Panko-Crusted Tilapia

I bought some frozen tilapia fillets a few weeks ago, and wanted to find a recipe - well, I found it - this is amazing. I've never used Panko breadcrumbs, and was very pleased. The only differences were I doubled the recipe, decreased the butter a bit, and didn't use as much of the red pepper flakes. Everyone loved it - even my daughter who isn't that big on fish. Thanks to Lacey at  asweetpeachef.com for such a great recipe!

1/2 tbsp. olive oil
2 Tilapia fillets, rinsed and patted dry
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup unseasoned Panko breadcrumbs
1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
optional: thinly sliced lemons for garnish

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In a medium-sized shallow dish, combine melted butter, garlic powder and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Set aside.
• In another medium-sized shallow dish, combine Panko breadcrumbs and the rest of the dry seasonings. Mix well.
• Gently coat each filet with the butter mixture and then with the Panko mixture, taking care to coat with as much Panko coating as possible.
• Heat 1/2 tbsp. olive oil over high heat in a non-stick, oven-safe skillet. Once oil and pan are hot, add the Panko-coated fillets. Pour the remaining lemon-butter mixture over and around the fish and carefully pat as much of the remaining Panko coating on the fish as possible. Throw in a few thinly sliced lemons to brown as well (if you wish, for garnish and added lemon flavor). Heat on high until the bottom side turns golden brown and the butter starts to brown, about 2-4 minutes. Careful not to burn the butter or the fish.
• Once the bottom side is golden brown, carefully flip the fillets over and place the skillet into the oven. Bake until the fish breaks apart easily with the twist of a fork, about 10-12 minutes, depending on the size of the fillets. Careful not to overcook at this point.
• Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Garnish with a slice of lemon, if you’d like.

*I served it with steamed spinach, topped with some sweet and sour sauce - that was a good combination.