Fried Fish Sandwich

A fried fish sandwich may not be a daily meal, but sometimes the combination of a soft bun and crispy hot fish hits the spot. Plus, we’re sure you won’t easily find a drive-thru fish sandwich that tops fish you’ve battered and fried at home!

When cooked quickly in hot oil, light and airy beer batter transforms into a classic crisp coating for tender white fish, which is the best fish for fried fish sandwiches. To master this meal, you have to learn how deep-fry at home, but with the right tools and temperature, deep-frying fish—or anything else—becomes stress-free. Soon, you’ll be hooked on frying fish at home, and then you can add other fried fish dishes to your recipe collection.

Fried Fish Sandwich Ingredients

• Oil: The best oils for frying have a high smoking point, which means heating them until shimmering won’t set off the smoke detector or make the batter taste unpleasant. We think canola oil is one of the best oils for frying fish. Corn, soybean and peanut oil are also good choices.
• Flour: All-purpose flour thickens the batter and helps it cling to the fish. The proteins in the flour also encourage a Maillard reaction that makes the exterior golden brown.
• Baking powder: Baking powder has the same effect here that it does in buttermilk pancakes. It introduces air pockets and lightens the batter so that the coating becomes fluffy and crisp.
• Seasonings: To give the batter flavor, mix salt, garlic powder, paprika and freshly ground black pepper into the flour. By seasoning the batter instead of the fish, these flavors hit your tongue first.
• Beer: Beer is a popular ingredient in fried fish batter because of its carbonation and flavor, not its alcohol. The bubbles, mild acidity and cold temperature make the coating flaky and crispy. Beer with low IBU (international bitterness units) adds a light, slightly sweet flavor. If you prefer, nonalcoholic beers have a similar effect and taste without the booze.
• Egg: An egg puts fat and protein in the batter to increase browning and give the fish that classic golden coating. It also binds the batter ingredients together.
• Fish: Cod is a firm, lean and mild fish. Breading readily sticks to cod, and the fish cooks quickly, with just the right flaky texture to complement the crisp beer-batter coating. Pacific cod is a more sustainable choice than Atlantic cod, which has been overfished. Use fresh fish, or thaw frozen fillets overnight in the refrigerator before you deep-fry them.
• Tartar sauce: One of the classic fried fish sandwich toppings, tartar sauce tastes so much better when you make it from scratch. It’s easy too. Just mix together chopped dill pickles, mayonnaise, chopped onion and freshly ground black pepper.
• Coleslaw mix and buns: To finish this golden fried fish sandwich recipe, simply slide the fillets into brioche buns with a layer of coleslaw and a swipe of tartar sauce. Make this step quick and easy with a bagged coleslaw mix that includes a dressing packet. Otherwise, whip up homemade coleslaw dressing to control the sweetness and tanginess.

Directions

Step 1: Mix the batter

In an electric skillet or deep fryer, heat the oil to 375°F. In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, paprika and pepper. Stir in the cold beer and the lightly beaten egg until the batter is smooth.

Editor’s Tip: A Dutch oven is the best pan for deep-frying on the stovetop. Its high sides let you add enough oil to submerge the fish, and its thick bottom and walls keep the temperature even.

Step 2: Batter the fish

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Dip the fish fillets in the batter. Allow the excess batter to drip off.

Editor’s Tip: To help the batter stick to the fish, pat the fillets dry before you dip them. With less moisture on the fish’s surface, extra batter should drip off with enough left behind for a crisp coating.

Step 3: Fry the fish

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Fry the fish in the hot oil, cooking in batches to avoid overcrowding, until the exterior turns golden brown, two to three minutes on each side. Drain the fish on paper towels.

Editor’s Tip: If the oil is too cool, the coating will absorb the oil and stay soft. Check that the oil is hot enough before you add the fish. Oil shimmers when it reaches 375°, but use a digital thermometer to ensure the perfect temperature. The oil will cool when you add the fish, so let it heat back up between batches.

Step 4: Prepare the tartar sauce and slaw

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Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the chopped dill pickles, mayonnaise, onion and pepper. Cover the sauce and refrigerate it until serving time. In another bowl, combine the coleslaw mix and the dressing.

Editor’s Tip: Tartar sauce tastes even better if you make it at least 30 minutes before you plan to serve it and let the flavors meld together in the fridge.

Step 5: Build the sandwiches

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On each brioche bun bottom, layer a fish fillet, the prepared coleslaw and the tartar sauce. Replace the bun tops. Serve the fried fish sandwiches with lemon wedges, if desired.

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Fried Fish Sandwich Variations

• Change the coating: You don’t have to use a beer batter to fry cod. Instead of beer, use sparkling water to create the same airy batter without a hoppy flavor. Try replacing the batter in this recipe with buttermilk, cornmeal and flour to create a crunchy yet light coating that works especially well for a fried catfish sandwich. Simply mixing ice-cold water and oil with flour and baking powder also creates a crispy crust, as in this fried walleye recipe.
• Pile on toppings: Make your own coleslaw, keeping it simple with freshly shredded cabbage and carrots (the only ingredients in most bagged coleslaw mixes) or jazzing it up with colorful summertime slaw with tomatoes and bell peppers. Swap in pickled red onions and garlicky aioli for the coleslaw and tartar sauce. Add classic burger toppings like mustard, relish, lettuce and sliced tomato, or pair slices of avocado and crisp, tart apple as creamy and crunchy fried fish sandwich toppings.
• Make the layers spicy: Substitute homemade Cajun seasoning for the individual spices in the batter of this fried fish sandwich recipe. Stir a splash of lemon juice and a spoonful of horseradish into the tartar sauce, and grate the onion into the bowl for extra zing. Instead of tartar sauce, spread remoulade on the sandwiches. Make a fiery slaw by tossing minced jalapenos and grated radishes into the mix and stirring a few drops of hot sauce into the dressing.

How to Store Fried Fish Sandwich

Store the fried fish sandwich layers—fish, tartar sauce, coleslaw and buns—in separate airtight containers or packaging. It’s fine to leave the brioche buns on the counter for up to two days, but put everything else in the fridge right away. The coleslaw stays freshest when you keep the mix and dressing separate and combine them just before serving.

How long does fried fish and tartar sauce last?

Fried fish lasts three to four days in the refrigerator, but the coating will turn soggy. Plus, the fish can become tough when reheated in the deep fryer or oven. Really, it’s best to batter and fry the fish and then eat it while it’s still hot and crispy. Don’t worry about using up the tartar sauce in one sitting because it lasts for up to a week. Serve extra sauce on a salmon burger, or use it as a dip for veggies and crunchy breadsticks.

Can you freeze fried fish?

We don’t recommend freezing fish you fried at home. Commercial processors use industrial techniques that dip frozen raw fish in vats of chilled batter, fry them just enough to set the breading but not cook the fish, and then freeze the individual pieces rapidly in a liquid nitrogen tunnel or blast freezer. With a home freezer and deep fryer, the battered fish has a superior texture when cooked and eaten hot, but it turns soggy outside and chewy inside if frozen and reheated.

Fried Fish Sandwich Tips

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What’s the best type of fish for a fried fish sandwich?

This fried fish sandwich recipe specifies cod fillets, but haddock and walleye are other classic fish sandwich options. The best fish for frying also include tilapia and catfish. Whichever type of fish you choose, the best fish for fried fish sandwiches are fillets less than 1-1/2 inches thick and short enough to fit in the hamburger buns. Cook the battered fillets in batches so that they don’t overlap, stick together and cook unevenly.

Can you make fried fish in the air fryer?

Instead of deep-frying, you can make fried fish in an air fryer. The fish won’t be surrounded by hot oil, so preheat the air fryer to a slightly higher temperature like 400°. Dredge the fillets in dry flour after you’ve dipped them in the recipe’s batter to give the fish a slightly drier exterior coating and minimize batter drips inside your air fryer. Coat the air-fryer basket generously with cooking spray before you set the battered and dredged fish in it. Cook just a single layer of fillets at a time for about 10 minutes each.

What can you serve with fried fish sandwiches?

Crispy french fries are a traditional side dish for fried fish sandwiches. Upgrade to beet and sweet potato fries for more color or fry up leek potato pancakes for more flavor. Keep things light with a side salad or a cup of carrot ginger soup. Pickled vegetables make tasty fried fish sandwich toppings, but they’re also delicious on the side. If you’re not drinking your favorite beer with this fried fish sandwich recipe, pour a cold pint of lemony pineapple iced tea.