Tilapia Fry

  • Total Time - 45 minutes (active work 20 minutes)
  • Prep and Marinating - 20 minutes
  • Cooking - 25 minutes
  • Servings: 4
  • Country: Uganda
Whole, crispy, fried Tilapia, garnished with herbs and lemon.

For the best flavour, it is important to make deep slits in the fish to allow the marinade to penetrate. Traditionally, Royco (a Ugandan seasoning/bouillon powder) is used, but this recipe uses readily available ingredients to achieve a similar rich flavour.

Ingredients

Ingredients for Tilapia Fry

  • 4 pieces Whole Tilapia (medium size, cleaned, with scales and gills removed)
  • 1 litre Oil for deep frying
  • 4 tbsp Lemon juice (for rubbing)
  • 0.5 cups All-purpose wheat flour
  • 2 tsp Minced garlic
  • 1 tsp Ground ginger (optional)
  • 0.5 tsp Turmeric (optional, for color)
  • 1 tsp Paprika (optional, for color)
  • to taste Salt
  • to taste Black pepper
  • 2 pieces Lemon (sliced into wedges, for serving)

Instructions

Step 1: Preparing and Marinating the Fish

Wash the fish under cold water, pat dry with paper towels. Use a sharp knife to make 3-4 deep slits (about 1 cm deep) on each side of the fish, leaving the edge intact.

In a small bowl, mix salt, black pepper, garlic, and ginger (if using).

Rub the fish thoroughly, inside and out, with this mixture. Pour lemon juice over the fish and rub it into the slits. Let marinate for 10-15 minutes.

Step 2: Coating

In a shallow dish, mix the flour with turmeric, paprika, and a pinch of salt/pepper.

Coat the fish thoroughly in the flour mixture, making sure the slits are also covered. Shake off excess flour.

Step 3: Frying

In a wok or deep pan, heat the oil for deep frying to a temperature of 175 °C (350 °F). The oil should be deep enough to cover the fish almost entirely.

Carefully place one or two fish (depending on pan size) into the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pan, as this will lower the oil temperature.

Fry the fish for 5-7 minutes on one side until golden brown and crispy. Carefully turn it over and fry for another 5-7 minutes until cooked through (internal temperature should be 63 °C (145 °F)).

Remove the cooked fish with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.

Step 4: Serving

Serve the Tilapia immediately hot with lemon wedges, which guests can squeeze over the fish.

Traditional sides include Matooke (steamed or fried green bananas), Ugali (cornmeal porridge), or a fresh vegetable salad.