Want to eat more fish for the health benefits but unsure of your culinary skills? Try this! This simple and easy baked fish recipe is fast and healthy, and a great way to include more seafood in your diet.

(Any information in the post is for general information purposes only and is NOT medical advice. Please consult a healthcare professional for individual medical and nutrition advice.)

Although I love to order seafood when eating out, I’m hesitant to cook fish at home. I fear it will turn out overdone and tough, or taste too fishy and the rest of the family will refuse to eat it. Admittedly, I have very few fish recipes that don’t fit into one (or both) of those categories. But, this one is actually requested by my husband and is incredibly easy to make.

Although I have made this while the fish is still somewhat frozen, making sure the fillets are completely thawed (and preferably patted dry) before placing on your baking dish keeps excess water from accumulating in the pan. Draining the juice from the tomatoes helps, as well. While this can be made with fresh tomatoes, it does take longer to prepare, and so I usually use canned tomatoes to save myself about 10 minutes or so of time.

Although the recipe calls for tilapia fillets, this would work with most mild fish fillets like cod or pollock. Tilapia fillets just happen to be easily accessible in the grocery stores where I do my shopping. I would not recommend using a stronger-tasting fish, however, as the combination of a very fishy flavor with the strong tastes of the salsa would be overwhelming.

This is one of those recipes that I love to make ahead of time, then just pop in the oven once I get home from work. I simply cover the pan with plastic wrap (or an air-tight lid) and store in the refrigerator until I’m ready to bake. While this works great while I’m at work, I’ve found that the fillets won’t have a nice firm texture if I prepare them the night before, so I recommend storing these for no longer than 12 hours prior to baking.

The salsa has such a strong flavor that I like to serve this with milder tasting side dishes like rice pilaf and green beans. However, it also goes well with rotini pasta with Alfredo sauce, and roasted asparagus or Brussels sprouts.

Baked Tilapia with Tomato Salsa Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless Tilapia fillets
• 1 can (14.5 oz) no salt added petite diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Place the tilapia fillets in a medium-size baking pan, spaced out so that they do not touch
2. In a medium size bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients (tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, oregano and pepper) and mix well.
3. Spoon the mixture over the fish fillets, covering the top of each fillet evenly
4. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 425 F degrees for 20-25 minutes

Time Saving Tip: Perform steps 1-3 in the morning, then cover with plastic wrap or an air-tight lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours prior to baking.

*Nutrition Information

4 Servings per recipe (about 1 fillet with 1/2 cup salsa per serving)

Per serving:

• 210 calories
• 9 g Total fat
• 2 g Saturated fat
• 24 g Protein
• 73 mg Sodium
• 8 g Total Carbohydrate
• 1 g Fiber

*Nutrition information is approximate and based on the products that I buy in my home. Information will vary based on the products purchased in your home.