This fabulous weeknight warrior of a recipe makes Super Crispy, Pan Fried Fish that’s ready in just 20 minutes!
Crispy Pan-Fried Fish is a delicious served with sides such as Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Mac and Cheese, or it makes a great alternative to breaded chicken cutlets. In fact, it can be used as a replacement in many dishes such as Chicken Francaise or Mustard Chicken. I make a Fish Piccata that’s fantastic! Just add the sauce just before serving to keep the fish crisp.
Why This Recipe Works
- Seasoning in the fish, coating, and egg provides flavor from the inside out.
- Coating the fish twice with egg and flour provides a crispy, batter-like coating that’s out of this world.
What Fish Is Best
This versatile recipe makes crispy breaded fish golden on the outside and flakey and moist on the inside. For best success with this recipe, use tender to medium-firm fish fillets. Some good choices include cod, flounder, sole, tilapia, Branzino, halibut, pollock, sea bass, grouper, or perch.
You can use fresh fish (with or without the skin) or frozen fish that’s been thawed overnight in the fridge.
Breading Options
For this recipe, I used seasoned flour, but you can use breadcrumbs or cornmeal in its place.
Flour – This recipe calls for all-purpose/plain flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Other seasonings like paprika, Old Bay seasoning, or a little cyan pepper are good additions for extra flavor.
Breadcrumbs – I’ve used plain, panko, and seasoned breadcrumbs and they are all great options.
Cornmeal – Fine cornmeal mixed with self-rising cornmeal is a great coating. It gives a good crunch with a little puff in the coating.
Step By Step Instructions
Remove the fish from the fridge 15 minutes before cooking. Pat dry with paper towels and season well with salt on both sides. Set aside until ready to cook.
Add the eggs and milk to a shallow bowl, season with salt and pepper, and beat with a whisk or fork until well blended.
Place flour in a shallow dish and season well with salt and pepper. Mix to combine.
Dip fish fillets in egg mixture; dip in flour to coat and repeat a second time to get a good coating on the fish.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. The pan is ready when a little flour sizzles in contact with the oil.
Fry the fish undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes. It’s ready to flip when the underside is golden and crispy and releases easily from the pan. Cook on the other side for 2 to 3 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F/63°C.
Season to taste with salt before serving.
Make ahead and Freezing Instructions ❄
I don’t recommend making pan fried fish ahead unless you plan to make a big batch to freeze. Reheating breaded fish from the fridge makes it challenging to crisp it back up, but reheating from frozen can be done with good results. Just follow the instructions below.
Freezing Pan-Fried Fish
Cook as advised in the recipe and allow the fish to cool. Then freeze separated with freezer paper to keep them from sticking together. Or you can freeze on a tray until firm to freeze individually. Store in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to three months.
Reheating Frozen Fish Fillets
Place frozen fillets on a sheet pan in an oven set to 400°F/200°C and bake for 15 to 18 minutes. You’ll know they are ready when bubbles form and sizzle on the edges.
Erren’s Top Tips
- If you have the time, set the coated fish aside at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. This helps avoid any problems with coating loss during the frying process. If you do this, skip step one in the recipe.
- Be sure to heat the oil well before adding the fish. Starting with hot oil is key to crisp results.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. I recommend using a 12-inch skillet. If you don’t have one large enough, cook the fish in batches. Cooking the fish too close together will result in soggy breading instead of crisp.
- If you don’t have a meat thermometer, you’ll know the fish is ready when it’s opaque and flakes apart easily.
- Perfect Pan-Fried Fish is delicious on its own, but you can serve it with lemon wedges, tartar sauce, and your favorite side dishes.
- Serve hot from the pan. White fish can be flaky after cooking; don’t fret if it falls apart a little as you serve it.
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Let’s Make Super Crispy Pan Fried Fish
Ingredients
- 1 lb fish fillets*
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup vegetable oil Canola or grapeseed oil
Instructions
- Remove the fish from the fridge 15 minutes before cooking. Pat dry with paper towels and season well with salt on both sides. Set aside until ready to cook.
- Add the eggs and milk to a shallow bowl, season with salt and pepper, and beat with a whisk or fork until well blended.
- Place flour in a shallow dish and season well with salt and pepper. Mix to combine.
- Dip fish fillets in egg mixture; dip in flour to coat and repeat a second time to get a good coating on the fish.
- Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering.
- Add the floured fish; cook undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and cook until golden, reaching an internal temperature of 145°F/63°C.
- Season to taste with salt and serve immediately for best results.
Tips + Notes
- If you have the time, set the coated fish aside at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. This helps avoid any problems with coating loss during the frying process. If you do this, skip step one in the recipe.
- Be sure to heat the oil well before adding the fish. Starting with hot oil is key to crisp results.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. I recommend using a 12-inch skillet. If you don’t have one large enough, cook the fish in batches. Cooking the fish too close together will result in soggy breading instead of crisp.
- If you don’t have a meat thermometer, you’ll know the fish is ready when it’s opaque and flakes apart easily.
- Perfect Pan-Fried Fish is delicious on its own, but you can serve it with lemon wedges, tartar sauce, and your favorite side dishes.
- Serve hot from the pan. White fish can be flaky after cooking; don’t fret if it falls apart a little as you serve it.
Grace says
I’m not the best cook, but this recipe was so easy to follow and turned out delicious. Thanks for making me look good!
Erren Hart says
Thank you for leaving a comment about this recipe. Your feedback is appreciated, and I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed it. Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions for future recipes. Thanks again for trying it out and sharing your thoughts!
Poppy says
My fish came out perfect! thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Erren Hart says
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re so happy you love it, and we hope you’ll continue to enjoy it for years to come. 🙂
Thank you for being a part of the Erren’s Kitchen community!
Loretta says
Thank you, Erren, for this delicious and easy-to-follow Recipe! The fish fillets turned out super crispy and were a big hit with my family. We’ll definitely be making this again soon!
Erren Hart says
I’m so glad to hear it! Thank you for trying out this recipe and for leaving such a positive review. We’re glad you enjoyed it and hope you’ll come back again soon!
John says
Perfectly cook fish using your tips! Thanks, Erren! This one is a keeper!
Erren Hart says
I’m so happy you liked the recipe! I always love hearing from my readers. Thanks for leaving a comment and letting me know what your thoughts are on this one – it’s really helpful!
Kris says
This was great! Very easy and quick to make! The only thing I did differently was to bake it instead of frying. Perfect!
Elton says
This was terrific! I was desperately looking for fried fish recipe and used this one. Absolutely fantastic! Thanks Erren!
Erren Hart says
So good to hear! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience and review!
Sarah Brown says
Our family has been trying to get away from fried and fatty foods. This recipe is a great alternative to deep fried fish so it was too good to pass up. Guess what? It was mahhhhh-velous!
Erren Hart says
Yay! I’m so glad you liked it so much! Thanks for the great feedback!