300-Calorie Lemon Garlic Tilapia (Printable)

Light, zesty tilapia steamed with tender green beans in lemon garlic marinade.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Fish & Vegetables

01 - 4 tilapia fillets, 4 oz each, fresh or thawed
02 - 12 oz fresh green beans, trimmed
03 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
04 - 1 lemon, thinly sliced

→ Marinade & Seasonings

05 - 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
07 - 2 large garlic cloves, minced
08 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
09 - ½ teaspoon salt
10 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

→ Garnish

11 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

# Directions:

01 - Set oven to 400°F
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and black pepper until combined
03 - Lay out 4 large sheets of aluminum foil. Distribute green beans evenly in the center of each sheet and top with sliced red onion
04 - Pat tilapia fillets dry with paper towels. Place one fillet on top of vegetables in each foil packet
05 - Drizzle prepared lemon-garlic marinade evenly over each fillet. Top each with 2 to 3 lemon slices
06 - Fold foil over fish and vegetables, crimping edges tightly to create sealed packets. Transfer to baking sheet
07 - Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until tilapia is opaque and flakes easily with a fork
08 - Carefully open packets, exercising caution due to escaping steam. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Ready in 30 minutes flat, which means you can go from "what's for dinner?" to eating within the time it takes to watch a TV episode.
  • Each packet cooks in its own little steam chamber, so the fish stays impossibly moist while the flavors get trapped inside like edible magic.
  • At around 300 calories per serving, this is genuinely good food that doesn't feel like diet food—no weird substitutions, no regret.
02 -
  • Pat your fish completely dry before it goes in the foil, or you'll end up with watery packets instead of flavor-packed ones—this one detail changed everything for me.
  • Don't skip sealing the foil tightly; loose packets won't steam properly and the fish can dry out, which defeats the entire purpose of cooking this way.
03 -
  • Mince your garlic right before assembling the packets so it stays fresh and pungent—pre-minced garlic loses its spark too quickly.
  • If you want subtle heat without overpowering everything, add just a pinch of chili flakes to the marinade before distributing it into the packets.
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