Make Pan-Fried Breaded Fish that Everyone Will Love
The best-pan-fried fish has a light coat of crispy golden breading. The white meat inside is tender and juicy. You don’t need to go to culinary school to master this seafood staple. All you need is flour, eggs, and the fish fillets of your choice. Even if you’ve never pan-fried fish before, you can master it quickly.
These 6 simple tricks will help you pan-fry fish like a pro!
Pat Each Fillet Dry Before Breading.
Using a paper towel to remove water from the outside of the fish fillets will help the egg and flour to stick better. This will also prevent the flour from getting soggy and help it crisp up.
Use a Heavy-Duty Skillet
Heavy-duty skillets cook food more evenly. These types of pans are thicker on the bottom. The distance this creates between the stove’s surface, and the cooking surface helps the heat circulate better. With meat like fish that cooks quickly, it’s especially important to have a pan with an even distribution of heat. A cast-iron skillet is ideal, but any other heavy-duty skillet will work as well.
Preheat the Pan Before Adding the Oil
This tip will prevent the fillets from sticking to the bottom of the pan and ruining your breading. You only need to heat your pan on medium-high for a few minutes to preheat it fully. To ensure it’s hot enough, splash a little bit of cold water into the pan. If the water immediately sizzles and evaporates, it’s ready for you to add the oil. The oil will heat up to temperature in seconds.
Shake Off Any Excess Flour
Too much flour on your fish fillets will fall off instead of sticking to the fillet. Shaking it off before you place it in the pan will ensure you have the best, crispy outer layer.
Only Flip It Once
Please wait until the bottom of the fillet is nicely browned before flipping it. This will prevent the batter from breaking and falling off while it’s in the pan. If it sticks to the pan, wait a little while and try again instead of forcing it up. Once it’s done, it should be easy to flip over or remove it from the pan.
Keep Your Eye on It!
Seafood cooks quickly! This is especially true when you are pan-frying it. Each side will brown in just 2 to 3 minutes. Be sure that you keep your eye on it at all times while it’s cooking. If you plan to make other sides, prepare them first so that you aren’t trying to multitask while your fish is frying.
Quick & Delicious Pan-Fried Fish
Ingredients
- 4 thin fish fillets (around 1/4″ this ck)
- 1 egg
- 1 cup flour or cornmeal
- 1 tsp paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 – 3 tbsp vegetable oil or avocado oil
Instructions
1. Pat each fillet dry with a paper towel. This step is especially important if you are cooking frozen fish (be sure to thaw it first.)
2. Add a light dusting of salt and pepper to each fillet (both sides).
3. Pour 1 cup of flour into a plastic bag. Then add a teaspoon of paprika. Toss until combined.
4. Crack the egg into a shallow dish. Beat it lightly.
4. Preheat a heavy-duty skillet over medium-high. Once it’s hot enough that droplets of water immediately sizzle and evaporate, add oil. Be sure to use an oil with a high smoke point like vegetable oil, avocado oil, or peanut oil.
(Do not use olive oil or butter since they have a low smoke point.)
5. Dip a fish fillet into the egg wash. Once it’s completely coated, place it in the bag with flour. Toss until the fillet is coated in flour. Shake off the extra batter as you pull it out of the bag. Then, immediately place the fillet in the pan.
6. Repeat step 5 for all four fish fillets.
7. Cook each fillet for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until the bottom is browned, then flip over.
8. Once both sides of a fish fillet are browned, remove it the pan. Repeat this for all four fillets.
We hope you love this recipe and make it a staple in your home. For more recipes and seafood cooking tips, browse through our blog! If you are hunting for a seafood market that you can trust for the best fresh seafood, stop by City Fish Market!