• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Two Purple Figs
  • Home
  • Recipes
        • By Course
          • Appetizer Recipes
          • Main Dishes
            • Chicken
            • Beef
            • Lamb
            • Pasta
            • Pizza
            • Sandwiches
            • Seafood
          • Side Dishes
          • Soups
          • Salads
          • Breakfast Brunch Recipes
          • Desserts
            • Cakes
            • Cheesecakes
            • Cookies
            • Bars & Brownies
            • Muffins
            • Pies
          • Drinks & Smoothies
        • By Method
          • Videos
          • Quick & Easy
          • Air Fryer Recipes
          • Crock Pot Recipes
          • Instant Pot
          • Finger Food
          • Bread Recipes
          • Dips
        • By LifeStyle
          • Gluten Free
          • Vegetarian
          • Vegan
        • By Cuisine
          • American Recipes
          • Asian Recipes
          • Mediterranean Recipes
          • Mexican Recipes
        • By Occasion
          • Easter
          • Holidays
          • Parties
          • Potluck
          • Tailgate
        • All Recipes
  • Recipe Videos
  • About Me
  • Work with Me
  • Newsletter
You are here: Home / Recipes / Main Dishes / Seafood / Fish Fry

Fish Fry

February 5, 2021 by Mahy, Updated April 24, 2021 23 Comments

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
Long Pin for Fish Fry

Fish Fry is my go to comfort meal for fish! Tasty, moist, crunchy fried fish is unbeatable! Here’s a video with tips on how to fry fish, best oil to fry fish ,fish fry seasoning, how to reheat fried fish, and more!

A pile of fish fry and lemon slices

Today’s succulent video and recipe is in partnership withy friends at Sealand Quality Foods. Canadian suppliers of premium quality meats and seafood delivered to your door!

If you grew up with fried fish and fish fry like I did, you’ll understand the level of comfort this recipe brings! On top of that, it’s also super delicious!

 

 

 

FISH FRY

Fish fry comes in different forms. Some recipes will have a beer batter to drench in the fish before frying. Others will have a bread crumb and cornmeal blend for crisp. You’ll find many other variations.

My favorite way to fry fish is using the trick of double dredging in flour only. No breadcrumbs required. Also no cornmeal, since I’m not looking for that harsh crisp.

The video above shows you the details of fish fry and below you’ll find step by step images too.

A fork wit a bite of fish fry showing the flakey fish on the inside and the crunchy crust on the outside.

Here’s why I love Fish Fry

  • It’s succulent and creates juicy fish.
  • You don’t need to marinade or prep ahead of time for it.
  • No fancy ingredients are needed, so you don’t need to plan a grocery trip for it!
  • Frying the fish will cook super quick depending on the thickness of the fillet.
  • Even more, you can fry a whole fish not just a fillet.
  • The contrast in texture between the crunch coating and the tender succulent fish is unbeatable!
  • Fried fish comes together in under 30 minutes with sides and everything!
  • You can jazz up the spices and make fried fish with different flavors every time.
  • Any and almost every type of fish works with frying!
  • This dish reminds me so much of my grandma who mostly made fish by frying it and rarely any other way. It brings me so much comfort to fry fish.

Before jumping into the How To for the recipe, just  a quick note about the fish.

A hand holding a piece of fish fillet surrounded by flowers, lemon slices and parsley

ORANGE ROUGHY

I used orange roughy fillets today which were delivered from Sealand Quality Foods. I absolutely love their quality of products and when you start off with quality fish, you’ll end up with quality seafood dinners!

Remember the baked Mahi Mahi? It was also delivered by them. I get so many requests for seafood dinners and these two recipes are a great way to start!

Orange roughy fillets on a white marble

What is Orange Roughy?

Orange roughy is another large sized fish that lives in salt water.

It has a mild, delicate flavor and moist, large-flaked meat that holds together well after cooking.

HOW TO FRY FISH

First of all, remove any packaging on the fish and defrost it in the fridge overnight.

 

Make sure you pat your fish dry with a paper towel before proceeding with any seasoning or dredging. This will help the coating stick better to the fish.

Fish fillets on a white paper and cut up into thirds

Use a sharp knife to cut the fish fillets into three parts.

Now you’ll prepare two bowls for the fish seasoning.

Fish Seasoning

The dry seasoning bowl is the flour mixture. Here you’ll have flour and some dry spice which flavor the flour.

A bowl for fish seasoning including a bowl of flour and a bowl of seasoning spice

Seasoning includes: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika.

Flour mixure ready and all whisked in a large bowl ready for the fish fry

You’ll whisk that into the flour in a shallow dish and set aside.

The wet seasoning bowl for fish fry seasoning including a bowl of egg, lemon juice, spices like salt, oregano and pepper, hot sauce, garlic mayo

In another shallow dish or bowl, you’ll make the wet or sticky fish seasoning.

You’ll need an egg, hot sauce (optional), salt, pepper, lemon juice, garlic mayo and oregano.

Whisk all of those together in a separate bowl and set it aside.

Wet mixture for coating the fish is ready in a bowl

Just a quick note if you don’t have garlic mayo, you can use regular mayo and raw minced garlic.

This sticky mixture is what helps the flour coating stick and also infuses flavor.

The fish coating bowls are ready and placed over the cut up fish fillets ready for breading before frying

Now comes the coating process.

Fish dipped in the flour mixture and a tong used to coat the fish

Dip the fish in the seasoned flour mixture and shake off any excess.

The fish fillets dredged in the egg sticky mixture next for the breading porcess

Then dip that fish into the sticky egg mixture and coat it well.

The fish fillets being dredged once again in the flour bowl and a tong is used to coat it

Now place the fish back in the seasoned flour mixture for the extra thick crunch layer of coating.

finished coated fish on a parchment paper ready for frying

Set the coated fish on a parchment lined tray and prepare the oil.

Best Oil to Fry Fish

You’ll need a high smoking point and neutral tasting oil for this. Any oil that can handle high heat is great.

So anything from Soybean, Sunflower, vegetable, corn, safflower, rice bran oil and my least favourite would be canola oil.

Make sure to use a shallow skillet for the frying. Avoid a deep or large pot because the fish doesn’t need that depth.

A tong placing the fish in the bubbling oil for the fish fry to start frying

Temp To Fry Fish

Once you have your skillet and oil ready you’ll start off with medium high heat to get the oil hot.

If you have an oil thermometer, you can check for the temperature to be at 375 at most. Anywhere between 350 degrees F to 375 degrees is ideal.

Once you’ve reached the right temperature for the oil, you’ll drop the heat to medium.

Now place the coated fish into the hot oil, one piece at a time.

Oil bubbling in a skillet and fish frying inside

How long to deep fry fish?

You’ll be frying the fish for anywhere between 3-5 minutes depending on the type of fillet and size.

The orange roughy was ready right at 3 minutes.

Fish fried and drying on paper towels ready to be served

You’re looking for that golden brown color, and a super crunchy coating on the outside.

SO GOOD!!

Now when the fish is ready you’ll drain any excess oil on a paper towel and let it cool down for a few minutes before serving.

A cut up piece of fried fish showing the inside texture of flakey moist fish

Sides for Fried Fish

My absolute favorite side to fried fish is french fries.  Like absolute favorite.

I do however also love a simple green salad with it just dressed up with salt, lemon juice and oil. Nothing fancy, but really tasty!

A huge platter with fish fry, lemon wedges, french fries and salad on a wooden board over a marble surrounded by lemon slices and a bowl of parsley

Another thing I love to serve with this dish is my tartar sauce and plenty of lemon wedges.

That final touch of squeezed lemon over the fried fish is like the icing on the cake! And why not a sprinkle of parsley too?

How to Reheat Fried Fish

Well, definitely back in the day, my grandma would reheat her fried fish in the oven, but for the record, it looses much of it’s crunch by doing so.

Close up of one fish fry showing the extra crunchy texture

The BEST way to reheat fried fish and keep it really crunchy on outside is using the Air Fryer. YES. It rocks when it comes to reheating crispy foods.

Just place the fish in the air fryer basket and reheat them for a few minutes. They’ll be fresh and as if right out of the oil again! Give this trick a try and let me know! 🙂

Now we’ve covered pretty much everything you need to know, so give that a try using my grandma’s double flour coating. Also if you’re in Canada, don’t forget to start with premium fish from Sealand Quality Foods delivered to your door!

A hand holing the fish fry plate with french fries and the other hand squeezing lemon juice over the fried fish

Enjoy!!

FISH FRY TIPS

  • Defrost the fish you’re using overnight without any packaging on.
  • Pat the fish dry well before beginning the coating, this will help the coating stick better on the fish.
  • Prepare the flour mixture in a shallow bowl and season it (you can add more or less seasoning).
  • In another shallow dish or bowl, prepare the flavored sticky egg mixture.
  • If you don’t have garlic mayo, use regular mayo and fresh minced garlic.
  • The mayo adds so much moisture and tenderizes the fish. You can substitute yogurt if you’re not a mayo person.
  • The first dredge in the flour mixture has to e very thin, so shake off excess flour from the fish.
  • The fish then needs to be well coated in the egg mixture, as this will help the second coating of flour to stick well.
  • The second dredge in flour has to be thick since this will be the crunch layer. Don’t shake off excess flour here, rather press it down to the fish and make sure it sticks.
  • Fry the fish in a neutral tasting oil with a high smoking point. Details above.
  • The optional temperature for frying is between 350 degrees F and 375 degrees F.
  • Once fish is fried and ready, drain excess oil on a kitchen towel for a few minutes before serving.
  • Serve with french fries, tartar sauce, lemon wedges and salad.
  • To reheat fried fish, the air fryer is the best appliance to maintain that crunchy exterior on the fish even days later.
  • If you don’t have an air fryer, reheat the fried fish on a wire rack over a baking sheet in the oven. It may loose some of it’s crunch but it will still be delicious!

A huge plate of fish fry, french fries, greens with lemon slices and at the back someone holding a plate of fried fish and eating it with a fork

FISH RECIPES

Baked Mahi Mahi

30 Mins Mexican Tilapia Fish Dinner

Pesto Pistachio Fish Fillet

Blood Orange Salmon Salad With Orange Dill Dressing

Baked Salmon With Greek Dressing

How to Cook Mussels with Garlic and Lemon Sauce

Quick Shrimp Pasta with Garlic Feta Sauce

Mediterranean Baked Fish

A finished plate of fish fry and fries on a wooden board surrounded by lemon slices and sprinkled with parsley

A pile of fish fry and lemon slices
4.84 from 12 votes
Print

Fish Fry

Fish Fry is my go to comfort meal for fish! Tasty, moist, crunchy fried fish is unbeatable! Here’s a video with tips on how to fry fish, best oil to fry fish, fish fry seasoning, best temp to fry fish, how to reheat fried fish and more!

Course Main Course, Main Dish
Cuisine American, Mediterranean
Keyword fish fry, fish fry recipe, fish fry seasoning, fried fish, how to fry fish, how to reheat fried fish, oil for fish fry
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 560 kcal
Author Mahy

Ingredients

Fish

  • 3 fillets Orange Roughy defrosted overnight without packaging in the fridge.

Flour Mixture

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Egg Mixture

  • 1 egg
  • 3 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce sriracha or your favorite optional
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/3 cup garlic mayo or 1/3 cup mayo/yogurt mixed with 2 cloves of garlic minced

Oil:

  • 3 cups frying oil

Serving:

  • Green salad
  • Lemon slices
  • French fries
  • Tartar Sauce

Instructions

  1. Start by preparing the fish for frying.
  2. Pat dry the fish fillets very well on both sides and make sure you’ve removed as much moisture from it as you can.
    Fish fillets on a white paper and cut up into thirds
  3. Cut each fish fillets into three pieces.
  4. In a shallow plate or bowl, prepare the four mixture by mixing all ingredients together.
    Flour mixure ready and all whisked in a large bowl ready for the fish fry
  5. In another shallow plate or bowl, prepare the sticky egg mixture by mixing all ingredients.
    Wet mixture for coating the fish is ready in a bowl
  6. Start dredging the fish fillets pieces in the flour mixture first. Make sure to shake pff the excess. The first coating is meant to be super thin.
    The fish fillets dredged in the egg sticky mixture next for the breading porcess
  7. Place the fish then into the wet bowl and coat it well on both sides.
  8. Finally, place the coated fish back into the flour mixture for a heavy and thicker coat of flour. This is the crunch coating and you need it to be thick.
    The fish fillets being dredged once again in the flour bowl and a tong is used to coat it
  9. Press any excess flour into the fish as much as you can instead of shaking off the excess as you did with the first coating.
  10. Arrange the breaded fish fillets over a parchment lined baking sheet as you wait for the oil to be ready.
    finished coated fish on a parchment paper ready for frying
  11. Preheat a shallow skillet with the il over medium high heat until it reaches a temperature of 350 degrees F to 375.
    A tong placing the fish in the bubbling oil for the fish fry to start frying
  12. Then drop the fish one at a time into the hot oil. Make sure not to crowd your pan. Fry 3 pieces at a time only.
  13. Fry the fish for 3-5 minutes until golden brown and crisped up.
  14. Remove the ready fried fish from the pan and place them into a kitchen paper lined plate to soak up any excess oil.
    Fish fried and drying on paper towels ready to be served
  15. Repeat the frying press with the remaining fish fillets.
  16. When ready to serve, arrange a platter with the sides and serve the fish with a squeeze of lemon juice, tartar sauce, french fries and enjoy!
    A hand holing the fish fry plate with french fries and the other hand squeezing lemon juice over the fried fish
  17. Store leftover fish filets in the fridge for up to 3 days and optimally reheat them in an air fryer for 3-5 minutes. Otherwise reheat them in the oven at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

FISH FRY TIPS

  • Defrost the fish you’re using overnight without any packaging on.
  • Pat the fish dry well before beginning the coating, this will help the coating stick better on the fish.
  • Prepare the flour mixture in a shallow bowl and season it (you can add more or less seasoning).
  • In another shallow dish or bowl, prepare the flavored sticky egg mixture.
  • If you don’t have garlic mayo, use regular mayo and fresh minced garlic.
  • The mayo adds so much moisture and tenderizes the fish. You can substitute yogurt if you’re not a mayo person.
  • The first dredge in the flour mixture has to e very thin, so shake off excess flour from the fish.
  • The fish then needs to be well coated in the egg mixture, as this will help the second coating of flour to stick well.
  • The second dredge in flour has to be thick since this will be the crunch layer. Don’t shake off excess flour here, rather press it down to the fish and make sure it sticks.
  • Fry the fish in a neutral tasting oil with a high smoking point. Details above.
  • The optional temperature for frying is between 350 degrees F and 375 degrees F.
  • Once fish is fried and ready, drain excess oil on a kitchen towel for a few minutes before serving.
  • Serve the fish fry with french fries, tartar sauce, lemon wedges and salad.
  • To reheat fried fish, the air fryer is the best appliance to maintain that crunchy exterior on the fish even days later.
  • If you don’t have an air fryer, reheat the fried fish on a wire rack over a baking sheet in the oven. It may loose some of it’s crunch but it will still be delicious!
Nutrition Facts
Fish Fry
Amount Per Serving
Calories 560 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Trans Fat 1g
Cholesterol 124mg41%
Sodium 865mg38%
Potassium 319mg9%
Carbohydrates 51g17%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 29g58%
Vitamin A 283IU6%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 38mg4%
Iron 5mg28%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Related Posts

A spoon with the roast tomatoes and herbs and olives next to the baked fishMediterranean Baked Fish Air fryer fish made into tacos showing a piece of bitten fish to see how succulent and juicy the fish isAir Fryer Fish For Air Fryer Fish Tacos A plate of Korean Fried Chicken strips topped with cilantro and spread with lemon slices, green chillies and a kitchen towel.Korean Fried Chicken Strips A table set up with a plate of stir fry recipe, chilli sauce on the same, cold drinks, extra cilantro and mint for garnish, chopsticksEasy Stir Fry Recipe with Lamb and Veggies
554 shares
  • Share
  • Yummly
  • Email
  • WhatsApp

Filed Under: Recipes, Seafood, Videos Tagged With: deep fry, egg, fillet, fillets of fish, fish, fish dinner, flour, french fries, fried fish, garlic, garlic mayo, garlic powder, hot sauce, lemon, oil fry, orange roughy, paprika, spices, tartar sauce, tilapia, yogurt

Previous Post: « Air Fryer Lamb Chops with Poblano Sauce
Next Post: Mushroom Swiss Burger »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. SsYouTube

    October 27, 2024 at 12:26 pm

    This fish fry recipe looks incredible! I love the tips you provided for getting the perfect crispy coating. Can’t wait to try it out this weekend. The video was super helpful too—thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  2. Yesnospin

    August 19, 2023 at 8:47 pm

    I love fried fish! This video is so helpful in learning how to fry fish.

    Reply
  3. Kelly

    December 26, 2021 at 7:07 pm

    Perhaps I’m not understanding the instructions clearly. I fry only one piece at a time for 3 to 6 min and I have approximately 9 pieces of fish? At a minimum my cook time is 27 min, not 20 as you’ve indicated, and do you have any suggestions on how I can keep them warm, please? I really want to try this recipe. Also, what other fish can I use?

    Reply
  4. Valerie

    February 11, 2021 at 9:43 am

    5 stars
    My Mom would absolutely love these. She adores fish but honestly I’m not sure she ever knew how to cook it, she’d be happy to visit and find this on the table.

    Reply
    • Mahy

      March 7, 2021 at 11:48 am

      Valerie, if you love fried Fish then this will be your favorite I assure you!

      Reply
  5. Mirlene

    February 11, 2021 at 9:24 am

    5 stars
    These pictures are definitely making me be in the mood to fry fish today. I cannot wait to try this recipe.

    Reply
    • Mahy

      March 7, 2021 at 11:48 am

      Hope you do Mirlene!

      Reply
  6. Alisa Infanti

    February 11, 2021 at 8:55 am

    Looks so good and absolutely stunning pics!

    Reply
    • Mahy

      March 7, 2021 at 11:48 am

      Thank you!!

      Reply
  7. Dionne

    February 11, 2021 at 7:12 am

    5 stars
    Fish Fry will never be the same for me! This recipe is so good that I think it will replace my go-to that I’ve had for years! I love how detailed the steps are – thank you for making everything so easy to follow!

    Reply
    • Mahy

      March 7, 2021 at 11:48 am

      Thanks so much Dionne! Hope you make these!

      Reply
  8. Claudia Lamascolo

    February 11, 2021 at 7:04 am

    5 stars
    I am going to get everything today to make this and I cant wait this fish sounds fantastic!

    Reply
    • Mahy

      March 7, 2021 at 11:49 am

      It’s super tasty for sure!!

      Reply
  9. Katie Beck

    February 5, 2021 at 1:16 pm

    5 stars
    This is one glorious looking meal! We love friend fish and have never tried it with roughy, but will be now!

    Reply
    • Mahy

      March 7, 2021 at 11:51 am

      You’ll love it Katie!!

      Reply
  10. Lisa Huff

    February 5, 2021 at 1:06 pm

    5 stars
    I haven’t had orange roughy in years. It looks so juicy and fresh!!

    Reply
    • Mahy

      March 7, 2021 at 11:51 am

      It was absolutely tasty and fresh!

      Reply
  11. Gail Montero

    February 5, 2021 at 12:38 pm

    5 stars
    These definitely look like the perfect fried fish and so perfect for our Fish Friday! Love the tips and tricks for making this fish!

    Reply
    • Mahy

      March 7, 2021 at 11:51 am

      hope you make it

      Reply
  12. Dannii

    February 5, 2021 at 12:38 pm

    5 stars
    This looks amazing. Lovely and comforting and the perfect Friday night food.

    Reply
    • Mahy

      March 7, 2021 at 11:51 am

      It’s our favoirte too Dannii!

      Reply
  13. Kushigalu

    February 5, 2021 at 12:30 pm

    5 stars
    This fish fry looks amazingly delicious. Great pics too. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Mahy

      March 7, 2021 at 11:52 am

      Thank you so much

      Reply
4.84 from 12 votes (3 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Search for a recipe

Mahy PicHi, I'm Mahy, a recipe developer, food stylist, culinary instructor, photographer, wife and busy mom! Welcome to my blog!...Read More

Never Miss a Post!

subscribe and receive fresh recipes to your inbox

Share the Love

As Featured On

Search by category

Footer

Footer logo

About

About Mahy

Sign up to Newsletter

Work with Me

Contact

Recipes

By Life Style

By Course

By Method

By Cuisine

By Occasion

All Recipes

Copyright © 2025 · Privacy Policy

All images and content are copyright protected. Please contact me if you would like to use any images . If you want to republish any of my recipes, please link back to my website and the recipe post.

»
«

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.