Fried Fish Sandwich Recipe - How to Make a Crispy Fried Fish Sandwich (2024)

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5 from 6 votes

By Hank Shaw

July 03, 2013 | Updated March 29, 2021

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Sometimes you just need a simple fried fish sandwich.

A simple approach is often better, especially with a fish like bass or walleyes or snapper or rockfish, which is what I mostly use. Pacific rockfish, are a catch-all name for a variety of bass-like fish that live in and around, you guessed it, rocks and wrecks along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Baja.

Fried Fish Sandwich Recipe - How to Make a Crispy Fried Fish Sandwich (2)

They are to the Pacific what black seabass are to the North Atlantic and snapper to the South Atlantic and the Gulf. Or if you live inland, they’re a lot like large- and smallmouth bass.

Rockfish are aggressive biters, as are every reef fish I’ve yet encountered. The hardest part about catching rockfish is to a) keep your gear out of the rocks, where it’ll get snagged, and b) keeping the bouncing, head-shaking rockfish from popping off the hook.

Driving home from one particular rock cod trip, I got an urge to make a fish sandwich. You know, a regular ole’ fish sammich, like a Boston Whaler or a Filet-O-Fish… only edible.

What makes a good fried fish sandwich? It starts with the fish, which for me needs to be firm, white and lean. Not a fan of sandwiches made with fillets of salmon or mackerel or the like: Too soft, and too fatty.

Cod, snapper, haddock, walleye or rockfish are ideal. And it needs to be either grilled or fried. Breaded, as in this case, is easier, although a good beer battered, deep-fried fish sandwich is damn tasty, too.

Fried Fish Sandwich Recipe - How to Make a Crispy Fried Fish Sandwich (3)

Buns? Anything from good rye bread to hamburger buns to hoagie rolls will do, but I am partial to poppy seed Kaiser rolls. It’s a Jersey thing, I think. Resist the urge for good, crusty bread: It’s so sturdy that the force you need to bite through it will smash your fish fillet.

As far as accompaniments, I gotta have lettuce and tomato, for greenery, crunch, acidity and sweetness.And everything’s better with a slice of bacon.

That leaves the sauce. I’ve had fish sandwiches with everything from ketchup to mustard to horseradish, remoulade, Asian dipping sauces, you name it.

But the Big Daddy of sauces for a fried fish sandwich is tartar sauce. Only I hate store-bought tartar sauces, so I make my own. Too hard? Not so. A tartar sauce is basically mayo with a little mustard and some chopped pickles, plus a random onion product, hot sauce and salt. Easy-peasy.

Fried Fish Sandwich Recipe - How to Make a Crispy Fried Fish Sandwich (4)

Check out this sandwich. You know you want to eat it. It’s especially good as a change of pace, or made with leftovers from fried flounder with tartar sauce.

5 from 6 votes

Fried Fish Sandwich with Tartar Sauce

This is how I like my fish sandwiches, but as you know there are endless variations in terms of buns, fish species and how they are prepared, not to mention condiments and accompaniments. I use Pacific rock cod (rockfish) for this, but any lean, white, bass-like fish will do fine. Some alternatives would be black seabass, largemouth or smallmouth bass, lingcod, croaker, walleye, catfish, red drum... you get the point.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6 people

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Ingredients

FISH

  • 4 to 6 strips of bacon
  • 4 skinless fillets of rock cod or other bass, seabass , walleye, etc.
  • Salt
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
  • Oil for frying (I prefer peanut oil)
  • 4 large lettuce leaves
  • 4 to 8 slices of tomato
  • Buns for the sandwiches (I prefer Kaiser rolls)

TARTAR SAUCE

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • Tabasco sauce to taste
  • 1/2 cup chopped pickles
  • 2 teaspoons capers, chopped
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • 1 tablespoon minced chives
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  • If you're making homemade tartar sauce, do this first by mixing everything in a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in the fridge.

  • Fry the bacon slowly in a pan until almost crispy; you want a little bend in your bacon for a sandwich. Set the bacon aside and discard the fat in the pan, or reserve it for another recipe.

  • Get all your fixins' ready for the sandwiches, and get three shallow containers out for the dredging station: One for the flour, one for the beaten eggs, and one for the breadcrumbs.

  • Take the fish out of the fridge and salt them. Pour the oil in the pan you fried the bacon in and heat it over medium-high heat until it's about 350°F -- if you don't have a thermometer, flick a little flour into the oil. When it sizzles immediately, you're ready. Turn the heat down to medium for a moment.

  • Dredge the fish fillets in flour, then dip in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs. If you want a really thick and crispy crust, dip the fillets in egg and breadcrumbs a second time. Turn the heat to high on the oil and gently lay the fillets into the pan. Make sure they are not touching each other. Let them fry for a minute or so, then adjust the heat down; adding the fish drops the heat of the oil, which is why you want to kick the heat up for a minute or two to compensate. If you can't get all the fish into the pan at once, fry in batches.

  • Fry the fish until they are golden brown, about 2 to 5 minutes per side; use the longer range if your fish fillets are thicker than an inch. Set on paper towels to drain.

  • Spread the tartar sauce on both sides of the buns, then add the lettuce, fish fillets, tomato and bacon. Open a beer and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 683kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 114g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 322mg | Sodium: 550mg | Potassium: 2790mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2187IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @huntgathercook or tag #hankshaw!

Categorized as:
American Recipes, Featured, Fish, Recipe

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About Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet’s largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

Read More About Me

Fried Fish Sandwich Recipe - How to Make a Crispy Fried Fish Sandwich (2024)

FAQs

What kind of fish makes the best fish sandwich? ›

You can use any fish you like for these sandwiches, but we prefer grouper or mahi-mahi. Thinner, flaky white fish is better in this application—meatier fish like tuna or swordfish will be too dense.

Do you dip fish in egg or flour first? ›

Beat the egg lightly. Dip one fish piece at the time, first in the flour, then in the egg. Let the excess egg drip off before coating the fish in the bread crumbs.

Why is my fried fish not crispy? ›

There are naturally going to be some variances when you add food to a pot of hot oil, but if the temperature lowers too much, you run the risk of not being able to brown and crisp the fish. That dreaded blonde, soggy fried fish is what you'll get.

How do you make deep fry more crispy? ›

Prep Your Food

We mentioned the danger of water and hot oil, so make sure any food you add to the oil is dry, and by this we mean free of water. Coating your food in batter, on the other hand, is wonderful way to give deep-fried foods a crispy exterior while preventing the food itself from drying out.

What oil makes fish crispy? ›

Thanks to its neutral flavor, affordable price, and high smoke point, canola oil is the most popular oil for frying fish. Peanut, cottonseed, and coconut oil are also great fish frying oils.

Why do people soak fish in milk before frying? ›

In a 3-quart bowl, soak fish in milk for 15-20 minutes. The casein protein in milk binds to the trimethylamine in the fish flesh, reducing the “fishy” odor.

Should I use flour or cornstarch to fry fish? ›

What Breading Ingredients Make the Crispiest Fried Fish? The base of the breading mixture will be a cup of all-purpose flour and a cup of yellow corn meal. This gives the fried fish the classic gritty breading texture. Corn starch is essential to fish breading.

What fish does Popeyes use for their fish sandwich? ›

This sandwich features a breaded and fried flounder filet that gets topped with pickles and sauce and served on a brioche bun.

What fish does McDonald's use for their fish sandwich? ›

We use wild-caught Alaska Pollock for our Filet-O-Fish® sandwich in the U.S., which is 100% sourced from sustainable fisheries. Why is sustainable fish so important to us? Because it helps protect our oceans—something that's important to you.

What kind of fish does Wendy's use in their fish sandwich? ›

We pride ourselves on offering what we believe is the best all-around fish sandwich among fast food restaurants. The Wild Caught Alaskan Pollock fillet's buttery flakiness is complemented by savory notes of garlic and onion inspiring our fans' love of the fish sandwich's texture, flavor and crispiness.

Should you beat eggs before adding to batter? ›

Yes, when adding eggs to a cake mix, it's a common practice to beat them first. Beating the eggs before incorporating them into the cake batter helps ensure a smoother and more even distribution of the eggs throughout the mixture. This results in a better texture and consistency for your cake.

Should you coat fish in flour before frying? ›

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.

Does fish batter need an egg? ›

Eggless batter is a valid vegan substitute for the traditional batter used to fry fish, vegetables or meat: the basic mixture is the same – water and flour – but there are as many variations as there are possible additional ingredients.

How do you get golden crust on fish? ›

Oil or avocado oil: Combined with the heated pan, a film of oil is all you need to create the golden crust. Combined with the salt and pepper, the result is simple but impressive flavor and texture. Don't move the salmon until ready to flip: Allowing the fish to cook in one spot will allow a better crust to develop.

Should fish be fried in butter or oil? ›

You want your fish to taste great with classic tartar sauce and sides for fried fish! So it's best to use a neutral oil, like canola, vegetable and safflower oil to fry fish. Peanut oil has a high smoke point, which is perfect for frying, but it could add a slightly nutty flavor to your fish.

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