Pan Fried Fish is a thing of beauty, with its beautiful crispy golden crust and juicy flesh inside. Itโs a super quick dinner because cooking fish fillets on the stove takes less than 5 minutes!
Wondering how to stop fish sticking to the pan? Itโs easy: use a heavy based skillet (doesnโt need to be non stick), heat the pan before adding oil, and most importantly โ do not move move the fish until it naturally releases from the pan!
Crispy Pan Fried Fish
I think that cooking fish on the stove is the BEST way to cook fish, especially when you invest in really good fish fillets โ or youโve caught your own! Crispy and golden on the outside โ with or without skin, though I do love shatteringly crispy skin like Crispy Skin Salmon โ and beautifully juicy on the inside. Pan fried fish is one of those things that is so quick and so good, we wonder why we donโt make it every night.
But unless you know a few little tips, you can end up with a disappointingly soggy fish fillet or, even sadder, all that golden crispy goodness stuck on the pan. So today Iโm sharing my tips to nail pan fried fish perfectly, every single time.
How to cookย fish fillets in a pan โ perfectly!
Use a heavy based skillet โ it doesnโt need to be non stick, but it needs to be aย heavy pan;
Heat the pan before adding oil;
If it sticks a bit, do not move until it naturally releases;
Pat fish dry before cooking; and
Shake off excess flour very well.
I go through each of these points in a bit more detail below. ๐
How to cook fish on the stove โ perfectly every time!
1. Use a heavy duty skillet โ it DOES NOT need to be a non stick pan! Contrary to popular belief, itโs not just about using a non stick pan. A thin, cheap non stick pan will cause the fish to be in closer and harsher contact with the stove, causingย the fish to brown unevenly in the few minutes itโs on the stove. Some crispy patches, some not so crispy ones.
Use a heavy duty skillet, like a cast iron skillet (pictured) orย a good quality, heavy non stick fry pan (I love my ScanPan, shownย in the video). It heats better, and more evenly, which really helps to get an even, golden, crispy crust.
2.ย Heat the pan first before adding the oil โ I have NEVER had problems with fish sticking to the pan since I adopted this technique. Itโs just an easy way to ensure the oil is hot enough but not too hot (a common mistake people make).
To do this, just heat a dry pan, and as soon as you see small wisps of smoke, add oil, swirl to coat base, then immediately add the fish.
3. Do not move until it releases naturally โย Most fish filletsย willย initially stick to the pan as they start to cook (unless youโre using so much oil youโre basically shallow frying them). But itย naturally releases once the surface is cooked and golden.
So give it a nudge, and if it doesnโt want to move, then it means that itโs not ready. So just leave it and try again in another 15 seconds or so!
4. Pat fish dry โ dry fish = crispier surface. Especially important for thawed frozen fish.
5. Shake off excess flour โย coat well in flour but vigorously shake off excess (too much flour = crispy crust falls off)
Love big, bold flavours?
Try this Cajun Blackened Fish โ seasoned with Cajun spices then pan fried to perfection!
Sauces for fish
With well seasoned crispy skin and juicy flesh inside, I donโt need anything more than a squeeze of fresh lemon. But I am a sauce person, so I never turn down a sauce even for fish! Here are my favourite Sauces for Fish:
Lemon Butter Sauce for fish โ this is an absolute ripper. Totally restaurant worthy, 2 ingredients, the secret is toย brown the butter;
Creamy Dill Sauce โ traditionally thought of for salmon but equally good with other fish;
Cocktail Sauce, Marie Rose Sauce, or Tartare Sauce โ recipe in this Prawn Dipping Saucesย post
Lemon Cream Sauce (see recipe notes)- A richer cream sauce with lemon;
Simple Lemon Butter Sauce* cooked with the pictured Asparagus, Peas and Beans, as pictured. Itโs really good!
The one catch with Crispy Pan Fried Fish is that it doesnโt stay crispy for that long. Once the fish cools, the surface loses crispiness.ย So eat it fresh off the stove!ย โ Nagi xx
Try these on the side:
Fresh Garden Salad with Balsamic Dressing, French Dressing or Italian Dressing
Cauliflower Cheese โ A rich, creamy, cheesy and rib-sticking British classic
Paris Mash โ For a true fine dining experience!ย Tip: Itโs so soft and creamy, it is practically a sauce in itself.
Zucchini Fennel Ribbon Salad โ For something different!
And more fish recipes:
Crispy Pan Fried Fish
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Crispy Pan Fried Fish recipe video! The Dozer cameo is meant to be about his built-in food alarm clock, but all I can seeย is the puff of fur he leaves behind when he movesโฆ.
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Crispy Pan Fried Fish
Ingredients
- 2 thin fish fillets, around 150g/5 oz each, 1 cm / 2/5โณ thick, skin on or off (Note 1)
- Salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup / 35g flour (plain/all purpose, wholemeal)
- 1 tsp paprika , optional (Note 2)
- 2 โ 3 tbsp oil, enough to mostly thinly cover base (I use vegetable or canola)
Garnishes:
- Lemon wedges
- Finely chopped parsley or dill , for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Use scrunched up paper towels to pat the fish dry on both sides. This is especially important if you are using thawed frozen fish.
- Season the fish well on both sides with salt and pepper (key!).
- Mix the flour and paprika on a plate.
- Coat fish on both sides with flour, pressing down firmly so it adheres, but shake well to remove excess. (Note 2)
- Heat a heavy based skillet (normal or non stick) over medium high heat until you see wisps of smoke. Add oil and swirl to coat the pan โ it will heat within seconds.
- Add fish โ it should sizzle straight away. Shake the pan lightly to move the fish.ย Cook for 2 minutes until golden and crisp, pressing down gently, then flip.ย Cook the other side for 2 minutes until crisp then remove.
- If itโs browning too quickly, just remove pan from the stove briefly. ย If itโs stuck, donโt move โ it will release naturally once golden.
- Serve fish immediately with lemon wedges and garnished with dill or parsley, if using. It starts to lose crispiness after 5 minutes.
Recipe Notes:
- Killer Lemon Butter Sauce โ very fine dining restaurant worthy!
- Creamy Dill Sauce
- Cocktail Sauce, Marie Rose Sauce, or Tartare Sauce โ recipes in this Prawn Dipping Saucesย post
- Simple Lemon Butter Sauce: Melt 50g/3tbsp salted butter, add 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (or to taste).
- (Rich) Lemon Cream Sauce: Simmer 1/2 cup cream over medium heat, add 1 tbsp butter, zest of 1/2 lemon and 1/2 tbsp lemon juice. Simmer for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened.ย
- Asparagus, butter beans and peas in lemon butter sauce (pictured in post): Use Simple Lemon Butter above and add 3 tbsp water. Bring to simmer, add 2/3ย cup drained canned white beans, handful of asparagus cut into 5 cm / 2โณ lengths, 1/4 cup frozen peas. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until asparagus is just cooked and liquid is thickened. Stir through 1 tbsp chopped dill, adjust salt & pepper to taste. Spoon onto plate, place fish on top. The sauce doubles as sauce for the fish.
Nutrition Information:
Originally published June 2017.ย Updated for housekeeping matters in March 2019, no change to recipe.
LIFE OF DOZER
Dozer eyeing off Crispy Pan Fried Fish packed and ready to go to the homeless manโฆ. #Shameless
Family love it with tilapia! Thanks!
Perfect Cathy!! N x
Just cooked deep sea cod using this recipe and it was fantastic ๐
Yum! Sounds perfect Nicky ๐ N x
I made this last night with your parmesan crusted potatoes. I used snapper fillets & they turned out perfectly & the potatoes were a huge hit. We were fighting over the last few pieces. Thank you Nagi
Iโm so glad you loved it!! N x
Nagi, Iโve always wrecked fish before when Iโve tried pan frying it. Tonight I nailed it! Used the scanpan, followed instructions to the letter. Absolutely gorgeous. Made it with blue grenadier. Thank you for another epic dish.
Sounds fabulous Liz!
Not sure what went wrong but I used a cast iron skillet for the first time. Heated pan before adding oil. Iโve never had fish stick to the pan worst than I did here. Never got to the point where the fish would let go from the pan โ had to pry it off.
Oh no!!! You need to season a cast iron skillet before using โ you can find some tips here https://www.seriouseats.com/2016/09/how-to-season-cast-iron-pans-skillets-cookware.html
Tried your recipe for crispy fish and the lemon butter sauce. Both were really good. Thank you for sharing. Most importantly, the seemingly small tips, like dry the fish, then salt and pepper before flour, than cover in flour and shake off the excess, heat the pan first than cook the fishโฆ use a silver pan for the butter so you can see the color, these put you above and beyond other recipe providers. Soooo easy to understand and follow your process.
Hi. How do I modify this recipe for frozen fish fillets? Could I cook them from frozen or is it better to defrost them first? Btw I love all your recipes I tried here! Thanks Nagi ๐
I agree 100%, Terry!! Nagi really has it down with the tips and tricks to help people out. I love that about her recipes, too ๐
Wow!! Made this tonight for dinner. Iโm normally hopeless at cooking fish but this turned out brilliantly. Used gluten free self raising flour to coat the fish which gave it a lovely puffy crispy coating. Served with the asparagus, butter beans and beans in butter lemon sauce. Yummo!!!
Sounds like you nailed it!!! ๐
My first time frying fish. It turned out so good. Thank you so much for your recipe!
This looks so goodโฆIโll be trying this one soon for sure! Thanks for posting!
I hope you love it Evanz!
I fried the fish with skin and I also made small slits so it doesnโt curl. My problem it tasted fishy. Did I cook it enough.
Hi Barbara, can I ask what kind of fish did you use? โ N x
Every single recipe that I try of yours Nagi, is awesome.
Thank you, once again, for helping me along!!!
Oh thatโs so great to hear Stephanie! ๐
I made your fried fish fillets tonite !! The first time I ever fried cod right ! It was delicious . Your tips were perfect . Thank you so much .
Youโre so welcome! Iโm so happy you loved them!
I love this post, thanks for all the great tips! My question is whether or not I must use flour coating in order to get my fish skin to turn out crispy and not to stick to the pan? My BF and I love fish but usually cook it โnakedโ (i.e. olive oil in the pan only, no coating) โ trouble is, we always end up with the skin sticking so we lose out on most of that yummy, healthy, crispy goodness! Can you let me know if these same tips will work for us too, or would you have any other tips that might help out in our case?
Loved this! and your lemon butter sauce went beautifully with it โ I could drink this stuff!
Used basa and fried in olive oil?good cholesterol
๐yummy.5 mins was just right.
Perfect Maggie!
I look at the recipes and think yes that sounds yum, then your familiar face shows up time and time again. So I know itโs going to be good. I love your style of cooking and sauces. Cooking fish n chips tonight with your lemon cream sauce. Yummmmm
Thatโs so nice of you Michele โค๏ธ
I made this tonight and it was perfect! Thank you for the tips. Iโve never been able to get my fish to turn out right. Youโve helped me so much!
Thatโs great Tracy!
I am converted. I have been very shy to cook with fish but this recipe is a winner. My family couldnโt believe it! My daughter asked me if it was a โNagiโ recipe?! Stoked.
Awesome Diana!!
omg! you cooked Dory?! ๐
And it was soooooo good!
I have tried a couple different fish recipes lately and this one was by far the best. Super easy to follow instructions and my fish turned out perfectly the first try. Thanks Nagi!
Winner recipe.