10 Best Fish Fry Recipes

By Carl Hanson
March 02, 2020
Credit: Snacking in the Kitchen

We love the Friday Fish Fry that's familiar to anyone from the Midwest or parts of the South. But who can wait until Friday for crispy fried fish with all the fixings? Not us. To save time on a weekday fish fry, we'll prep side dishes over the weekend — sides like slaw and potato salad will only get more delicious with a day or two in the fridge. Here are all the recipes you'll need to put on an expert fish fry. Mix and match the side dish recommendations with the fried fish recipes to your appetite's content. And don't forget the Tartar Sauce and malt vinegar!

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Beer Batter Fish Made Great

Credit: Allrecipes Magazine
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Garlic powder and paprika spice up this simple batter. The fish fries up light and crispy and beautifully golden brown. "This is a great beer batter fish recipe, and is very easy to do," says Linda Olar. "We often fish all day with friends, and then cook the fish afterwards out on deck. Yummy and great!"

Side dish recommendation: Chef John's French Fries

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Jeannie's Kickin' Fried Fish

Credit: Doubletigers
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This version calls for Cajun spices, seasoned breadcrumbs, and roasted onion flakes to create a crispy, flavorful crust. Fresh tilapia fillets hold up great here but cod or halibut would be equally delicious. "This was an easy and tasty meal," says chickletL2. "Great for those frozen tilapia filets. I'll definitely be making it again."

Side dish recommendation: Creole Okra

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Simple New England Fried Fish

Credit: pelicangal
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Here's a classic New England-style fried fish. "This simple recipe works best with cod (scrod) and flounder," says Meghan Briggs. "The result is a fresh, buttery-tasting fillet. Goes so well with french fries or oven fries (chips)."

Side dish recommendation: Boston Baked Beans

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Crispy Fried Fish

Credit: STAMAR
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A little beer, crushed cornflake crumbs, and Cajun seasonings are the surprising secrets to success with this simple batter. SANDRA DEE raves, "This is wonderful! Crispy, tasty, and just darn good! Don't need to change a thing."

Side dish recommendation: Sweet Restaurant Slaw

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Unbelievable Fish Batter

Credit: Snacking in the Kitchen
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This super-simple batter combines a few basic ingredients you probably have on hand in the pantry. "In the early 1950's, I received this recipe on an open-line, talk-radio show," says MargeBC. "It makes the lightest, crispiest batter imaginable. This makes enough to coat approximately 2 pounds of fish." 

Side dish recommendation: Black Bean and Corn Salad

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Cornmeal Coating for Frying Fish

Credit: Mixit
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"Awesome breading," raves tysonyohe. "Stayed crispy for a long time but is not heavy at all."

Side dish recommendation: Southern Dill Potato Salad

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Beer Batter Fish Fillets

Credit: Gina
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"An exceptional dill flavored, beer batter for deep frying," says Karen David. "Fish options include cod, haddock, sea bass, and orange roughy. Suggestions for side dishes are french fries, hush puppies, and ginger coleslaw."

Side dish recommendation: Pickled Ginger Asian Pear Coleslaw

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Southern Fried Catfish

Credit: Soup Loving Nicole
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"Fried catfish is a Southern tradition, along with buttermilk hush puppies and buttermilk coleslaw," says Mama Smith. "Try these traditional foods together."

Side dish recommendation: Buttermilk Hush Puppies

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Wonderful Fried Fish Tacos

Credit: bd.weld
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Ready for a San Diego-style fish fry? Turn your beer-battered fried fish into tacos fixed up with shredded cabbage and fresh salsa. "Great recipe — the beer batter is delicious," raves nikkiskitchen. "We really enjoyed it with spicy salsa."

Side dish recommendation: Avocado Corn Salsa

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Best Fried Walleye

Credit: KGora
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Here's how they rock the fish fry up north! Big in Minnesota, it's also "an awesome Canadian delicacy!" says clarkie24. "This recipe is light and clean-tasting — there's no sense in masking the naturally delicious flavor of the walleye fillets." Bethany66 adds. "Crushed saltines create a great crunchy coating that stays on the fish much better than others."

Side dish recommendation: Easy Lemon and Garlic Broccoli

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