Lemon oregano tilapia with Greek lemon rice
Tender, lemony fish over fragrant rice cooked with onion, dill and lemon, a bright, easy dinner that tastes like a Greek taverna.
- 45 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $3.35 a serving
- 510 calories
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Most of the time here is hands-off, so you can sit down while it cooks.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- ½ yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
- 1½ cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
- 2¼ cups vegetable broth
- 2 lemons, 1 zested and juiced, 1 cut into wedges
- 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- 4 tilapia fillets, about 6 oz each
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
From your pantry
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1½ tsp salt, divided
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 510 calories, 34 g protein, 63 g carbs and 13 g fat, and costs about $3.35 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No long-grain white rice? Jasmine rice or basmati rice works.
- No vegetable broth? Chicken broth works.
- No lemons? Limes work.
- No tilapia fillets? Cod fillets work.
- No fresh parsley? Cilantro works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 400°F and line a with .
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Sheet pan. A sheet pan is a flat metal baking tray with a low rim all the way around. The rim catches juices, and the wide surface lets food spread out and brown.
How you’ll know: Everything fits in one layer with a little space between the pieces.
Parchment paper. Parchment paper is a nonstick, oven-safe paper for lining pans. Food lifts right off and cleanup is easy, but don’t swap in wax paper or put parchment under the broiler.
How you’ll know: It lies flat in the pan, and the food slides off when you lift it.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, , for 4 minutes until .
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Softened. For vegetables it means cooked until they bend and lose their crunch; for butter, left out until it dents easily. Soft onions taste sweet, and soft butter mixes in smoothly.
How you’ll know: Onions squash easily against the pan with your spoon, and butter dents under a finger without looking greasy.
Medium heatTimer: 4 min
Add 1 clove of garlic and the rice and for 2 minutes, until the rice smells toasty and the edges of the grains look see-through.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Medium heatTimer: 2 min
Dolly’s tip: Toasting the rice in oil first keeps the grains separate and fluffy.Pour in the broth, add 1 teaspoon of salt and .
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
Cover, to low and cook for 18 minutes without lifting the lid, then slide it off the heat and keep it covered.
Reduce the heat. It means turning the burner down, usually to medium-low or low, so food cooks gently instead of hard. Electric burners cool slowly, so lift the pan off for a moment if it’s bubbling hard.
How you’ll know: Within a minute the bubbling calms to a gentle simmer, or the sizzle turns quiet.
Low heatTimer: 18 min
Lay the fish on the while the rice cooks. Brush it with the rest of the oil and garlic and half the lemon juice, then sprinkle with the oregano, pepper and the rest of the salt.
Sheet pan. A sheet pan is a flat metal baking tray with a low rim all the way around. The rim catches juices, and the wide surface lets food spread out and brown.
How you’ll know: Everything fits in one layer with a little space between the pieces.
for 10 to 12 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Timer: 11 min
Dolly’s tip: Tilapia is thin, so start checking at 10 minutes.Food safety: Fish is done at 145°F, when the middle looks opaque and flakes apart easily with a fork.
Fluff the rice with a fork and in the lemon , the rest of the lemon juice and the dill.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Zest. Zest is the thin, colored outer layer of citrus peel, rubbed off on the smallest holes of a grater. It holds the fruit’s fragrant oils, so it adds bright flavor without the sourness of juice.
How you’ll know: You see bright flecks and smell citrus right away; stop when you reach the white layer, which is bitter.
Serve the fish over the rice with lemon wedges and parsley on top.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
