Battered Fried Fish
on Jul 09, 2022, Updated Apr 16, 2024
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This recipe for battered fried fish is quick, delicious and is the perfect fried fish when making fish and chips.
Fried fish is a crowd pleaser for any season. It is great for busy evenings or when you need something substantial but quick. You will love how simple it is to fry up some delicious fish.
It is so crisp and delicious, simple to make and it will having people raving. It needs to find it’s way to your dinner table soon (along with some coleslaw and fries).
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- All of the ingredients are pantry staples so it is easy to throw together any time.
- It works well with any firm white fish.
- It goes well with so many side dishes.
Ingredients in Fried Fish
- Firm white fish: pick your favorite, fresh or frozen (thaw fully), use what you have on hand!
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Spices: smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, & salt
- Eggs
- Milk: You can use beer instead if you’d like
- Oil for frying: use a light oil like lard, vegetable, canola, peanut or other light oil suitable for high temperatures
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
How to Make Fried Fish
Step #1. Get your fish ready: you just need to make sure it’s fully thawed and pat it dry (helps the batter to stick)
Step #3. Make your batter: it’s a super simple flour, egg, milk, and spices batter that comes together quickly
Step #5. Dip the Fish: dip the dry fish into your batter
Step #2. Make your batter: it’s a super simple flour, egg, milk, and spices batter that comes together quickly
Step #4. Heat the oil: I like to fry in a Dutch oven, they hold the heat of the oil well
Step #6. Fry: carefully add the prepared fish to the hot oil and let it cook until golden brown
Frequently Asked Questions
You want to fry a fish that is firm and holds up well. I have found success when frying tilapia, cod, haddock or bass. I’ve also fried catfish with this recipe (though I normally like it better in a cornmeal batter.
Canola oil is a great oil to fry fish in because it has a very neutral flavor. You can also use lard, shortening, vegetable oil, peanut oil, or corn oil for this recipe. Be sure you have an ample amount of oil in the pan that covers the bottom completely or you will risk the fish sticking to the pan.
Fried fish will last in the fridge for 3-4 days when properly stored in an airtight container.
If you have an air fryer I recommend reheating it in there for about 6 minutes on 375 degrees. You can also heat them in an oven of the same temperature for about 15 minutes.
Of course, this all depends on if you are feeding adults or children and appetite sizes but generally plan on 1/2 pound to 1 pound of fish per person. If you are serving a lot of sides you can do less.
You will know when the fish is done because it will not be translucent anymore and will flake easily with a fork. If you have a meat thermometer, fish needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees to be fully cooked.
Expert Tips
- The type of fish matters when you are frying it. I have had the best results when I use a firm white fish. Something like tilapia, cod, bass or haddock works the best.
- Batter sticks best to dry fish fillets. Make sure you lightly pat each fillet down with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
- Make sure you preheat your oil before adding any fish. (You want it to be between 350°F and 375°F.) If you add the fish before the oil is hot enough it will too greasy. Also, don’t crowd the pot for the same reason.
What should I serve with fried fish?
- Homemade Coleslaw Recipe
- Perfect Oven French Fries
- Homemade Onion Rings
- Hushpuppies (fried seasoned cornbread)
More Seafood Recipes to Consider
Seafood
Baked Salmon
Seafood
Baked Salmon in Tin Foil
Seafood
Oven Baked Salmon Recipe
Seafood
Air Fryer Salmon
Battered Fried Fish
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds firm white fish
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 2-3 quarts oil for frying, (such as canola, vegetable, or peanut)
- Lemon wedges and tartar sauce for serving, optional
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, cast iron fryer, or heavy bottom pan add the oil and start preheating it over medium to medium high heat.
- In a medium mixing bowl add the flour, sugar, baking powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt.
- Stir with a wooden spoon to combine.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the eggs and milk.
- Stir to combine and until no dry bits remain and a smooth batter forms.
- Prepare the fish by patting it dry with paper towels or a clean dish towel.
- When the oil reaches 375 degrees F. (I like to use a paddle thermometer to monitor my oil temperatures when frying) dip a piece of fish in the batter and place the battered fish in the hot oil. Repeat with a few more pieces, taking care to not crowd the pan.
- Allow the fish to cook until deep golden brown, about 3-4 minutes before flipping and then allow to cook on that side for an additional 3-4 minutes.
- Remove with a slotted spoon or a spider strainer and place the cooked battered fish on a plate or rimmed baking sheet lined with paper towels to absorb the extra grease.
- Repeat until you’ve used all your fish
- Serve right away and enjoy hot. Serve with fresh squeezed lemon on top and tartar sauce if you’d like. We love fried fish with hush puppies and coleslaw on the side.
Video
Notes
- You can keep your first batches of cooked fish warm in a 200 degree F oven while you are cooking the others.
- I like to salt the fish right after it comes out of the hot oil, if you like salt, I’d consider doing that.
- This recipe makes a pretty big batch of fried fish, feel free to cut the recipe in half if you need to. This if the recipe I make when my family gets home from a fishing trip and we want to cook up a lot. The leftovers reheat great in the air fryer. The fish in the photos are Stripers from Lake Powell.
- Remember that the trick to frying is to use the right kind of oil and to keep the oil’s temperature in the right range (350-375°F) so the food comes out crispy and delicious instead of greasy!
Nutrition
This is a great meal to make for families. Fish is full of protein, low in fat and a great source of vitamin B12 which aids in energy levels. This recipe for fried fish is 1 MILLION times better than any fish sticks you can buy at the grocery store. Just say no to those! Looking for something less fried? Try these delicious grilled fish.
Looked great and tasted delicious but my batter wasn’t crispy. What did I do wrong?
You might have just taken it out of the oil too soon, I like to wait until it’s a nice golden brown and that will help it to be most crispy. It’s not a super crispy batter though, more breaded (though not soggy).
Good recipe! I followed the recipe exactly, except that I added a few dashes of garlic powder. It turned out very good! Has anyone used this for chicken?
Made half of the recipe. Very good recipe for a crispy and light batter. The second time I made this batter I followed the suggestions by Roger J Waters enclosed below and used beer (IPA) instead of milk and substituted half of the flour with rice flour (50/50 regular flour/rice flour mix instead of all regular flour). These two changes put it over the top. Outstanding batter, very crispy and light.
I can help you trouble shoot, I know it’s a solid recipe, I’ve been using it for years. What kind of fish did you use? Did you pat the fish dry before dipping them? How deep was your fry oil? There’s a lot more going on here than just the batter…
Great recipe! Just did it and it worked awesome 🙂 i’ll try the beer replacement for a second time! 😉
Five-star recipe … used lager beer instead of milk and used 50/50 regular flour/rice flour instead of just using the regular … used haddock , fried in a deep hundred year old cast iron skillet outside on the side burner of my gas grill over a medium hot flame !!! … yes indeed , light-years better than store bought fish sticks !!! … robert j. walters
I love fish and chips, but avoid making fried dishes just because it’s a hassle to deal with all of that oil. 🙁 What do you do with the oil when you’re done cooking? Also, how do you keep the splatter mess down?
Yo, Roger … I only use 3/4 of an inch of vegetable oil in that deep cast iron skillet that can be recycled after it cools and used again for frying for up to 3 times … after that you can take it to a recycling center … splatter abatement by frying outside on your side burner of your gas grill !!! .. bob w.