300-Calorie Lemon Garlic Tilapia (Print Version)

Tender tilapia fillets baked with lemon, garlic, and green beans in foil packets for a light meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Fish & Vegetables

01 - 4 tilapia fillets, 4 oz each, fresh or thawed
02 - 12 oz fresh green beans, trimmed
03 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
04 - 1 lemon, thinly sliced

→ Marinade & Seasonings

05 - 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
07 - 2 large garlic cloves, minced
08 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
09 - ½ teaspoon salt
10 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

→ Garnish

11 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F.
02 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
03 - Lay out 4 large sheets of aluminum foil. Divide green beans evenly among the centers of each sheet. Top green beans with sliced red onion.
04 - Pat tilapia fillets dry with paper towels. Place one fillet on top of each pile of vegetables.
05 - Drizzle each fillet with the prepared lemon-garlic marinade. Top each fillet with 2-3 lemon slices.
06 - Fold the foil over fish and vegetables, sealing tightly to form a packet. Place packets on a baking sheet.
07 - Bake for 18-20 minutes until tilapia is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
08 - Carefully open packets, being mindful of hot steam. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It's genuinely impressive looking when you open that foil packet at the table, but takes barely any skill or attention.
  • Everything steams together so there's essentially one thing to wash instead of a pile of pans.
  • The lemon keeps everything bright and fresh without needing cream or butter to make it satisfying.
02 -
  • Don't skip patting the fish dry before it goes into the packet—any surface moisture turns into watery liquid that dilutes your marinade instead of staying flavorful.
  • The foil needs to be sealed tightly or your steam escapes and you end up with baked fish instead of steamed, which is drier and less forgiving.
03 -
  • Fresh lemon juice makes an enormous difference—bottled juice tastes flat and one-note by comparison, and you're already only using three tablespoons so the real thing is worth it.
  • Let your oven fully preheat before the packets go in; a cold oven means uneven cooking and longer times, which can dry out thin fillets.
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