Easy and Tasty Fried Fish Fillets (2024)

Don't let the simplicity of this tasty fried fish recipe fool you: The fillets fry-up perfectly cooked inside, with a beautiful golden crust. Haddock and cod are two excellent choices for our fried fish recipe, but tilapia, pollock, catfish, bass, trout, or perch will also yield a beautiful meal. Ready in 30 minutes, this is a perfect choice for a busy weeknight dinner or to serve as a weekend lunch with a salad and a few dipping sauces like classic tartar, Louisiana rémoulade, or chipotle mayonnaise.

Tricks of the Trade

The trick to perfect fried fish lies in the oil and temperature used for cooking it and in the coating used on the fish. Use an oil with a high smoking point, such as canola, corn, safflower, peanut, avocado, or grapeseed oil. Avoid olive oil and butter since they'll burn at the high temperatures required for frying. Don't skip the flour coating since it provides a delicious crispy texture, protects the fish from soaking up too much oil, and also keeps the fillet in one piece. For best results, use a heavy-bottomed pan, as it distributes the heat evenly.

Keep An Eye On It

Since fish happens to be a more tender protein, if your fillets are particularly thin, keep a close eye on the skillet when frying them. If frying in batches, add more oil as needed and bring up to temperature before adding more fillets. Before starting, lightly pat the fish fillets dry with a paper towel.

Can I Make Gluten-Free Fish Fillets?

It is possible to make crispy fried fish for people on strict gluten-free diets. Here's how: Replace the all-purpose flour with finely ground cornmeal, use rice or oat flour instead of all-purpose flour, use a gluten-free mix, usually made from a base of potato starch, rice flour, or garbanzo flour, or use almond meal to coat the fish, but be mindful of tree nut allergies.