What to Serve with Tilapia: 20 Delicious Side Dishes

We have often wondered what to serve with tilapia. The flakey, white fish actually goes well with a lot of amazing sides.

We will show you the best sides to pair with tilapia. There is a side dish on our list for everyone!

Best Side Dishes for Tilapia

The mild flavor of tilapia makes it go well with lots of other flavors. Choose bold, flavorful sides for tilapia and you can’t go wrong!

Rice, vegetables, and other easy starches are always perfect with fish. Whether you pan fry your tilapia or bake the fillets in the oven, the side dishes on our list will go great with your meal.

1. Cilantro Lime Rice

Our incredible cilantro lime rice is the perfect side for tilapia. The jasmine rice is boiled in water until tender. Fresh chopped cilantro and lime juice are mixed into the fluffy white rice. Place your fish fillets right on top of a bed of cooked rice for a perfect presentation.

Add even more flavor to the rice by cooking it in coconut water. The tropical coconut flavor will go well with your baked tilapia.

2. Roasted Potatoes

Roasted potatoes are a perfect side to serve with tilapia. Hearty potatoes go well with the light, flakey fish.

We love this recipe for roasted potatoes from Love and Lemons. Small potatoes are halved, tossed in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and baked until slightly crispy.

Make the lemon garlic dressing and drizzle it over the hot potatoes. The homemade dressing really makes the flavor of the oven-roasted potatoes pop. Pour some extra dressing over your fish to really create a cohesive, delicious meal.

3. Tomato Avocado Salad

Chunky tomato and avocado salad is a delicious side to pair with tilapia. This recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen is the perfect, cold salad to make on a hot day.

Cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion slices, and avocado make up the bulk of the salad. There is no lettuce needed to make this recipe!

The chopped veggies are tossed in a simple lemon juice and olive oil dressing. Fresh cilantro makes the avocado salad complete. Make the salad in advance to allow the veggies to marinate in the dressing.

4. Sauteed Broccoli

Broccoli has a very powerful flavor. That strong taste is delicious served with baked tilapia. The beautiful garlic flavor in this recipe from Wholesome Yum will make your meal perfect.

Broccoli is also a very healthy side to pair with fish. It is full of vitamins and antioxidants that are essential to your diet. Sauteed garlic broccoli and a nice filet of white fish is a delicious, healthy dinner.

5. Roasted Asparagus

Tender, roasted asparagus is an incredible side to pair with baked tilapia. We love this recipe from Cookie and Kate that uses simple ingredients to create a flavorful side.

Fresh asparagus spears are tossed in olive oil, salt, and pepper. The asparagus is lined up on a tray and baked until the tips are crispy. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice is the perfect way to complete this tasty vegetable.

Grate a little parmesan cheese over the asparagus to add flavor. The salty cheese complements the powerful veggie and also the fish.

6. Roasted Cauliflower

Oven-roasted cauliflower is a healthy side to serve with tilapia. It is one of our favorite side dishes on the list! This recipe from Recipe Tin Eats is very easy to make and will complete your seafood dinner.

Chop your cauliflower into small florets. A little parmesan cheese and fresh parsley are all you need to season the veggie.

Bake the cauliflower in the same oven that you are using to bake your tilapia. Both the veggies and the fish can cook at the same time. Baking both the side and the fish at the same time makes this meal even easier!

7. Mexican Quinoa

Give your tilapia dinner a Mexican flair with this incredible quinoa recipe from Damn Delicious. The whole side dish can be made in one pan so prep work and clean up is easy!

There are a lot of incredible flavors cooked into this side dish. Corn, fire-roasted tomatoes, jalapeno, and black beans are just a few of the Mexican-inspired ingredients you will need. Cumin and chili powder add some serious flavor to the meal.

Quinoa is a very healthy grain. Not only is this quinoa recipe good for you, but it is amazingly delicious. You will adore this side paired with flakey tilapia.

8. Grilled Broccoli

Did you know you can grill broccoli? In fact, grilled broccoli is incredibly tasty. The light char on the tender green veggie is irresistible.

Use this recipe from Dinner at the Zoo to perfectly grill your veggies. Grill your tilapia at the same time for an easy meal.

Sprinkle the fish and veggies with a little Italian seasoning to add just the right amount of spice to your dish. With this recipe on hand, you can make a perfect, grilled dinner in under 30 minutes.

9. Zucchini Casserole

Zucchini recipes always go well with the light flavor of tilapia. We adore this zucchini casserole from Spend With Pennies for the time you want a heartier side dish.

The casserole is layered with zucchini slices, fresh tomato, and mozzarella cheese. It is baked to a golden brown and served warm. It almost looks like a zucchini lasagna!

This recipe is perfect for any time of year. Make it in the summer when zucchini is in season or in the winter when you want a hot side to pair with your baked tilapia.

10. Cauliflower Rice

Cauliflower rice is a very easy side dish to serve with baked tilapia. There are many recipes for cauliflower rice out there but we love this guide from Minimalist Baker. You can make any kind of cauliflower rice following these easy steps.

Cauliflower florets are pulsed in a food processor. Steam the rice quickly to soften. Season the rice however you’d like. Try to make the rice seasoning match that on the fish for a perfect, healthy meal.

11. Caramelized Onions and Bell Peppers

Carmelized bell peppers and onions from Once Upon a Chef are delicious alongside a tilapia filet. The sweet and savory flavor of the veggies is amazing with the buttery fish.

Saute the pepper and onions in a large skillet, tossing occasionally. That is pretty much all it takes to make this side! We love to cook easy, tasty sides for roasted and baked fish.

12. Fettuccini Alfredo

Creamy, cheesy alfredo sauce will make your seafood dinner extremely decadent. We adore this alfredo sauce recipe from The Recipe Critic.

There is lots of garlic in the pasta alfredo that goes so well with tilapia. The cheese sauce is a great way to make a seafood dinner more filling. Make this recipe in the winter when you want a hot, hearty meal.

Feel free to use any shape of pasta noodles. Long, fettuccini noodles are classic but any shape will work!

12. Quinoa Salad

Quinoa salad may be one of the healthiest side dishes on our list. This recipe from Inspired Taste is delicious and nutritious! It can also be made ahead of time, giving you a great side that is ready to serve.

There are lots of vegetables in this quinoa salad. Bell pepper, shredded carrots, cucumber slices, and bok choy are just a few of the tasty veggies in the bowl.

Quinoa adds a healthy grain to the veggie bowl. The vibrant, lemon dressing tastes great with the salad and is poured over the fish. Make a little extra and use it as a sauce for your seafood!

13. Homemade French Fries

Fish and chips is a classic dish that you must try. These homemade, baked French fries from Well Plated are perfect for your fish and chips dinner.

We love that the fries can be baked alongside your favorite baked tilapia recipes. Let the oven cook the meal for you!

14. Oven Roasted Corn

Roasting corn in the oven is one of the best ways to make these flavorful vegetables. Try this recipe from The Chunky Chef which is fail-proof. We love side dishes that are guaranteed to work!

Sweet corn cobs are slathered in butter and roasted on a sheet pan. The hot, cooked corn is covered in orange basil butter. The flavored butter tastes great on tilapia as well!

15. Pasta Primavera

Pasta primavera is a nice pasta dish that pairs well with tilapia. All the roasted vegetables add nutrition and flavor. It is a great summer dish to make when all the vegetables are in season.

Try this recipe from Little Broken. Bell pepper, asparagus, mushrooms, and sliced squash are mixed into the pasta. Feel free to use any veggies you have on hand. They all taste good!

16. Kale Salad

We love the combination of kale salad and tilapia. This kale salad from Skinnytaste is a great side dish to add some greens to your meal.

This kale salad is a great winter dish. The cranberries and maple syrup are true winter flavors. Mixing in cooked quinoa adds even more nutritional value.

A healthy kale salad with a perfectly cooked filet of white fish is an amazing meal idea.

17. Sweet Potato Fries

Baked sweet potato French fries are a perfect side for tilapia. These fries from Sally’s Baking Addiction are practically a dessert! The sweet taste is hard to resist.

Sprinkle the baked fries with a little cayenne pepper to make spicier fries. Pumpkin pie spice and a touch of brown sugar will give the fries a sweet twist. We love versatile side dish recipes like this one!

18. Steamed Carrots

Steamed carrots are surprisingly flavorful. The simple cooking method really enhances the sweetness of the vegetable. A Couple Cooks shows you exactly how to make perfectly steamed carrots.

Carrots are full of vitamin C and vitamin A. The brilliant orange color is beautiful next to pale tilapia. Choose a sauce that goes with both the fish and the carrots. A sprinkle of lime juice will also work!

19. Marinated White Beans

Marinated white bean salad from The Kitchn requires no cooking at all. We love no-bake recipes! The bean mix is perfect for the hot summer months when you do not want to turn on your oven or stovetop.

White cannellini beans are mixed with citrus juice, garlic, and shallots. Fresh herbs like parsley and cilantro are added to the bowl. Mix everything together and let the beans sit. The longer they marinate, the more flavorful they will be!

Serve the marinated bean mix right on top of the fish. Place it on a piece of crusty bread or simply keep it as a side dish. This will add a healthy serving of fiber to your meal.

20. Roasted Butternut Squash

Looking for side dish recipes to make in the fall? This roasted butternut squash is exactly what you need! The Mediterranean Dish will show you how easy and tasty roasting squash can be.

Butternut squash is drizzled with lime juice and seasonings then placed in a roasting dish. The veggie is cooked until golden brown on the edges.

Chopped, toasted nuts are sprinkled over the rich squash. The nuts add a nice crispy texture to the soft butternut squash. Add some to your tilapia fillets to give them a nice crunch, too.

Find the Perfect Side Dish for Oven Roasted or Baked Tilapia

We know there are sides on here that you will love. Give a few recipes a try and let us know which you like best. A perfect seafood meal is just a few minutes away! Enjoy.