Sautéed Tilapia with Lemon-Peppercorn Pan Sauce Recipe (2024)

@AngelaS you should read the recipe more carefully. Either that or they corrected it in the seven years since. Anyhow, I made this with capers a la picatta since I didn't have any fancy brined peppercorns and it came out deliciously. I also separated the tilapia into small and large halves of the filet like Cook's Illustrated suggests and cooked them separately to avoid overcooking. Plus my tilapia package was larger than called for so I needed two batches of frying.

This is a quick to prepare recipe that elevates readily available, but bland tilapia to a flavorful dish. I use the peppercorns and follow the recipe. You can, of course, use capers but I recommend the peppercorns; there are other recipes for the tilapia with capers (piccata) and this recipe provides just a little different dish.

Like others, we substituted capers for the peppercorns. It was quick, easy, and delicious!

WHAT is the broth mixture? No guidance given, ARGH!

The fish was amazing, the sauce was okay, a bit too tart for me so when I try it again I'll use less lemon.

Overall, it was good and easy to prepare. However, I thought the lemon was a little strong. Next time I would use about half of the fresh lemon juice. I used capers instead of peppercorns because I had them on hand. I thought it was a good substitution.

This is one of my favorite weeknight dinners -- easy and delicious! I love the combination of the lemon and the green peppercorns. All I need to do is add a salad and vegetable and dinner is done.

Great recipe!! Very scrumptious, extremely easy to prepare, and a nice light meal that will please the tastebuds. I didn't even use fresh lemon and I don't feel the need to. Definitely a keeper!

The sauce was just ok. The tilapia cooked perfectly though.

Love this recipe although I always use capers instead of peppercorns, not a fan of pepper. Everyone loves it and it's so easy to make!

Wonderful. Family loved it.

Love this!!! Simple, fresh way to prepare fish. I didn't have green peppercorns, so I used capers and some crushed black peppercorns...it was perfect! Topped it off with some fresh parsley and served with rice and salad.

The peppercorns are well worth the hunt. I found them at Whole Foods. This dish was excellent! The fish cooked perfectly following the directions, and the sauce was great. I dislike capers and can't imagine that the flavor would be similar to the peppercorns. Served with a green salad and wheat baguette.

Very good!!! Even without rice.

Just made this dish this evening for my wife and she enjoyed the flavors of the fish and sauce. I just left the peppercorn out entirely thinking we had some capers, but did not locate any. I added just a little more flour to the sauce to make it slightly thicker but still runny. Added the fillet(s) to a bed of brown rice and a side of fresh vegetable medley. And enjoyed the dinner and easy clean up. Will make this again for sure. Quick, simple and fun flavors!

I thought it was very good. Not really fishy. Enjoyed 2 pcs. 8oz total with a salad. Will make again real soon. Cooking filets took a little longer than mentioned, maybe because they were a little thicker. For previous review add with first 3 ingredients and then it is the broth mixture

When do you add the 1/4 of lemon juice?

This is one of our go to weeknight meals. It is always delicious and so easy. It goes wonderfully with some rice to soak up the sauce.

So I used capers because I figured it wasn't worth buying a new ingredient and I subbed out the flour for panko breadcrumbs. They meal turned out delicous, but the sauce never really became sauce. It may have been because I used a nonstick pan and had no "brown bits" but I also may have needed to let it sit a while longer to thicken. My leftover sauce was actually much thicker after I dinner, but I didn't want to wait 10 minutes or so to let it thicken. I just poured the thinned out sauce on top - still good!

Very simple and satisfying...but I agree with that the peppercorns are too much. Next time I'll put less in and crush them. Also, there is a slight problem that the fish starts to get cold as you make the sauce...so maybe keep in a low oven while the sauce reduces. I will definitely work out kinks and make again!

Ive made this about 3 times and each time it gets a little better. To start the flour has to be just enough. if there is too much it almost makes a skin of thin dough. The peppercorns are a bit much.. I generally reduce them and the lemon juice a little, my preference. The sauce at the end. I use to use the whole amount but now a pour the full amount over the fish and then remove the fish and serve with about 2 tablespoons on top and watch out for the peppercorns.

WAY too lemony.

We really liked this! I used capers like some other reviewers ... I'm not very good at reading directions, and they looked like capers in the picture so ... yeah. In any event, it turned out delicious, and my boyfriend was sad that there wasn't more sauce to put over his green beans. In the future, I might double the sauce so that we can do just that.

This is my second recipe fixing Tilapia, which has now become my favorite fish. This is so delicious and easy. I also used capers which I had on hand. A definite repeat.

I have always made this recipe and recently moved and lost the recipe I cut out from the magazine. I'm so happy I was able to find it again. I only eat 2 kinds of filets and could never cook fish untill I came across this recipe. It is restaurant worthy thats for sure I too only have capers on hand and it was just wonderful every time I made it... Now I can make this for my Christmas Eve dinner!!

I used capers because that's what I had in the refrigerator. This is an excellent fish dish loaded with flavor and has good presentation. The sauce is absolutely delicious. To make it even better, it's EASY! Served with sherried green beans and mushrooms (from this site), lime-cilantro rice, and freshly cooked apples. This recipe is a keeper!

This was a good fish recipe. I replaced a few tablespoons of chx broth with some white wine I'd uncorked, and like many others I subbed capers for the peppercorns. (They brine peppercorns? Really?) I'll play with the breading next time and add a little cornmeal, wheatgerm and flax for a little more crunch. Served with risotto and sauteed spinach. Good recipe that I'll make again.

OMG this was terrific ,right on the money fish was great without the sauce, with sauce just blew it out the water,flavor were just right as the other say I chose to used capers. The family loves this one. I triple the recipe and it was still very easy to follow.Will make again very soon.

I've been trying to cook better because I have high cholesterol and my husband is pre-diabetic. He said "I'd put you up against any top chef" after this meal, which is rediculous, of course - I might be an intermediate. I used capers and Smart Balance and served this over polenta with steamed broccoli and cauliflower with Smart Balance and a bit of grated parmesan. Yummy.

This recipe is delicious, my husband raved! It is definitely a restaurant quality Tilapia recipe. I used capers instead of peppercorns, served over orzo with a side of roasted asparagus. This will become a regular in my recipe rotation.

This was very quick and had great flavor. This will now be something I make on a regular basis.

Delicious! Used capers instead.... Huge hit with my ultra picky hubby!!

I had never cooked Tilapia before, and didn't know what to expect. This recipe was a good foundation, but I had to change it to make it better. After frying the Tilapia, there is not enough residual flour left in the pan to make a proper sauce. I added a little more butter, a couple teaspoons of flour and cooked it for a minute before adding the liquid. Then it came out great. The fish was light and flaky, and the sauce was lemony and fresh. I didn't bother with the peppercorns. I served it with brown rice and vegetables. Will make it again.

This is my favorite tilapia recipe ever! I don't use the green peppercorns and instead substitute capers. I find this cheaper and easier and it tastes just as good. I usually serve this with a noodle or rice dish.

Delicious - Served it over grits made with Brie...Found green peppercorns in brine at my local Fresh Market..Will definitely make again - simple but yummy!

This is fantastic both for its flavor and the ease of preparation. This is such a fabulous weeknight meal and easy to accompany with a variety of side dishes.

We really enjoyed this - I am not a fish person and I really liked it. It was almost like comfort food type meal - so we didn't rate it a 4/5 because it was just a good solid meal for us- not a fancy/shamnsy meal...but very enjoyable!

Very, very good. I messed up a bit because I needed to increase the recipe for 6 tilapia fillets and it still cam out very good. I used capers instead of peppercorns. Will definitely make again soon!

This was actually the first time I'd ever prepared fresh fish on my own--usually my husband takes the lead with meat. It was so easy and quick and it definitely inspired me to cook more fish! My sauce wasn't as thick as it looked in the photo but I used homemade vegetable stock to cut out a lot of sodium, which probably had some effect on that. It probably would have been even richer and better had I used chicken broth. I also didn't use peppercorns because I don't like them and didn't have them; the fish was not lacking any flavor to me whatsoever. I would possibly serve this to dinner guests--it's a little more appropriate for that than some fish because it doesn't stink to high heaven. I served this fish with Roasted Potatoes and Carrots with Thyme, also on this website.

I used cod instead and cooked it till done, but it was wonderful. Any white fish would be great. Be careful with the 1/4 cup lemon, it's a bit tart. I made green beans with this instead of rice and this dish is a favorite!!!

This is one of my weeknight standbys...I have made this recipe a million times. The only things I do differently is I omit the caper/peppercorns all together, just b/c I don't like them. Also, I don't dredge the fish in flour 1st, mainly to save time and extra steps, and it is still fabulous!

Wonderfully light dish. Perfect on a summer evening. I used capers because I absolutely love capers. I get requests for this dish all the time from family and friends!

This might be the best, simple recipe I have ever made. Truly fabulous.

This was delicious and comes together rather quickly. Followed the directions with one exception, I substituted Basa for the Tilapia because it looked fresher. I served it with roasted asparagus and orzo. I thought the sauce was excellent and the orzo soaked up the extra. My husband who is not a fish lover, totally enjoyed this recipe. This will become a staple in our household.

We loved this simple fish recipe. It's very easy to prepare in short amount of time, and is great for an everyday meal as well as a special occasion. I just served it with basamati rice. I substituted capers for peppercorns, like other reviewers, and vegetable stock for chicken broth since I had no chicken broth. I also ran out of lemons for the fresh lemon juice, but 1/3 cup was plenty when doubling the recipe. I also added a splash of white wine to the sauce while it was simmering down. I suspect that there would be plenty of sauce for four fillets using the recipe as is, since we had a ton left over due to doubling it. We just used the excess sauce with the left-over rice, which was quite tasty.

Delicious recipe! I couldn't stop eating it once I started. I used capers as others suggested (and used a few more than called for). Very very tasty - and I used light smart balance instead of real butter and it didn't matter at all. I served it with creamy orzo and roasted broccoli/cauliflower with lemon slices and garlic

This was very tasty and pretty easy too! It's a great inexpensive weeknight meal. I used Samrt Balance instead of real butter and whole wheat flour instead of white. See my results here: http://dishin.wordpress.com/2009/07/01/my-pantry-meal-sauteed-tilapia-with-lemon-peppercorn-pan-sauce/

Easy and delicious. We'll be having this often since my husband liked it and ate every bite. Substituted capers because I didn't have the peppercorns. Served with sauteed chard and polenta.

I have made this recipe for years, since it first came out, and it is one of our very favorites. I use the peppercorns, but remove them just before serving. Since the peppercorns get lightly crushed, you get the great flavor, but not overpowering, as some reviewer mentioned. I have served this for company and midweek meals and always get rave reviews.

This is one of the best recipes I have ever made from Cooking Light. I would serve this to the Queen of England

I have never used the green peppercorn, I always have capers on hand. My family loves this dish, it is quick and easy. I use a paper plate for the flour, salt, pepper. And serve with rice and a veggie. This is in my regular rotation.

We liked this tilapia dish, but didn't love it. My husband thought the sauce was a little overpowering, but I liked it. I used capers instead of the peppercorns like other reviewers mentioned. Very easy to make!

I am just not a seafood person but this was really easy and GOOD! Didn't have to even buy special ingredients. Nothing fancy but I inhaled it. Used capers instead of the peppercorns and also substituted coconut oil for vegetable oil.

Quick and simple. I used capers instead of the green peppercorns and served it with roasted potatoes. This is definitely a keeper!

Okay I was very optimistic about this recipe. I love to try new things. For me this would have been the peppercorns. But this recipe was just terrible. The peppercorns were SO overpowering...bitter and funky tasting. The whole sauce was consumed by the flavor. So if you are opposed to such flavors, don't try this. I think if I were to try this recipe over, I would use capers instead. I know and love the flavor of capers. Just a warning to those of you out there who may be fooled by the 5 star rating of the original recipe.

This is delicious! Our family, from 4 years old to 55 years old, love this. I triple the sauce for 9 fillets and serve over roasted garlic couscous.

fantastic! I made it with capers, husband loved it. It was easy, definitely a keeper.

We thought this was great, except it needed about twice the sauce and it took longer than expected. Will make again.

I loved this dish!!! I had to make some adjustments for what I had available. I used vegetable stock, black peppercorns, and the lemon juice was not freshly squeezed. Even with my substitutions this was very tasty served with white rice and brocolli.