Oven-Fried Tilapia (Low-Carb)

Oven-fried Tilapia fillets using pork rind flour
and unsweetened coconut

Experimenting with new cooking ideas is what keeps your low-carb diet fresh and exciting!

After testing pork rind crumbs on chicken nuggets, the idea really caught fire in my mind. These fish fillets are quick and easy to make. You just combine some unsweetened coconut with the pork rind flour and spike it with a little sweet basil and lemon pepper.

I was so happy with the way the chicken-nugget coating turned out the other day that I wanted to use it for a wider variety of fried foods. It works beautifully for oven-fried chicken legs and thighs.

That success gave me even more encouragement, so the other night, I decided to try it with some Tilapia fillets.

Tilapia is an economical, very mild, fresh-water fish that is gaining in popularity. A native to the Middle East and Africa, today, it's farmed in 80 countries world-wide, including here in the U.S. However, most frozen brands of Tilapia are actually imported from Asia.

These fish don't eat other fish, so the risk for mercury exposure is smaller, making it an ideal choice for expectant mothers.

Of interest to low carbers is its high Vitamin B content. Since we don't eat bread or wheat flour, getting enough of those B's requires you to eat plenty of protein foods, and Tilapia is a great way to do that.

Unlike other seafood, Tilapia are vegetarians,
so there is little risk of them having high mercury levels. 

The downside to using Tilapia over other varieties of fish is that they tend to be low in essential fatty acids.

This is due to the fact that they are fed corn and soy during the raising process. So if you're using fish in your diet to boost those omega-3s and get a better HDL score, you can certainly substitute the Tilapia in the recipe below with cod or another fattier fish.

Unsweetened Coconut

I wanted a bread-crumb mixture that was somewhat sweeter than I've been using on chicken. To achieve that added sweetness, I used a little bit of unsweetened coconut shreds that I purchased a while ago from Amazon.

Unsweetened coconut is different from the coconut that's available at your local grocery store. The coconut in the baking section is fluffy, moist, and sweetened with sugar, so you want to avoid that type.

The unsweetened variety is sold at health food stores. Some grocery stores do carry it in their health food section, so you might want to check there first. You can also purchase unsweetened coconut online at Amazon, Vitacost, or Netrition.

How to Make Pork Rind Crumbs 

Pork Rinds

(Available at Amazon)

Making the pork rind crumbs that you need for this recipe is super easy. You just toss a handful of pork rinds into the blender. Cover and whirl on high speed until they are reduced to fine crumbs.

Dump the crumbs into a storage container, with a tight-fitting lid, and repeat with another handful of pork rinds. I usually do one full 6-ounce bag at a time.

Oven-Fried Tilapia Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 Tilapia fillets
• 1/2 cup crushed pork rinds
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 tsp sweet basil
• 1/2 tsp lemon pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp heavy cream

Thaw fish fillets if frozen, and place between layers of paper towels to dry thoroughly. You want the fish to be very dry so the coating will stick.

In a pie plate, whip together the egg and cream. In another pie plate combine the coating ingredients. Dip the fish fillets into the egg mixture, allowing it to drip off for a couple of seconds, then roll the fish fillets carefully into the coating.

Place the fish pieces in a Pam-sprayed bake dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serves 4.

*Any mild fish will work in this recipe. You don't have to limit yourself to just Tilapia. These fish fillets were really good heated up in the toaster oven the next morning for breakfast, so you could easily double the recipe if you like.