Baked Tilapia Bowl (Printable)

Tender herb-seasoned tilapia over fluffy rice with steamed broccoli and carrots for a complete gluten-free meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Fish

01 - 4 tilapia fillets, approximately 5.3 oz each
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
04 - 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
05 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
06 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Rice

07 - 1 cup long-grain white rice
08 - 2 cups water
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Vegetables

10 - 2 cups fresh broccoli florets
11 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
12 - 1 tablespoon olive oil for vegetables, optional
13 - Salt and pepper to taste

# How-To:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease with oil.
02 - Pat tilapia fillets dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Italian herbs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Brush both sides of each fillet with the herb mixture and arrange on prepared baking sheet.
03 - Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until fish flakes easily with a fork and reaches opaque appearance throughout.
04 - While fish bakes, bring 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a saucepan. Add rice, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 to 18 minutes until rice is tender and water is fully absorbed. Fluff with a fork.
05 - Steam broccoli florets and carrot slices in a steamer basket over simmering water for 5 to 7 minutes until crisp-tender. Optionally toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
06 - Divide cooked rice evenly among four bowls. Top each portion with one tilapia fillet and a generous serving of steamed vegetables.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The whole thing comes together in under 40 minutes, and most of that time the oven and stovetop do the work while you breathe.
  • Fish cooked this way stays impossibly tender and never tastes fishy—the lemon and herbs do something gentle.
  • It's the rare meal that feels restaurant-quality but doesn't require any real skill to pull off.
02 -
  • Don't skip the drying step with the fish—I learned this the expensive way when a fillet slipped off the sheet into the oven, and now I'm devout about it.
  • The rice-to-water ratio is sacred; measure it the same way every time so you never have to guess what went wrong.
03 -
  • Let your fish come to room temperature for about 10 minutes before baking—it cooks more evenly that way and won't have a cold spot in the center.
  • If you're cooking for someone who's picky about fish, this is the recipe that often changes their mind; the gentle approach doesn't intimidate them the way bold flavors sometimes do.
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