessary. The fish should flake with a fork when it is finished.

This is a very mild flavored fish dish so it could use some side dishes with a little bit of a punch to them. We ate this with steamed veggies and a little bit of melted butter on top because that is what worked out time and energy-wise. However, I think next time I would like to be a bit more adventurous with my side dishes and maybe try some kind of chunky mango salsa such as this Miami Mango Salsa or maybe a tropical couscous with lime, mango, red bell pepper and cilantro?