How to Make a Crispy Fried Fish Recipe

Preheat your air fryer to make a side of French fries or start tossing up your favorite salad. Golden, perfectly-fried fish takes fewer than ten minutes to make, so we recommend having your side dishes ready. 

This irresistible pan-fried fish recipe has a deliciously crispy exterior and a tender, flaky interior. 

If you hate frying foods because of the mess, don’t give up on this recipe just yet; there will be no cleaning oil from your kitchen ceiling after dinner. This tutorial uses just enough oil to achieve a crispy texture, but you don’t have to pour a vat of the stuff into a deep pot and risk getting splattered. That said, if you don’t mind the mess and want to deep fry fish, we’ll show you how to adapt this recipe for a more decadent dish. 

This old-fashioned fried fish recipe is so mess-free and quick that it’s sure to become a weeknight favorite.

Preparation time: 3 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Total time: 8 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 2 white fish fillets, descaled and deboned

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour 

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 2-3 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

• Tartar sauce (for garnish) 

• Lemon wedges (for garnish)

Preparation instructions 

1. This recipe goes quickly, so gather all your ingredients to fry fish. 

2. Pat the fish fillets dry using a clean kitchen towel. You know what they say about oil and water not mixing well, so removing excess moisture is essential to getting the right texture on fried food. 

Chef’s tip: Never mix water with hot oil. It creates a violent reaction. If you spill, let it cool before mixing.

1. Sprinkle salt and fresh ground black pepper on both sides of the fish fillets. 

2. On a large plate or in a shallow bowl, whisk together the flour and paprika. (See our note below in the FAQs section for information on how to make own fish seasoning.) 

3. Dredge the fish in the flour, making sure to coat every last bit.

4. Heat the oil in a heavy cast iron or non-stick pan over medium-high heat. 

5. Once the oil is hot (it’ll smoke lightly), shake the excess flour from each fillet and add the coated fish to the oil. You should immediately hear a sizzle. If not, your oil isn’t hot enough yet, but don’t try to start over and extract the fish. This could be dangerous and won’t make a big difference in the long run. You’ll get it right next time; just be attentive to how the fish cooks. 

6. Immediately after adding the fish to the pan, gently move the skillet back and forth to move the fish. This prevents sticking. 

7. Cook the fish for 2 minutes on one slide. You can press down on the fillet to make sure that all the nooks and crannies get golden brown. Then flip, and cook the other side for another 2 minutes. 

Chef’s tip: You can’t rush pan-fried food. We know it can be challenging to get the timing just right when flipping fried foods, and we understand that you want to prevent burning. However, if you try to flip the food too quickly, it’ll stick to the pan. This may seem illogical since burnt food also sticks to pans, but so do moist ingredients. If you give each side of this fish enough time to crisp up completely, you will be able to flip it with no issues. High-moisture foods like tofu and veggies take longer to fry on each side, and require far more patience than fish and some meats.   

1. Remove the cooked fish from the pan and enjoy immediately, before the crisp golden crust cools completely and becomes soggy. Let finished pieces of fish dry out on a stack of paper towels to absorb excess oil. Serve with tartar sauce and lemon wedges. 

Chef’s tip: As promised, we’ll show you how to make this deep-fried, too. What’s the difference? More oil, a ton of paper towels, and some kitchen tongs. Fill the skillet up halfway with vegetable oil and carefully lower the fillets in with the tongs, to make deep-fried fish. Flip and remove the fillets with tongs, as well. We recommend wearing oven mitts to prevent your arms from getting splattered with hot oil. 

Recipe adapted from Recipe Tin Eats

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Nutrition information

• Calories: 300

• Fat: 15 grams

• Saturated Fat: 2.1 grams

• Protein: 40 grams

• Carbohydrates: 3.2 grams

• Sugar: 0 grams

• Fiber: 0.2 grams

• Cholesterol: 86 milligrams

• Sodium: 375 milligrams

FAQ

How can I make my own seasoning for fried fish? 

The recipe above goes easy on the spices, but that doesn’t mean you have to. Many people like using more complex seasonings like Old Bay in fried fish. You can make up your own batch at home by combining the following powdered or ground ingredients (or just the ones you like or have on hand): 

• Dried bay leaves

• Celery salt

• Dry mustard

• Black pepper

• Smoked paprika

• Celery seeds

• White pepper

• Nutmeg

• Ginger

• Red pepper flakes

• Cloves

• Mace

• Cardamom

• Allspice

How can I make a fried fish recipe with Panko?

If you want to know how to make fried fish with Panko, you also need to know how to fry fish with flour and egg. This version of the recipe goes beyond simply dredging the fish in flour. First, dip the fish in flour, then in a beaten egg mixture (many recipes call for egg whisked together with beer) and dredge it again in Pank. Proceed to deep fry the fish as described above. Pan-frying fish with Panko is a bit more difficult because you may not have enough oil in the skillet to cook through the thick layer of breading, let alone get it crispy. It’ll take more practice to get this right.

What should I serve with fried fish?

‍Enjoy a classic British meal by serving your fish with “chips” (that is, fries) and malt vinegar, or plate your fillets with cooked greens, salad, or roasted brussel sprouts. Fried fish is also excellent in tacos if served in warm, soft flour tortillas topped with spicy coleslaw and pico de gallo. 

What’s the oil temp for frying fish?

The ideal temperature is between 350 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit, which you can test with an oil-safe kitchen thermometer. 

How long do you deep fry fish?

In the deep- or pan-frying method, thin fillets usually cook through and crisp up in under five minutes, or around two minutes on each side.

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