Sesame Tilapia

This was a desperation recipe for me and it turned out great. I put six frozen tilapia filets into a ziploc bag, added about a half cup of sesame oil, a packet and a half of Italian seasoning, a sprinkling of salt and pepper and 3 cloves of minced garlic, then shook the bag up and let the filets marinate and defrost at the same time inside the bag in a sinkful of cold water for an hour. Baked them for 22 minutes and they were perfectly done. My family LOVED them and they had plenty of flavor.

Very, very nice recipe. We love the subtle flavor that sesame oil gives. A couple of things: I used that lemon pepper shake that you can buy for seafood rather than the Italian seasoning which I thought would clash with the sesame. Worked wonderfully. Also, I sprinkled toasted sesame seeds on the top. Be careful not to overcook and you've got a 5 star recipe!

THIS RECIPE WAS A HUGE HIT - and my family is extremely finicky. But, I did do a few things differently than the recipe called for. I used fresh herbs (oregano, basil, and parsley) and dried rosemary (but not much). I put everything in a dish when I was making the marinade, then transferred it all to a ziplock bag and put in the refrigerator. I made sure all pieces of fish were coated with the marinade and turned it (the bag) and massaged the fish every 30 minutes for an hour and a half - this was to make sure every peice was good and coated with all of the herbs and spices. Then I took the fish out of the refrigerator, brushed all of the excess marinade (from inside the bag) onto the fish with a basting brush and enclosed all of the fish in an aluminum foil "tent" and put it in a glass baking dish. The fish fell apart when it was done (about 40 minutes at 345- 350) and the juices were inside the foil bag with the fish. I WILL DEFINATELY MAKE THIS AGAIN! BRAVO to the creator of this recipe!

This was very tasty. I didn't use the exact amount of seasonings or oil ( just sort of sprinkled on what looked right). The only addition I made was to sprinkle the fish with sesame seeds before baking. Next time I think I am going to try marinating this overnite. The sesame taste was nice and mild and seemed to pair with the fish well.

Instead of baking this, I put it on my Foreman grill for 4 minutes, and it came out just right. Surprisingly delicious!

This is a winner! I added twice as much garlic and a little more Italian Seasoning. I baked at 400 for about 12 minutes and it turned out just great!

I loved this recipe. I did make one change when I made it. I also added some ginger to it. I love the flavor of garlic and ginger together.

If you are in a hurry...this one is a good choice. I didn't marinade in advance, and I did decrease the sesame oil by about half. I couldn't believe how simple and delicious this was.

A simple, tasty easy to make dish...what more could you want. I've tried it twice; once without the sesame oil and once without the Italian seasoning. Both worked very nicely, although using both tends to confuse the flavors.

Flavorful and light. I added sliced green onions to the oil mixture and marinated only an hour. The fish was flaking nicely after only about 16 minutes. Looked great with fresh minced basil and and parsley. Excellent recipe and quick!

This was an excellent, easy recipe! I was looking for something different and flavorful to do with tilapia and this was it. I used homemade Italian seasoning (recipe from this site) and added ground ginger too. I will save this and use it again and again!

This was tasty and easy to prepare, and my husband and I enjoyed it, so I'll definitely be making it again. I was a little wary of using Italian seasoning after reading some of the reviews, but we thought it was a nice blend of flavors. I do have a few suggestions, though: (1) 1/4 cup of oil for 2 4-oz fillets of tilapia is MUCH TOO MUCH oil! Using half that amount still provides you with enough flavor and gives you enough liquid to drizzle over the top after it's done cooking. (2) Just marinade the fish in the same (non-metal) dish you're going to cook it in - one less dish to clean and easier than pouring oil from one dish to another. (3) Definitely sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on top of the fish - adds good texture and additional flavor. You can buy pre-roasted seeds in well-stocked grocery stores in the asian food aisle (look for it with the sushi making ingredients). (4) Try to use actual sesame oil and not just vegetable oil infused with sesame flavor - it's a much richer taste. Thanks for the recipe!

Pretty tasty for a quick and easy weeknight meal. All enjoyed, will make this again. I jazzed it up a bit with little ginger and a dash of Chinese Five Spice instead of the italian seasoning . Topped with green onions.

I've made this a few times. Sesame oil is amazing with tilapia. This recipe is a great start, but be prepared to add more seasoning, especially salt. I also took the tip from other reviewers to sprinkle with sesame seeds before baking. I serve it over seasoned white rice.

I too was not sure how the Tilapia would taste after marinating in sesame oil, but it was a pleasant surprise. This recipe will be used again. It is best after marinating at least 6 hours in the fridge.

we are afraid of fish at my house, but try to eat it nonetheless. This was really good. I didn't use the oil marinade, instead I rolled tilapia strips in flour seasoned with Italian herbs blend, salt & pepper and sesame seeds. Baked in butter. Served with a lemon wedge over risotto. Got scarfed down!

I made this recipe exactly as stated quite a while ago but just stumbled across it while looking for something new. My 2 young daughters gobbled this up! It was a sure hit with everyone.

This is a great recipe. I didn't have the seasonings listed so I just added Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning and it was wonderful. We have this dish every couple of weeks. The sesame oil really makes a difference. Thanks for a great way to prepare Tilapia.

Was really good. I marinated it overnight and used fresh Italian herbs: oregano, parsley, basil. I also used just a little less than the 1/4 C sesame oil since it's a very strong flavored oil. Thank you for such an awesome recipe that I will use very often.

I've been using this recipe for years! I first tried it when I was trying to increase eating fish. Neither my fiance and I were big fish eaters so I wanted to find something that we'd find yummy. This definitely did the trick. It's easy to make and the fish tasted wonderful. Since then, this dish has stayed in my main rotation of recipes.

I tried this dish tonight after marinating in the fridge since early this morning. The fish had a very nice flavor, which is good, since tilapia is a very bland fish. I would recommend overnight marinating, and I would also highly recommend BAKING FOR ONLY 15 MINUTES. I checked the fish at 20 minutes and it was edible but dry and somewhat overdone. I used about 3 tbsps olive oil, since I had no sesame oil, and tons of garlic. I don't have 'Italian seasoning' but I do have oregano and basil, so I used those, and put in about a tsp of lime juice. I beat all the seasonings into the oil first, then poured over the fish in a zip loc bag, then refrigerated.

Love the way the sesame oil tastes and the way its scent lingers in the air when I'm done cooking. Didn't have sesame seeds to add, but would like to try that. I used someone else's advice to try lemon pepper seasoning, but I also sprinkled a tad of the Italian seasoning. I'd also like to try this with ginger next time for a Hawaiian flair.

I loved the seasoning mixture this recipe calls for. Really great - will definitely make again.

Just made it, and enjoyed the sesame flavor blend. As suggested by another reviewer, I subbed lemon pepper blend for the Italian spices, and I think this worked well with this dish. Might add a bit more lemon juice next time, or try the recipe as written. A good, lighter dish!

this was my first time making tilapia, and it was excellent! i omitted the italian seasoning and used some fresh ginger instead. easy and delicious.

My husband isn't fond of fish. We eat it as a healthy choice. He liked this recipe so much he went for a second helping! Thanks so much.

I prepared this for my friend who said that he did not like tilapia! He loved it. I did a little extra twist before baking. A plain egg wash and then dipped in Panko Asian Sesame crumbs. Baked as recommended. Squzzed 1/2 lemon and about a table spoon of butter for a last minute sauce. LOVED at all!

this was great. I probably used a little more sesame oil. added sesame seeds. didn't measure the seasonings- just sprinkled both sides w/ oregano, basil, garlic, salt/pepper. didn't marinate. served over wilted spinache. My husband loved it. We will definately make this again.

I like the sesame flavor. I also added ginger and lots of garlic.

This was very bland and no one in my family enjoyed this although we ate it since it was "okay enough." I prepared this identical to the recipe.

I thought this was very good. I was shocked at how insanely expensive sesame oil is though. Due to this one thing, I probably won't make it again, but it really tasted great!

It's not that great

I made this exactly according to the recipe. I liked the texture of the fish a lot, but thought it was very bland. I will try using Italian salad dressing, as others suggested, or something else to give this some flavor.

Only ok. Doesn't really do a whole lot to the fish, and the texture leaves something to be desired. If I try this again I might pan fry the fish to get a little texture to the surface to contrast. Also the cooking time needs to be shortened to no more than 25min unless you want overdone fish. I found 23 was perfect.

The sesame flavor is awesome.

Awesome!!!!!

I marinated overnight. Baked at 350 for 20 minutes, otherwise followed to the letter. It was okay. I was expected more flavor, but it was my first time cooking with sesame oil, so maybe I was not expecting accurately. Husband liked the nutty flavor. not a repeat in our home.

As written I did not care for this recipe at all. Fish was overpowered by the competing strong flavors of sesame oil and the italian seasoning, plus it was extremely oily. I would not even both trying to fix this one.

really needs to be marinaded. Baked quickly (20 min). Watch amounts if use parsley, basil fresh, and oregano.

A very very good recipe, had it on Sunday and I am making it again on Tuesday.

My husband and I didn't care for this.

I used six frozen filets and added extra garlic and 1/4 cup of teriyaki sauce. The teriyaki cut down the "nutty" flavor.

My kids loved this, as did my husband and I. It was incredibly easy and these are ingredients commonly found in my house. I made it with the sesame broccoli recipe I found here and some quinoa.

Very tasty! The mild sesame paired very well with the mild Tilapia. To spice things up a bit I topped the fish with small yellow onion sautéed with about 1 tbs. of hoisin sauce. I served the fish with edamame and saffron, clove, corriander spiced rice to complete the meal.

My family didn't care for this at all. It was very fishy and the sesame oil was just too much. Made exactly according to recipe.

Can also sub italian seasoning for lemon-pepper or garlic-herb

This was very good, but make sure you are careful with the Sesame oil. My husband loved it. A different flavor for fish.

This was amazing! I admit I was very worried about the amount of peanut oil, but it was perfect. I followed another recommendation and enclosed the fish in a foil tent, I highly recommend that so the fish doesn't dry out. I also marinated the fish (while frozen) in the fridge in a zip lock bag for about 4 hours. This is a must try, fantastic fish recipe!

As per some suggestions, I marinated the fillets with the sesame oil mix for over an hour...warning, DONT! It gave the fish a weird, almost gummy texture. The oil mixture definitely didnt take away the fishy taste. It could have used some lemon or any kind of acid in my opinion. I didnt like this recipe at all.

I love sesame oil but I was a bit skeptical because I wasn't sure how well it would blend with the italian seasoning, but the oil that I used was not too heavy and the recipe was very good. I almost followed it to a tee with two small changes: I marinated over 2 nights and I only cooked the fish for about 15 minutes. It tasted great.

so easy and fast to make. my 2 year old even loves this.

I found this recipe at the last minute and had to make a couple of modifications. I didn't have itailian seasoning so I used low sodium seasonal. I presoaked the fish in milk, then rinsed, while I mixed the marinade. Same marinate and cooking time/temp, but I covered with foil. When it was finished I sprinkled black sesame seeds for look and let sit for about 10 minutes (mainly cuz hubby wasn't ready yet). Oh, and I had 4 fillets so I doubled the recipe, maybe could have used just a little less oil, but it was really yummy!!

Family loved it! I should have made double the recipe, but who knew with fish!!

This was delicious! I only marinated it an hour, and overnight would have probably been better. Next time I will use that. I was looking for an easy, healthy recipe to use with tilapia and this was amazing! So delicious and easy to make. I added an extra clove of garlic as I'm a garlic fan. I'll definitely be using this again and again! ^^

Great simple recipe. Tasty and healthy. I didn't add the Italian seasoning. The garlic and sesame oil are great flavors on their own in my opinion! I will make this again!

Very subtle flavor. 4 minutes on George Foreman grill works great! Definitely needs more Italian seasoning, garlic and some ginger. My kids all asked for seconds!

Delicious, quick and easy. I made it exactly as the recipe states except for one thing - I marinated the tilapia overnight with (liquid) marinade, then I used the marinade listed in the recipe and put it in the fridge for 1/2 hour as stated. Made some couscous as a side dish. I'd definitely make this again.

I love this recipe! Its one of my favorite for tilapia!!! So simple and quick but SO good. The only changes I make is using a goumet citrus sea salt and sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds. Thanks for sharing this!

I liked this and so did my husband....so will use the same seasonings again another time. I pan-fried the fish this time due to time constraints, but will bake it as per the recipe the next time. Thanks for posting this recipe, Demi3rd!

This is a very simple recipe to make but I thought the taste was just ok. I let it marinate for almost an hour and although you could taste the sesame oil, it just didn't have a lot of other flavors. I would try again as it was easy and I have the ingredients on hand.

I was looking for a simple, tasty recipe that didn't require breading or a trip to the store for ingredients. This was fast, easy and delicious!

Didn't completely follow the recipe but it was really good. I used the sesame oil but instead of the Italian seasoning I used Emeril's Oriental Seasoning which made the dish a little spicy but very good.

The whole family really enjoyed this recipe. The sesame oil gives this a great flavor. Served it with the lemon thyme rice recipe also found on this website, and this combo is now a family favorite!

This was soooo good. Quick, easy, healthy. I would add less sesame oil next time - take it down by 1/3.

I cooked 2 different kinds of tilapia and this one got the better review of the 2 from everyone. It had a good flavor, although I did use Zesty Italian salad dressing instead of the italian seasoning. I took out some of the sesame oil as well since there was alot of oil in the dressing.

Honestly, this elicited a meh from me. It's sufficient for a quick on the go dinner, but the array of flavors really didn't appeal to my palate as much. Maybe it was due to the excessive sesame oil? Either way, I would probably take it easy on the sesame oil next time and incorporate just a touch of lemon to balance the flavors out a bit.

This was really good. I followed the recipe precisely. A word of caution, I didn't have enough tilapia, so I decided to use some salmon as well. But the salmon didn't go well with this recipe. Stick with Tilapia. You won't regret it!

Simple. Quick. Delicious. What more could you possibly want?

This fish was excellent! I would have never thought the sesame oil would add so much flavor. I like a little spice, so I added some spicy asian sesame seasoning as well and served the fillets with white rice. It was great! Thanks! I will use this more often and get my family to eat more fish! *mine were done perfectly after only 20 minutes, 30 & I think they would have dried out*

This was ok but even after cutting sesame oil in half it was still very strong. I don't think I would make this again.

my husband said this was an A+, which is a rarity. i personally thought it was a little bland. might go heavier on the salt than i did, and that would help.

I added finely sliced mushrooms and sprinkled sesame seeds over the top. It was delicious.

This was excellent on a bed of steamed white (short grain) rice. It smelled very strongly of sesame at first, but every fillet soaked it up nicely and gave them wonderful flavor. This will be made often and recommended to friends and family!

These were great. I didn't even have time to do the full marinade time & it was still delicious.

Very, very easy. I think next time I will use less oil, but over all it was good. My husband likes it a lot. It does mask the taste of the fish, but that is a benefit to me.

I thought it had too much sesame oil flavor-my husband suggested olive oil instead--will try that next time.

The sesame oil comes off a bit heavy, even after using less than called for.

I was a bit disapointed when I went to the grocery store & they were all out of tilapia. I had to buy salmon instead. But I have to say, this was the best salmon I've ever had. I didn't change anything else in the recipe. The salmon turned out tender & flakey. Very moist. The sesame oil is the key ingredient here. I served it with brown rice & stemed broccoli. It was so good that even my 2 year old cleared his plate! Yummy!

This was a good recipe, not great, but I will probably make it again. Hint: if you're going to add sesame seeds to the dish, try toasting them on the stove first before adding them. They'll have a better flavor.

This is excellent! No fishy taste at all.

This was a very simple, yet nice! I grilled it on the grill for 3 minutes on each side. Not a lot of flavor, but good.

This dish is perfect as-is, & fortunately I was able to marinate the tilapia for several hours. Served with a side of steamed asparagus and, as a bed, a slightly simplified version of Red Chard and Caramelized Onions [from this site], the plates looked gorgeous & my family raved about the combination. Thanks so very much, Demi.

i have never used sesame oil before, and was not fond of the scent. the final dish actually had minimal flavor.

This was good; I liked it more than my husband did. I marinated the fish overnight and used fresh oregano, chives, rosemary, and parsley from my herb garden. You could really taste the freshness of the herbs. Served it with creamed spinach for a healthy meal.

My hubby made this with the red potatoes and greenbeans as a side to it. The whole meal was awesome. Loved the flavor of the fish.

This was pretty good. Very easy to make, but a little on the bland side.

So easy and delicious. I am now using sesame oil more often

I loved this recipe. I used some italian dressing instead of "seasoning" and it came out really good. I served this with watercress and bean sprouts for a light dinner! It was a hit.

This was very easy and quick to put together. I didn't have time, so I marinated this only a half hour at room temperature, but it was still delicious. I just drizzled the fish with sesame oil, but did not use the 1/4 cup called for. I also added toasted sesame seeds at the end. We all enjoyed this dish. Thanks so much!

nice light recipe, may add a little more seasoning next time

Marinated the fish for several hours, cooked exactly as directed. Very easy recipe, but in the end it needed a little something extra, I drizzled some lemon juice on top and it was wonderful.

this is SO bad. the combination of flavors was kind of intriguing to me, and curiosity killed the cat. the sesame and the italian seasonings do not blend well at all, and the extra time marinating really just left the fish soggy. this recipe was a waste of time and tilapia.

I made this for four following the instructions in one of the reviews. I put the tilapia in a bag with the oil, but substituted fresh oregano, basil and parsley for the 'italian seasoning'. Marinated for 30 minutes, baked at 350 for 30 minutes, and served over a bed of rice. Everyone (even the 4 year old) loved it. Husband said it could use some lemon.

This is super easy and very tasty!!! We make it often. Def a keeper!

This was great i was a little nervous about it and i followed the recipe except for adding a little green onion and i marinated it for about 6 hours. When it was cooking my boyfriend said he didn't think it would be good but he went back for seconds and that is what makes this a keeper as well as a 5 star review.

This receipe was very good. I made this dish for a luncheon at work. I marinaded the fish overnight. The tilapia fillets along with marinade were wrapped up individually in aluminum foil and grilled. Everyone loved this dish. I will definately make again.

How simple, and absolutely yummy! I would never have thought of the sesame oil with the Italian spices - but it so works. My kids cleaned their plates, and even husband was vocally complimentary! Thanks for a great recipe!

Nobody liked this, very blah! Won't waste the fish on this again!

It was just ok. Kids said it was too greasy. I didn't mind the seasame oil with the Italian, although it sounded like a strange combination.