Lemons have still been plentiful and cheap and every time I walk by them in the grocery store I remember the buttery lemon chicken piccata that I made a while ago and really enjoyed. I also remembered thinking that a fish version would also probably be really nice and possibly even lighter. This weekend I decided to try the fish version. I figured that any white fish would probably do the trick and the tilapia fillets looked good so I went with them. A reader had suggested that the next time I make the chicken picatta that I try adding peperoncini peppers and I liked the sound of a bit of heat in the lemon sauce. I have never seen a fresh peperoncini pepper so I ended up using some pickled ones that I was able to find. The tilapia piccata turned out great! I think I enjoyed the tilapia version even more that the chicken version as the light flaky fish soaked up more of the tasty buttery lemon sauce with every bite. I also enjoyed the heat and flavour that the peperoncini peppers added to the dish. It is always nice to find ways to change up old favorites and possibly even make them better.
Tilapia Piccata
ingredients
- 2 tilapia fillets (or other white fish fillets)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 splash dry white wine
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 lemon (juice)
- 1/2 lemon (sliced)
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 2 small peperoncini peppers (sliced, optional)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
directions
- Season the fish with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil and butter in a pan.
- Add the fish and fry until golden brown on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side and set aside.
- Add the wine and deglaze the pan.
- Add the chicken stock, lemon juice, lemon slices, capers and peperoncinis and simmer to reduce the liquids by half.
- Stir in the butter and pour over the fish and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
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Tom Yum Baked Tilapia
Tilapia Baked in Thai Green Curry
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Lemon Chicken Romano
Chicken Gnocchi in a Creamy Lemon and Caper Sauce
This looks absolutely delicious. I just love tilapia, this looks like a great way to prepare it. Thanks for sharing!
What a beautiful presentation. This is one of my favorite ways to prepare white fish, and adding the peperoncini is a great idea.
This did turn out wonderful Kevin. I love anything Piccata!
Kevin – This looks great and is one of my favorite ways to prepare tilapia, sole or flounder. Beautiful photo too.
The lemon flavours of the piccata would go equally well with the tilapia Kevin…good call:D
This looks delicious! The photo is amazing!
This sounds terrific! I bet it would be good with an Ontario lake fish such as trout or pickerel, too.
Kevin, wonderfully done and beautifully plated. Fish and lemons are a natural pair…a classic I enjoy too!
Kevin, this dish truly looks amazing. I have never made anything piccata but chicken, but can now imagine how great tilapia would be in a dish like this.
now i’m craving some fish…
Great sauce with wine & butter. That dish turned out really nice Kevin.
What a gorgeous dish! I love the idea of tilapia piccata as I can imagine how each bite would soak up that flavorful sauce.
This looks light and refreshing. Do you think it would be okay to substitute the butter with something healthier? Smart Balance?
you know, i have this love affair with piccata sauce… i love the lemony flavor, but i just. can’t. stand. capers!!!! i just can’t. i think it’s part taste and part a ridiculous episode of bourdain’s no reservations that i saw where he went to a caper farm in sicily. it was so annoying.
did you use regular lemons or your preserved lemons? the rest of this looks amazing!! i’d just have to forget the capers…
lemon, butter, capers… that’s heavenly
What an excellent way to amp up humble tilapia. Looks fantastic!
That looks like a really nice way to prepare the tilapia!
This looks wonderful Kevin – I love piccata and I just happen to have tilapia in the freezer.
I love making this dish for my husband, it is so healthy. Nice picture.
That looks mighty delicious! A wonderful dish! I love this fish!
Cheers,
Rosa
nice..
This is gorgeous! I love the pepperocini in the sauce.
Who would have known tilapia could be used this way!! It’s like the cheapest fish ever at the super markets hehe
I love the look of this Kevin. Lots of lovely ingredients – yum.
looks divine!
Kevin,
If you’re ever looking to make this again, or make something else with pepperoncinis, Terroni sells them chopped and preserved in oil and water. They’re spicy, but very delicious!
I don’t know but when you put these 2 words Tilapia and Piccata together, they sound like a perfect match 🙂
This dish screams SUMMER!
Mmm! Great idea with the Talapia!
Tilapia? Capers? Pepperoncini? How can you go wrong? Looks delicious!
Tilapia is such a versatile fish, and I love cooking with it. Your picatta sounds wonderful, light, and fresh! A lovely meal for warmer weather.
I may have to try this one…it looks THAT good.
this is awesome…….loooks so gorgeous!!!! I love Tilapia!
This looks great- Cooking Light just had something like this on their recipe of the day – I think it’s a sign I need to make it!
YUM. I love piccata. Looks great!
I love making tilapia, it’s so versatile and always tastes great. your tilapia piccata looks really yummy, i’ll have to try it this way too.
Absolutely gorgeous Kevin. I must try this recipe out. Beautiful photo too.
Give me lemons and I am a happy camper…you have just managed again to bring great flavors together with great success!!!
What a refreshing idea! The lemony, buttery sauce must make the fish absolutely exquisite! Good call ont he peperoncini, I’m sure it was delicious!
Thanks for ahring it !
As luck would have it, I have all the ingredients and love this recipe.
I always have tilapia in the fridge, but have never considered the piccata route. Great recipe!
Now I can make my talapia a little more appealing to my family. This just looks great…and so simple! Thanks.
Looks great! Tilapia is such a good fish, would taste awesome with these flavors!
Christina Kim: The butter adds a great flavour but it would still be good without it and a substitution would probably also work. The lemon flavour is definitely the dominant one.
Heather: I used regular lemons though I plan on trying again with some chopped up preserved lemons. It should be good!
kevin I love your description of this lemony fish, wonderful!
I don’t know if I should praise you more for your recipes or your photos. This looks so delicious! Thanks for opening up our taste buds to try new things. Awesome job!
What an excellent idea!
You know, I think I’d probably like the fish better than the chicken also!
Ooh that looks so good!
Beautiful. Piccata is one of my favourite dishes!
I love tilapia. It’s really one of my favorite fish next to ahi tuna and catfish. That looks really delish!!
Beautiful photos. This is one of my favorite dishes, tilapia is wonderful.
This looks fabulous! Tilapia is great mild tasting fish for sauces like this one. I love the addition of the peperoncinis.
Yum, what a cool twist on the traditional chicken picata
I made this dish tonight. It was great. The only thing I changed was that I lightly floured the fish after seasining it. It gave the edges a wonderful little crunch.
I love tilapia, this looks really tasty!
This looks delicious! Tilapia is usually an inexpensive fish too, so I love this idea!
I made tilapia piccata recently and it was lovely. I like the heat you added.
Tilapia can also be a sustainable seafood choice — as long as it isn't farmed in Asia it's a guilt-free fish dinner.
Thanks for the great recipe – you turned my Tilapia skeptic husband into a fan! Only thing I did differently is dredge the fish in flour mixed with garlic powder first. Yum!
You really know how to cook, Kevin! Everything you fix is a real knockout delicious treat!
omg… Made this & it was great! Added fresh mushrooms!
omg… This was awesome!!!!! Added mushrooms Thanks
I made this last Friday and it was delish. Thanks.
Kevin, I love your recipes but I can't find a way to send to my low carb friends on FB and also email me a copy. CAN YOU HELP!
Love this, shrimp for me fish for my husband