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Baked Tilapia and Vegetable Casserole

This Baked Tilapia & Veggie Casserole is so Juicy and Flaky. Easy, excellent dish! @natashaskitchen

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You have to try this fish casserole! I knew it was a winner with the first bite. The recipe was given to us by my Mama-in-law and her friend shared it with her. When a recipe gets shared over and over, you know it’s good. Seriously, this is MOUTH-WATERING! It also tastes healthy and light. The tilapia is juicy and flaky without a hint of fishiness.

The sweet veggies complement it beautifully. If you aren’t a fan of tilapia, you can easily substitute your favorite fish and get the same delicious results. I want more! We ate it up real quick! This dish is perfect for company. It is easy to make, smells and tastes delicious and your guests and family will love it.

This Baked Tilapia & Veggie Casserole is so Juicy and Flaky. Easy, excellent dish! @natashaskitchen

Tilapia Ingredients:

2 lbs (about 6-10 count) Tilapia fillets, thawed
Olive Oil to saute
1 Tbsp ketchup (several readers had great results with Sriracha instead of ketchup)
1 Tbsp mayo

Marinade Ingredients:

2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp Salt and 1/8 tsp Pepper

Vegetable Ingredients:

2 medium bell peppers (red, orange, or yellow)
2 medium/large carrots, julienned or grated
1 medium onion

Tilapia and Vegetable Casserole

How to Make Tilapia and Vegetable Casserole:

1. Whisk together marinade ingredients. Combine with tilapia in a large ziploc bag or bowl and marinate in the fridge at least 1 1/2 hours.

Tilapia and Vegetable Casserole-4

2. Slice onions into thin half circles, slice bell pepper into thin strips and julienne or grate carrots. In a large skillet over medium/high, heat 2-3 Tbsp oil and saute onions for 3 minutes or until softened. Add sliced bell peppers and carrots and saute another 4-5 min or until softened. Remove from pan and set veggies aside.

Tilapia and Vegetable Casserole-5

3. Once fish is done marinating, drain and discard marinade. In the same empty skillet over medium/high, add 2-3 Tbsp oil and saute fish lightly on the skillet just until golden on the outside (about 2 min per side) – it’s ok if it’s not cooked through completely at this point. Also, it probably would have been easier to turn the fish on a non-stick skillet :-O.

Tilapia and Vegetable Casserole-6

4. Layer the casserole dish with 1/2 of the vegetables on the bottom. Place fish over the vegetables. Stir together 1 Tbsp ketchup and 1 Tbsp mayo and brush this mixture evenly over the top of the fish. Cover fish with remaining veggies. Sprinkle the top with salt and pepper to taste then cover tightly with foil or lid and bake at 375˚F for 15 min.

Tilapia and Vegetable Casserole-7

This Baked Tilapia & Veggie Casserole is so Juicy and Flaky. Easy, excellent dish! @natashaskitchen

This Baked Tilapia & Veggie Casserole is so Juicy and Flaky. Easy, excellent dish! @natashaskitchen

Tilapia and Vegetable Casserole Recipe

4.94 from 63 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
You have to try this fish casserole! It tastes healthy and light. The fish is juicy and flaky without a hint of fishiness and the sweet veggies complement the savory fish beautifully.
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients 

Servings: 6 Servings

Tilapia Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs about 6-10 count Tilapia fillets, thawed
  • Olive Oil to saute
  • 1 Tbsp ketchup, several readers had great results with sriracha instead of ketchup
  • 1 Tbsp mayo

Marinade Ingredients:

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp Salt and 1/8 tsp Pepper

Vegetable Ingredients:

  • 2 medium bell peppers, (red, orange or yellow)
  • 2 medium/large carrots, julienned or grated
  • 1 medium onion

Instructions

  • Whisk together marinade ingredients. Combine with tilapia in a large ziploc bag or bowl and marinate in the fridge 1 1/2 hours.
  • Slice onions into thin half circles, slice bell pepper into thin strips and julienne or grate carrots. In a large skillet over medium/high, heat 2-3 Tbsp oil and saute onions for 3 min or until softened. Add sliced bell peppers and carrots and saute another 4-5 min or until softened. Remove from pan and set aside.
  • Once fish is done marinating, drain and discard marinade. In the same empty skillet over medium/high, add 2-3 Tbsp oil and saute fish lightly on the skillet just until golden on the outside (about 2 min per side) - it's ok if it's not fully cooked through at this point.
  • Layer the casserole dish with 1/2 of the vegetables on the bottom, then Place fish over the vegetables. Stir together 1 Tbsp ketchup and 1 Tbsp mayo and brush this mixture evenly over the top of the fish. Cover fish with remaining veggies. Sprinkle the top with salt and pepper to taste then cover tightly with foil or lid and bake at 375˚F for 15 min.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Tilapia and Vegetable Casserole
Skill Level: Easy/Medium
Cost to Make: $$
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This Baked Tilapia & Veggie Casserole is so Juicy and Flaky. Easy, excellent dish! @natashaskitchen

♥ FAVORITE THINGS ♥
Shown in this post: (nope, no one paid us to write this; just stuff we love):
* It’s so handy to have multiple sizes of liquid measuring cups.
* This is my favorite baking casserole dish. I love that it has a lid!
* We search high & low for a perfect julienne slicer. This Swissmar is it!
* If using a slicer or mandolin, you have to try these safety gloves!

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the creator behind Natasha's Kitchen (established in 2009), and I share family-friendly, authentic recipes. I am a New York Times Best-Selling cookbook author and a trusted video personality in the culinary world. My husband, Vadim, and I run this blog together, ensuring every recipe we share is thoroughly tested and approved. Our mission is to provide you with delicious, reliable recipes you can count on. Thanks for stopping by! I am so happy you are here.

Read more posts by Natasha

4.94 from 63 votes (22 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Cristina Sanchez
    February 18, 2018

    Hi Natasha, last night I made this Tilapia casserole, it was delicious!!!!!, I can’t find the right word to explain how good it was!! I will be making this dish all the time! And I wanted to share with you this, my family knows you, and when I make a new recipe they ask me “is that from Natasha?” Thank you sooo much for all those wonderful recipes, if I have you close I will give you a HUG!! Blessings for you and your beautiful family!!!!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      February 19, 2018

      You’re welcome Cristina! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe so much! Thanks for following and sharing your excellent review! God Bless 🙂

      Reply

  • Olga
    January 26, 2018

    Just made this again for the 66543246th time 😆😆😆 so good! I put a little more veggies in then the recipie calls for… with mashed potatoes its heavenly 😀😀😀 thanks again for recipie!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      January 27, 2018

      You’re welcome Olga! I’m glad to hear how much you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!

      Reply

  • Margaret
    December 6, 2017

    Could I substitute turnips for the carrots in this recipe?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 6, 2017

      Hi Margaret, I haven’t tried that substitution (I actually have very little experience with turnips since we didn’t grow up eating them), but it sounds like it’s worth an experiment! 🙂

      Reply

  • K
    October 16, 2017

    I don’t marinade fish at all with this recipe anymore. I just noticed it was a waste of engredients and did not make a big difference. I fry my veggies, fish, put it together with double the ketchup/mayo sauce and bake 🙂
    Amazing

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      October 16, 2017

      Thank you for sharing!! 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe 🙂

      Reply

  • Bonni
    August 31, 2017

    To make it dairy-free, what do you think of substituting coconut milk for the buttermilk? Think it’ll work?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 31, 2017

      Hi Bonnie, I really haven’t tried that so I can’t say for sure. My mother-in-law has also marinated in a little soy sauce instead of the buttermilk. The buttermilk serves to remove any fishiness from the fish and soy sauce works for that as well.

      Reply

      • Bonni
        September 15, 2017

        I tried it with coconut milk and it was delicious. It’s a great dairy-free option! I’m making it again, this time with cod. Thanks for the recipe 🙂

        Reply

        • Natasha's Kitchen
          September 15, 2017

          You’re welcome Bonni! I’m glad you enjoy it! Thanks for sharing 🙂

          Reply

  • Inna
    May 19, 2017

    Hi Natasha 😊
    I’ve made this tilapia dish before and my family loved it. Planning on making it today again, but I don’t have buttermilk.. can I use like heavy whipped cream instead? Maybe with some lemon juice??

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 19, 2017

      Hi Inna, I think it would work fine to make your own buttermilk. Here is an easy tutorial. All you need is milk and lemon juice or vinegar 🙂

      Reply

  • Lena
    April 13, 2017

    Could I fry the fish and assemble the casserole and refrigerate overnight and bake the next day? Thinking of adding this to the Easter menu.. 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      April 13, 2017

      Hi Lena I do think that would work as a make-ahead option. I hope you love it!! Oh, you will probably have to bake a few minutes longer if it is going from the refrigerator into the oven.

      Reply

  • Rachel
    March 9, 2017

    I love your blog. I tried quite a few of your recipes, and my family and I liked all of them. No leftovers.

    Your instructions are so clear and easy to follow, and I really appreciate all your hard work.

    This recipe deserved 5 stars as well. In fact, I made this 3 times- once with cod, once with salmon, and today with tilapia. I will make this again for sure.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      March 9, 2017

      Thanks for the many compliments! 🙂 I am happy to hear how much you love the recipe Rachel!!

      Reply

  • Mary theresa
    January 28, 2017

    Natasha

    I tried your recipe dish for Baked Tilapia and Vegetable casserole. OMG, it was soooo delicious! Just had to share that with you. As well, your chicken and mushroom casserole is one of the best I have ever tried. Thankyou so much for continuing to add recipes – I have tried so many on other sites, but they never quite tasted as good as they looked. Yours however, really do taste as good as they look!

    Blessings,
    Mary Theresa

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 30, 2017

      That is seriously the best review ever!! Thank you so much for the amazing compliment! 🙂 Blessings to you as well!

      Reply

  • Yelena
    January 21, 2017

    Quick question, if the meat marinades over night, will it become mushy or too soft? Thanks in advance!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 21, 2017

      Hi Yelena, it will not become too soft. You can assemble the casserole and marinate in the fridge overnight and bake the next day. You might need to add a few minutes to the bake time if you are starting with a cold refrigerated casserole.

      Reply

  • aly
    January 17, 2017

    This dish is so good the flavors are just bursting in your mouth. Love how easy it is to make. Thanks for the recipe

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      January 17, 2017

      So glad to hear you enjoy the recipe, thanks for sharing!

      Reply

  • Tanya
    December 14, 2016

    Made this recipe yesterday, very good 👍, thank you

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 14, 2016

      Glad to hear that Tanya! 🙂

      Reply

  • Tanya
    November 5, 2016

    Made this Recepie dozen times, the taste never disappoints. Easy to make. Thank you!!!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 5, 2016

      Tanya, thank you for such a great review and yo are welcome 😁.

      Reply

  • Yelena
    September 3, 2016

    Hi Natasha! This is such a delisious recipe! Sweetness from the ketchup makes the veggies and the fish so addictive. Seriously I couldn’t stop myself. 😂 One question though, I’m making it again and doubling the portion. Does it need extra baking time? I’ve put in single layer but in two baking dishes. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 3, 2016

      Hi Yelena, I would probably increase to 20 minutes to be safe 🙂 You can test it at 15 minutes but I imagine you will want to bake slightly longer if a double batch is going into the oven.

      Reply

  • Inna
    August 30, 2016

    Natasha you are amazing thanks for this deliciousness!!!! Marinated it yesterday and didn’t have enough time to make it, came home from work to already marinated fish and just grilled up the veggies tossed it in the oven it was ready in 15 minutes !!!!!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 31, 2016

      You are very welcome Inna, thank you for sharing that with us 😀.

      Reply

  • Helen
    August 26, 2016

    Made this recipe last night for dinner, it turned out delicious. I substitute the buttermilk with Heavy whipping cream and it turned out great. Thank You Natasha for making my life easier.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 26, 2016

      Helen, you are very welcome, I’m so glad you liked the recipe 😁.

      Reply

  • Habana
    August 17, 2016

    Any subsitute of buttermilk?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 18, 2016

      Hi Habana, you can either make a homemade buttermilk or one of my readers reported great results with this substitution: “I didn’t have buttermilk on hand as well, so I used 1/2 milk, 1/2 sour cream and a teaspoon of lemon juice instead.”

      Reply

  • Nadea
    August 10, 2016

    Hello,

    Can I marinate the fish over night ?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 10, 2016

      Hi Nadea, it isn’t necessary but you could if you wanted to.

      Reply

  • lena
    May 27, 2016

    Hello Natasha! Thank you sooo much for this recipe. Really yummy. I printed to add it to my recipe binder but i noticed in the directions for the printable version, you are missing the frying the fish part. Just wanted to let you know. Thank you again for all your super yummy recipes. Keep up the good work. May God bless you!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 27, 2016

      HI Lena, thank you for reporting that to me! I do see it in step 3 of the print-friendly but I definitely want to make sure things are working correctly. Is it missing in step 3 of your printed recipe?

      Reply

  • Fil
    May 3, 2016

    Any substitutes for mayo? Would sour cream work?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 3, 2016

      Hi Fil, I haven’t tried with sour cream so I’m not sure how that would work but heavy cream would work well as a substitution.

      Reply

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