Crispy Baked Tilapia

Ingredients:

  • Cooking-oil spray 

  • 4 tilapia fillet (about 4 to 6 ounces each) 

  • ½ cup ranch dressing 

  • 1 cup Italian-style panko crumbs (see Note) 

  • Lemon and lime wedges, to garnish 

Preparation:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a large baking pan (9x13-inch or larger) with foil. Place a wire rack over the pan and spray the rack with cooking-oil spray. Set aside.

  2. Place the tilapia fillet on a plate and rub the front and back of the fish with the dressing, covering well. Place the crumbs on a second plate and shake to distribute evenly on the plate. Place the fillet on the crumbs, pressing so the crumbs adhere. Lift the fillet, shake the plate again to redistribute the crumbs, and turn to place second side of the fillet in the crumbs, again pressing so the crumbs adhere.

  3. Place the fillet on the baking rack. (Repeat this process with as many fillets as desired.) Bake, uncovered, until the crumbs are just beginning to brown and the fish is opaque in the center, about 20 to 25 minutes, depending on size of the fillet. Remove from the oven and place the fillet on a plate with the lemon and lime wedges. Serve at once, squirting the fish with citrus juices to taste. Serves 4 (see Note).

Note: For testing, I used Progresso Italian-style Panko Crispy Bread Crumbs. If you can't find these, use plain panko crumbs and add 1 teaspoon dried Italian-seasoning blend per cup of crumbs.