Panko-Gruyere Crusted Tilapia

During the week my dinner of choice is seafood of some type. Seafood, whether it's fish or shellfish is light, flavorful, and can be cooked in a variety of ways.

In Southeastern Ohio variety is limited. Oftentimes, I find myself using tilapia again and again. Typically I'm sauteing tilapia using a variety of seasonings depending on my mood.

Today, I decided to try a technique that I've been real successful with when cooking chicken. The recipe uses one of my favorite ingredients, panko. Panko, the Japanese breadcrumb, is light and crispy. It really enables you to get a nice crunch and can be used in a variety of cooking techniques to add great texture.

Where I live we are fortunate to have an amazing Asian/International market so sourcing panko has never been an issue. When I first started using panko about 10 years ago, I know that friends haven't always been able to find it easily. Now, it is a commonly stocked item in supermarkets making it much more accessible to the home cook.

Panko-Gruyere Crusted Tilapia

4 Tilapia fillets
1 1/2 cups of panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
3/4 c. finely shredded Gruyere
1 tsp dried French Thyme
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp canola oil


Grate cheese with a micro plane to get a fine texture.

Place panko, cheese, thyme, salt and pepper on a plate. Mix well to incorporate all ingredients.

Lightly brush mustard on both sides of each tilapia fillet and press breadcrumb mixture to each side of the fillets.


Heat oil in a skillet on medium high. When oil is hot. Cook on the first side until crispy, about 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes.

Serve alongside your favorite side dishes.