How to Fry Fish 3 Ways That Taste as Good as a Restaurant Meal (2024)

Here's how to fry fish at home for a delicious meal that's light and crispy. Making deep-fried fish, pan-fried fish, and other homemade crispy seafood recipes can seem intimidating. Cooks wonder, "Will they make my house smell?" Nope! Not if you follow our instructions about the best fish to fry and cook with. "Will I end up with a soggy batter?" No, we're here to walk you through every step so you get the crispiest results. So trust yourself, you've reel-y got this, and get ready to prep your best batch of deep-fried, pan-fried, or air-fried fish for dinner this week.

How to Fry Fish in a Skillet

Pan-fried fish uses just a thin layer of hot oil or shortening in a skillet and a light flour or cornmeal coating on the fish instead of a batter. It's simpler, less messy, and more healthful than deep-frying.

Choose Your Fish

Choose 1 pound of skinless fish fillets for four servings, about ½- to ¾-inch thick. So what's the best fish to fry? Any fillets, including mild-flavor whitefish, cod, flounder, red snapper, and orange roughy, will work. If frozen, thaw the fillets in the refrigerator. A 1-pound package will thaw in 1 to 2 days. (If you prefer non-battered seafood, check out how to bake fish to flaky perfection.)

Prep the Fish

Rinse the fillets and pat dry with paper towels, so the wet and dry coatings can adhere better to the fish. Transfer fillets to a cutting board and cut them into four pieces using a sharp knife.

Make the Coating

Combine 1 beaten egg with 2 tablespoons water or milk in a shallow dish. This wet mixture helps the coating stick to the fish.

In another shallow dish, combine ⅔ cup cornmeal or fine, dry bread crumbs with ½ teaspoon salt and a dash of ground black pepper. Or substitute 1⅓ cups crushed potato chips, crackers, or unsweetened cereal (such as cornflakes) for the cornmeal, omitting the salt. This dry mixture creates a crunchy coating on the fish when pan-fried.

Dip and Dredge the Fish

Preheat the oven to 300°F and put the cooked fish on a baking sheet. This keeps the cooked fillets warm as you finish pan-frying the remaining fillets. (This is one of many Test Kitchen tricks we swear by here for how to fry fish at the BHG headquarters!)

Choose a large, heavy skillet—something like your biggest cast-iron skillet will work marvelously. Add ¼ inch of fat. You can use shortening or mild vegetable oil, one of the best oils to fry fish. Standard vegetable oil is affordable and nearly flavorless, and canola or peanut oil works well too. Heat the fat over medium-high.

Dip each fillet first into the egg mixture, coating each side. Next, place each coated fillet in the cornmeal mixture and press gently to help the mixture adhere to the fish. Turn each fillet over and repeat until the whole fillet is covered with the dry mix.

Pan-Fry the Fish

Add half of the coated fish fillets in a single layer to the hot oil in the skillet. The oil should be hot enough to sizzle when adding the fish to the pan. Fry the fish until golden on the bottom. For all those wondering, "How long does fish take to fry?": Pan-frying the average fillet takes about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Once the first side is golden, flip the fish over, using tongs or a large metal spatula and a fork to steady the fish. Take care to avoid splattering the fat. The fat should still be hot enough to sizzle when the fish is flipped.

Cook the second side until golden and the fish begins to flake when tested with a fork (3 to 4 minutes more).

Layer two or three paper towels on a plate to soak up the excess oil. With a spatula, carefully transfer each cooked piece of fish to the paper towels to drain. Flip the fish to drain both sides.

Keep the cooked fish warm on a baking sheet in the oven while cooking the remaining fish.

Serve the Fish

If desired, serve the pan-fried fish with lemon wedges and Tartar Sauce.

How to Make Deep-Fried Fish

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.

Prep the Fish

For four servings, buy 1 pound fresh or frozen skinless fillets, cut about ½-inch thick. If frozen, thaw the fish in the refrigerator. Cut the fillets into 3-inch x 2-inch pieces. Rinse the fish and pat dry with paper towels.

Heat the Oil

You'll need a 3-quart heavy saucepan or a deep-fat fryer for frying the fish. Attach a deep-frying thermometer to the side of the pan. Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil to 375° F, then preheat the oven to 300°F to keep the cooked fish warm as you sizzle up the other batches.

Make the Batter

Add ½ cup all-purpose flour to a shallow dish and set it aside. For the batter, in a medium bowl, add ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup beer, 1 egg, and ¼ teaspoon each baking powder, salt, and ground black pepper. Use a whisk to beat the batter until smooth.

Dip fish pieces into the flour, turning to coat all sides, and shake off excess flour. The flour will help the batter stick to the fish. Next, dip the fish into the batter, turning to coat all sides.

How to Fry Fish

Fry the fish, two or three pieces at a time, in the hot oil until the coating is golden and fish begins to flake when tested with a fork, turning once. This takes about 3 or 4 minutes per batch. Drain the deep-fried fish on paper towels, flipping the fillets to drain both sides. Transfer fish to a baking sheet and keep it warm in the oven while frying the remaining fish.

Serve the Fish

If desired, sprinkle the fried fish with coarse salt and serve with tartar sauce or drizzle with malt vinegar.

How to Fry Fish in an Air Fryer

Air-fried fish can be battered or "fried" in an air fryer with a simple rub or spice blend. Using an air fryer, essentially a mini convection oven, is one of the fastest and healthiest methods for frying fish. Here's how to air-fry battered fish for similar results to pan-fried and deep-fried fish methods.

Prep the Fish

For 4 servings, buy 24 ounces of fresh or frozen skinless fillets about ½-inch thick. If frozen, thaw the fish in the refrigerator. Cut the fillets into 6-ounce portions. Rinse the fish and pat dry with paper towels.

Make the Batter

In a shallow dish, add ½ cup all-purpose flour. In a separate shallow dish, combine 1 beaten egg with 2 tablespoons water or milk. In one more dish or plate, add ⅓ cup panko bread crumbs.

Dip fish pieces into the flour, turning to coat all sides, and shake off excess flour. Next, dip the fish into the egg mixture, turning to coat all sides, and last, sprinkle with panko, pressing to coat evenly on all sides.

Air-Fry the Fish

Place fish in an air fryer basket and spray the breaded fish with nonstick cooking spray. Cook at 400°F until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes.

Serve the Fish

Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper. For added flavor, serve with a homemade tartar sauce. Whisk together 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1½ teaspoons dill, ¾ teaspoon pickle relish, ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar, and ⅛ teaspoon sugar in a small bowl. Add lemon wedges, and enjoy!

Now that you're a pro at three methods for how to fry fish, refresh your memory on how to make French fries. Then invite your friends or family to the table for a fish fry that will have them hooked from the first bite.