Tilapia with Pinot Noir Sauce is an easy tilapia dinner that packs a lot of flavor. Top fried tilapia with a pinot noir sauce for a 20-minute meal.
Jump to RecipeTilapia with Pinot Noir sauce is based on a recipe from the 100 Days of Real Food Fast & Fabulous cookbook. I was skeptical about this at first because I am not a big wine person. But Justin wanted it so I figured I would give it a try. And I’m so glad I did!
Since the alcohol cooks out of the sauce, it just leaves it with a rich flavor instead of the taste of the wine. We used tilapia for this meal. The original recipe called for salmon. I think either would work, I just prefer tilapia. You know this is a winner when both boys finished theirs and asked for more!!
Every now and then, when we go grocery shopping, Justin likes to grab a bottle of wine. We don’t drink often, but it sure does add to certain meals. And of course, when we have certain dishes, a glass of wine with dinner goes well. Since this recipe only uses half a cup of wine, you have plenty left over to serve with dinner. Or, if you have more people to feed, you’ll want to scale up the Tilapia with Pinot Noir meaning you won’t have as much extra.
If you don’t want to buy an actual bottle of wine, most stores also sell cooking wines. You can find cooking wine in the same aisles as cooking oil. I’ve bought white wine, red wine, wine vinegar, and sherry this way before, all meant for cooking, not drinking. But, if you like wine with dinner, then you can certainly use a regular bottle as well. Either works and will both give a similar flavor.
The only difference between cooking wine and drinking wine is usually in the quality. Cooking wines aren’t as high quality as drinking wines. For those under the drinking age, you can purchase cooking wines since they aren’t for consumption. This also means they are available in dry counties and if you go to the store before noon on a Sunday (our grocery store won’t sell alcohol before then).
Step by Step
To start this recipe, you’ll want to coat the fish before frying it. Put the flour on a shallow plate. Lay the fish in the flour on each side. Turn over a few times until they fillets are well-coated.
In a large skillet, over medium heat, warm four tablespoons of olive oil or any cooking oil. Place the breaded tilapia fillets in the warm pan. Cook for about 3-5 minutes. Carefully flip the fish. Cook the other side until it is cooked through.
Remove the tilapia from the pan and cover it to keep it warm. Add the pinot noir wine to the pan and increase the heat to high. If you are working on a gas stovetop, it’s recommended to turn off the flame when you are pouring wine since it is flammable and can make a fire if any spills. Cook until the wine is reduced by half. This usually takes about 3-4 minutes.
Serve the wine sauce warm over the fish, garnish with dried parsley, and enjoy!
Recipe
Originally Published On: March 20, 2017
Last Updated On: September 6, 2019
Tilapia with Pinot Noir Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 pound tilapia
- salt & pepper
- 4 tbsp oil
- 1/2 cup pinot noir
- parsley (to garnish)
Instructions
- Combine flour, salt, and pepper on a plate and coat fish
- Warm oil in large skillet over medium heat
- Add fish and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until browned on the bottom
- Flip and cook the other side, continuing to flip as needed until cooked through
- Remove fish from heat and cover
- Add the wine to the pan and increase heat to high
- Cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 3-4 minutes
- Serve sauce over warm fish and garnish with parsley
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
I wouldn’t have thought to use a big red like Pinot Noir with tilapia! But you make it sound so good – I need to get out of my fish=white wine rut.
It’s definitely different, but I like the combination. It adds bold flavor to a mild fish.
Not a big wine fan on some foods but this might be interesting with salmon. The Pinot Noir is an interesting pick on wine which will give it an interesting taste. Thanks for sharing.
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I’m not usually big on wine in general, but I like adding the flavors of it to meals.
This looks absolutely yummy, and easy to make! I just wish I had a lot of fish/seafood eaters in this house! It’s just me haha.
That’s how my dad always was. I didn’t eat fish until I was in my 20s so it was only him eating it. It would make a great quick lunch, too, if you are home for lunch one day.
It’s so great to find a recipe everyone in the family loves. I always think white wine with fish, but this is a great take.
White wine is usually paired with fish, but I really like the bold flavor the red wine adds to the meal.
That looks so delicious! Generally, I like recipes that contain wine, especially a good red wine which I always drink while cooking!
Then this sounds like a perfect recipe for you to try! The red wine sauce adds so much flavor to a mild fish.
I personally love to cook with wine as well! I have to try this for some of our upcoming “end of summer parties”. Pinning for later 🙂
I’ve only tried a few recipes that use wine since we don’t drink it much, meaning I don’t always have a lot in the house. But it adds such a unique flavor to most meals.
Your recipes are always the bomb.com 😍 gonna need to try this as it infused two of my faves. Tilapia and wine ❤️
I hope it’s as good as you imagine! The red wine gives the mild fish a bold flavor.
I really love wine so I think this looks delicious. I never cook with wine so I’ll need to try this!
I really don’t use wine very much in my cooking. I don’t drink it often so don’t have it in the house most of the time.
I don’t have Tilapia at home today. I will use that sauce over my chicken for dinner tonight. Thanks for sharing.
I haven’t tried it over chicken. You’ll have to let me know how it tastes!
Tilapia with Pinot Noir Sauce sounds perfect combination and looks yum and delicious I would love to make this at home.
It really is a very easy recipe to make, I hope you give it a try!
We love tilapia in my home. I love the way it takes the flavor of anything it is marinated in. I can’t imagine how good it must be with Pinot Noir Sauce.
It’s a perfect mild fish for just that reason. We always have a few filets in the freezer ready to cook, too.
I never would have thought of pairing a red wine with a light fish like that, but acidity is one of the keys to wine and food pairing. Being a wine lover, I enjoyed going through your blog. Keep it up the good work.
I know it’s a little different, but the bold flavors of the red help enhance the mild fish.
It looks really delicious. I have cooked tilapia a bit but I have never used a pinot noir sauce for it. I will have to try it out really soon. I always love a good wine sauce.
Usually white wine would be paired with a fish like tilapia, but the red gives a much bolder flavor to the fish which I prefer.
It looks good. I haven’t tried it ever. My mom would love to try it. You always come up with good and unique ideas.
The red is not a typical pairing with a fish such as tilapia, but it works well together for us! I hope you and your mom enjoy the recipe.