Tilapia
Mild, white and flaky, with a gentle taste that's easy to start with.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat tilapia from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve tilapia by age
6 months+
Soft flakes or fish cakes
Bake or poach tilapia until it is opaque and flakes easily (145°F / 63°C), remove every bone and the skin, and offer large soft flakes, or mix with mashed potato and shape into finger-sized fish cakes.
- Size
- Large soft flakes, or fish cakes shaped like a finger, about 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).
- Check before serving
- Run your fingers through every flake to feel for bones. Cooked tilapia is white and opaque all the way through and flakes easily with a fork.
US and UK advice differ here. The AAP suggests mashed food or soft pieces no larger than ½ inch; the NHS suggests soft finger-sized pieces your baby can hold in their fist. Both agree the food must squash easily.
9 months+
Small flakes
Offer small, boneless, fully cooked flakes for pincer-grasp practice, or stir into rice, pasta or mashed vegetables.
- Size
- Flakes no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Feel every flake for bones before serving.
12 months+
Pieces or in family meals
Serve bite-sized pieces, fish cakes, or tilapia in family dishes such as fish pie or curry. Always cook it fully, and leave salt out of your toddler's portion.
- Size
- Bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or fish cakes.
- Check before serving
- Feel every flake for bones before you mix it into a dish or shape it into cakes.
18 months+
Flaked into family meals
Serve tilapia in soft tacos, pasta, rice dishes or homemade fish fingers, baked rather than fried. Keep checking for bones; they're easy to miss in mixed dishes.
- Size
- Bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
Always have your child sit upright in a high chair or at the table, and stay with them the whole time they eat. Keep to the size and texture for their stage. Every baby develops on their own timeline.
How to prepare tilapia
- 1
Thaw frozen tilapia in the fridge overnight. Bake a skinless fillet at 200°C (390°F) for about 8 to 12 minutes, or poach it, until it's opaque and reaches 145°F (63°C) in the thickest part.
- 2
Let it cool, then pull it apart with your fingers, feeling every flake for bones. Remove any skin.
- 3
Offer large flakes, or mix with mashed potato and shape into finger-sized cakes. Don't add salt.
- 4
First time? Pick a day your baby is well and at home, so you can stay nearby for several hours afterward. Fish can cause a delayed reaction: see when to call the doctor.
How much to offer
For the first taste, offer a small amount: a few flakes or one small fish cake. For ages 1 to 3, the FDA suggests a fish serving of about 1 oz (28 g), twice a week, from its 'Best choices' list, which includes tilapia. Your baby decides how much to eat.
Common mistakes
Missing bones
Fillets can still hide small bones. Feel every flake with your fingers, even in fillets sold as boneless.
Undercooking it
Cook it to 145°F (63°C), until it's opaque and separates easily with a fork. Never offer raw fish such as sushi or ceviche.
Buying seasoned or breaded fillets
Most of the salt we eat comes from packaged foods, and babies shouldn't have salty foods. Check the label on seasoned or breaded fillets, or buy plain fillets and flavor them yourself with herbs, garlic or lemon.
Relying on fried fish
Baked, steamed or poached fish is a healthier choice than fried, and batter adds fat. Make your own baked fish fingers instead.
Where US and UK guidance differ on tilapia
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
Tilapia is on the FDA's low-mercury 'Best choices' list and among the fish it names as even lower in mercury. For ages 1–3, a serving is about 1 oz, twice a week.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
The NHS sets no maximum for white fish such as tilapia; its weekly limits are for oily fish. Children under 16 shouldn't have shark, swordfish or marlin. Baked, steamed or grilled fish is a healthier choice than fried.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
Questions parents ask
Can tilapia be a choking hazard for babies?
Cooked, flaked tilapia is a low choking risk, but bones are a hazard. Check every flake with your fingers before serving. Always cook tilapia fully, and never offer raw or undercooked fish.
Can babies be allergic to tilapia?
Fish is a common allergen. Introduce it on its own first, in a small amount, and watch for signs of a reaction. If your baby reacts to tilapia, talk to your pediatrician before offering other fish.
Is tilapia healthy for babies?
A lean source of protein, with selenium, vitamin B12 and some vitamin D: FoodData Central lists about 3.7 mcg of vitamin D per 100 g of cooked tilapia. It has less omega-3 fat than oily fish such as salmon, and it is not a major source of iron.
Is tilapia safe for babies?
Yes, from around 6 months, cooked until opaque and flaky, with every bone removed. Tilapia is on the FDA's low-mercury 'Best choices' list.
Is tilapia high in mercury?
No. Tilapia is on the FDA's 'Best choices' list and among the fish it names as even lower in mercury.
Can I use frozen tilapia?
Yes. Frozen tilapia works just as well. Thaw it in the fridge overnight, then cook it until it's opaque and reaches 145°F (63°C).
How often can babies eat tilapia?
The FDA's twice-a-week fish advice is for children aged 1 to 3, with a serving of about 1 oz; it doesn't give a serving size for babies under 12 months. US and UK advice differs: see the guidance note below.
If your baby refuses tilapia
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Mix flakes into foods your baby already likes, such as mashed potato, rice or pasta.
- Try fish cakes: they're easier to hold than loose flakes.
- Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.
Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.
Buying and storing tilapia
- Keep raw tilapia in the fridge and cook it within 2 days, or freeze it. Thaw frozen tilapia in the fridge overnight.
- Cooked tilapia keeps for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Rice dishes are the exception: cool them within 1 hour, keep them in the fridge for no more than 1 day, and reheat them only once.
- Fish cakes can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Reheat only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let them cool before serving.
- Throw away any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).
When to talk to your doctor
Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if:
- Your baby vomits a few hours after eating fish. This can be FPIES, a delayed type of food allergy that fish can trigger. If they vomited once or twice and seem alert and like themselves, call your pediatrician or GP. If they vomit again and again, or are pale, floppy, very sleepy or hard to wake, call your emergency number.
- You notice mild signs of an allergic reaction after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.
- You're worried about how much your baby eats, their growth, or they refuse most solid food for weeks.
Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.
Offered tilapia?
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Helpful guides
Sources
- FDA: Advice about eating fish
- FDA: Selecting and serving fresh and frozen seafood safely
- NHS: Fish and shellfish
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- NHS: Salt in your diet
- USDA FoodData Central: Fish, tilapia, cooked, dry heat
- CDC: Choking hazards
- ACAAI: Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES)
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
- Food Standards Agency: Home food fact checker
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
More first foods
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