Easy and Tasty Fried Fish Fillets (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to frying fish? ›

Fried Fish Tips

First, keep the oil at 375°. If frying in batches, bring the oil back up to temperature before adding more fish. Don't overcrowd the pan with fillets, resist the urge to move the fish around once it's in the oil, and fry it long enough. Also, don't cover the skillet or fryer when frying the fish.

In terms of a flour dredge, I recommend soaking your fish in buttermilk 2-3 hours prior to frying. Buttermilk slightly tenderizes the fish but also makes certain flour can adhere to the fat for an even, crispy crust when frying. You can indeed use regular milk, if in a pinch, with similar results.

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.

White-fleshed fish, like cod or tilapia, cook quickly and evenly. They become crisp, which is ideal for frying. Oily fish, though tasty, might not cook as evenly. Their strong flavor can also hide the dish's other tastes.

Apparently, the proteins present in milk can bind to the fatty acids that have been exposed to air and give salmon its fishy odor or taste and mitigate them to be more neutral. (Fishiness is caused by the oxidation of fatty acids.)

Flour coating

Add salt and pepper and dip the fillets in flour. Fry them for a few minutes on each side in a mixture of oil and butter (added to the pan in that order).

For how to fry fish that's just as crispy as what you get at a fish and chips restaurant, dip pieces of fish in a beer batter or several coatings of egg and seasoned flour before you fry it. It will come out a crisp, golden brown.

Heat oil (1/8 inch) in 10-inch skillet over medium heat about 2 minutes. Fry fish in oil 6 to 10 minutes, turning once, until fish flakes easily with fork and is brown on both sides.

As you prepare fish for baking, grilling, or frying, a marinade with olive oil can tenderize the fish to its softest and juiciest form. The process of marinating fish in an infused oil allows the fish to soak in the seasonings and liquids you add to the marinade, creating a truly delicious meal.

Corn starch is essential to fish breading.

This will give the batter a extra pop of volume for a better bite.

How to get a good crust on fried fish? ›

For a rich, crispy crust, you need to make a batter. Panko breadcrumbs make the best batter for deep-fried fish. Beat one egg and 1/2 cup of dark beer or milk together in a shallow dish. Mix 1/3 cup flour and 1 teaspoon seasoning salt together in another shallow dish.

Numerous fish species such as celestial peal danios, golden dwarf barbs, neon tetras, pygmy Corydoras, guppies, betta fish, and dwarf gourami are great beginner species. Small fish tanks are one of the best ways to get into the hobby of keeping freshwater fish.

Fry fish in batches in hot oil about 4 minutes, turning once, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

As most fish are very sensitive to heat, leaving your battered fillets in sizzling oil for too long will result in dry and crumbly fillets. It will most likely end up coated in an unappealing dark crust, possibly followed by an unpleasant burnt-like aftertaste.