Ugandan Fried Tilapia — Print Recipe

A whole tilapia from Lake Victoria scored, seasoned, and deep-fried until the skin is shatteringly crispy and the flesh is moist and flaky.

Ingredients

1 whole tilapia (about 500g), cleaned and scaled
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour or maize flour
Oil for deep frying
Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

1 Score the tilapia with three diagonal cuts on each side, cutting down to the bone for even cooking.
2 Rub lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper into the fish, pressing into the score marks.
3 Let the fish marinate for fifteen minutes while the oil heats to 180C in a deep skillet.
4 Dust the fish lightly with flour, shaking off any excess for a thin, crispy coating.
5 Carefully lower the fish into the hot oil and fry for six minutes on each side until golden and crispy.
6 Drain on paper towels and serve whole on a platter with lemon wedges and kachumbari salad.

Did You Know?

Lake Victoria tilapia, locally called ngege, is so prized that fish landing sites have become tourist attractions where visitors eat fish fried minutes after being caught.