Best Fried Walleye

This is the traditional way of preparing walleye along with northern pike found in the fresh water lakes in northern Minnesota. My Grandma used to prepare it this way and it truly is the best fried fish!

This is more or less "exactly" how its supposed to be done! It can be difficult (at best!) to get it all down on a single piece of paper....my notes would be to let the coatings set for a bit, that they adhere that much better....and I would be using lard, as opposed oil, but that's just me, but everything else in this recipe is fully correct!

This is the best way to do any fillets! My dad use it back in the 50's, I was a kid than, I'am over 68 now and use today.So do my kids, kids as will.THE BEST !!

My husband went fishing last weekend and caught one walleye and three bass. In the past, my parents did most of the cleaning and cooking when we caught fresh fish. For the first time we were on our own and we were excited to learn. I started searching for recipes and I stumbled across this one. It was fairly simple to make and the coating stuck great. Why did I only give it three stars then? Not enough salt in our opinion. Next time we will add more salt and probably add a fish seasoning. I wish I could give it more stars but it really lacked the flavor that I was hoping for. If you love salt, I would recommend adding a lot more. I used a 1/2 teaspoon and you couldn't even taste that.

OMG! I cook a lot and there are hits and misses! I love chicken and beef and pasta etc but FISH??? No way ! Friends gave us 4.5 lbs of walleye they. Caught and we were verklempt. Anyway. We tried 2 recipes. The other one included bread crumbs , Parmesan and baking. Fair but icky medium quality baked restaurant fish! THIS recipe however rocked the house and made excellent fish sandwiches the next day! I swear I am having a fried clam, oyster, high quality fish day soon- with this favorite childhood SALTINE recipe! Let's figure out how to add bacon and crusty bread! Cheers!

The coating does not have a lot of flavor as it is not suppose to. That is the beauty of walleye. You do not want to ruin it with a heavily flavored coating.

If you're thinking about trying this recipe, you will not be sorry! The breading turned out beautifully! Did not fall off or break apart. Very simple and absolutely perfect. There is a reason this recipe has been working for 25 years...WOW! clarkie24, I absolutely had to comment to say THANK YOU for this recipe. My first time breading and frying walleye and it could not have turned out better and could not have been easier. Seriously, thank you!

This is a nice simple recipe and great way to get a nice crispy cracker coating on fish. The coating lacks a lot of flavor but I am sure that is so the flavor of fish will shine through, that is if you are able to find fish that has flavor. I purchased wild caught walleye on sale from the grocery store fish counter and was a bit disappointed in the lack of flavor the fish had. All we could really taste was the coating.

This is identical to the recipe I came up with nearly 49 years ago. I lived most of my life in northern Ohio. Born and raised on Lake Erie and walleye and yellow perch were always what we fished for. It doesn't get any better for fresh water fish! Just follow this recipe to the letter and you cant go wrong! Here is a hint, 375 degree grease and DON'T over cook! As soon as the fish starts to float in the grease remove it and enjoy! I moved to South Carolina because of the snow, but still miss Lake Erie and those great fresh water fish!

My husband went charter fishing and brought home already cleaned beautiful walleye filets. I love to cook,and grew up in a kitchen but had never cooked fish before. This recipe has put my fears to rest. The coating was nice, light and crunchy. I did not alter the recipe other than I added a bit more garlic and some seasoning salt to the flour mix. I will use this to deep fry fish forever!!! This coating would do my Papa proud!!!

Awesome stuff! I love to fish, but rarely do I cook 'em up (I typically give them to others who want 'em or practice catch & release), so I'm not the greatest fish fryer. Got two nice walleye the other day and decided to fry them for my wife and I. I've only had fried walleye a few times (they were awesome!), but my wife had never had walleye, ever. My wife absolutely loved the fish and I thought it was just as good as anything I've ever had. Thanks for the recipe! Also, a good note on testing the hot oil with dropping cracker crumbs in it. I burnt the first fillet (it was my first fried walleye fillet, so I was testing the oil), but I found the temperature sweet spot after that. It should be noted I couldn't find the thermometer, so testing with the cracker crumbs made it possible.

Easy & the kids love it.

This was so very good. The walleye was fresh caught my neighbor and was less than a day old. I varied this recipe two ways. First, I used Panko bread crumbs instead of the saltine crackers, and second, I added about an 1/8 tsp of Jamaica Jerk seasoning to the Panko bread crumbs. The fish was so delicious, and crunchy that neither me or my husband wanted to finish it: we wanted to savor every bite and wished we had an endless supply. We have prepared a lot of walleye since our neighbor is an avid fisherman, and this was by far the best recipe we've used.

First time making walleye & the picky husband and I both loved it! The crackers really made a difference I think.

This is a very easy and very tasty recipe.

I loved , loved, loved my fish. I couldn't even share it with my dogs and that is a rarity!!

This is the first fried fish recipe I have tried where the coating stuck to the fish.

This recipe is amazing! Best pub-style fish I've made at home, and now the only fish my kids want!

I thought this was quite good but the kids and husband just thought it was okay. Walleye doesn't seem to have a very strong taste so you would think a simple coating would be good but I guess we wanted to add some flavor. Maybe a dill sauce over top would do that.

I didn't have saltines so I used chex cereal. So good we ate it two times this week. Thanks for a wonderful fish recipe!

This is the only way we eat battered fish. I season the flour with whatever seasoning strikes me at the moment - Cajun, Singapore, Korean, always garlic, always Emeril's seasoning (on-line recipe). You will not be disappointed. The Saltines have to be almost a powder to make this work right.

Yes this is the best!

used this on lake perch... even the kids loved it.

This was the most bland, tasteless fish I've ever cooked. I added 1/2 tea of salt. I used 1 lb of walleye. All I could taste were the saltines. I am going to use tarter sauce on the second batch to add something to it.. I'm a chef who has made some spectacular fish entrees.... too numerous to list. This wasn't one.

Excellent. Easy.

Make sure you have 375 degree grease, dont overcook, soon as it floats it's done. I used panko instead of saltines and added extra salt, some garlic salt, pepper, harissa and season salt) it cooked rapidly in bout 1.5 inches of canola oil. excellent and very crunchy!

Made it as directed. It's amazing. It's glorious. In a word: wow.

This recipe is awesome! We have traditionally enjoyed a classic beer batter fried fish, but wanted to try something different with some fresh walleye we had. The recipe requires very few ingredients, and is quick and easy to make. The batter is quite light and really brings out the flavor of the fish. I've saved this one for later, and I can see it will become a favorite. Thank you for sharing it! :)

I used Roundy's Italian panko breadcrumbs instead of cracker crumbs. I doubled up on the garlic powder, 'cause that's the kind of guy I am. It came out great! This is now my go-to recipe for fried fish.

This was my first time breading & frying fish. Followed the recipe as written except I used canned breadcrumbs instead of crackers. Fabulous!

Fabulous recipe! The crackers, for me, made the recipe perfect. Thank you!

It needs the salt for sure

This recipe turned out wonderful - it was delicious. The whole family (including kids 9 and 11) loved it. It could have used a bit more salt in the flour mixture.

First time I have cooked walleye and this will be the only recipe I use. Fantastic!

I had to use seasoned breadcrumbs instead of crackers since I forgot I ate the last of them with soup. Besides that I made it as posted and the fillets were delicious. Lake Erie walleye I caught this past weekend.

I love this recipe! The texture, flavor and appearance are all incredible. I have made this several times. Having a good partner, along with good organization and prep are the key to an enjoyable experience from pan to plate. Make sure you have all rimmed plates or shallow bowls ready before you start to fry the fish. We had one plate for each of the following: raw fish, seasoned flour, eggs, cracker crumbs, and fried fish. We made two batches, so we had two plates of raw fillets on the ready, each with just enough to fill the cast iron pan. We also had extra ingredients near the dredging plates to refresh from first to second batch. It was fun and delicious!

Never ate walleye before. This recipe can not be beat for flavor and texture

I didn't change a thing. This is how pickerel should be cooked and served

Have used this recipe many times. Really good.

Very. Good I made mine with perch

Delicious, I used Panko since I didn't have saltines. I took the suggestion of others and added more seasoning. I fried in a mixture of coconut oil, canola and some olive oil because I was short on canola. I think I may try the coconut oil alone next time.

This dish was outstanding!!! I didn't have saltines so used oyster crackers instead. Absolutely delicious! Restaurant quality. With homemade mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables it was a great meal!

Awesome recipe, light , flaky, crunchy..

I use cornflake crumbs and add parmesan and basil as well. So delish.

This is a winner, thanks for sharing it!

Thank you for a timeless and classic recipe. I need to crush the saltines a bit better. Other than that I liked it.

Easy to make and so tasty!!

Fabulous recipe!! The only change I made was I used 1/2 Crisco shortening and 1/2 salted stick butter melted in the frying pan and then I added the Fillets and pan fried them turning them only once.

Absolutely delicious!! I used Ritz crackers because it's what I had on hand. I also didn't remove the skin and we all just ate it. You couldn't taste it at all. The kids loved this dish too! Definitely a keeper!

I used Club Crackers and also Fried in half vegetable oil and half LARD! Yes Lard... Was outstanding!!

Very tasty. I did sprinkle more salt onto ti cooked filet.

I made this at our little yearly family get together after we caught a bunch of walleye and everyone LOVED it! Quick and simple, it really is delicious! I do salt my fish first and let it draw out the water but other than that I followed the recipe exactly. Thanks!

I have never fried fish on my own before, this turned out great! Easy to make and the whole family loved it!

Ive used this recipe for several types of fish, but it’s for sure the best on walleye! Deliciously!

My cousin Greg gave my mom some beautiful Walleye filets, so I was searching for a batter recipe that wouldn’ttake away the delicious flavor of the fish. This is the only recipe I’ll ever use again!

I made the recipe exactly as it was written and it came out perfect. The best fried fish I ever tasted. 5 stars!

Followed the recipe just as written. Worked very well. Easy to do. Nice, tender fish with nice crunch.

I haven't use my electric fry pan for 12 years, but that is going to change. Followed the instructions to a T!!! The only change was more garlic powder to my taste and may add more seasoned salt for I used unsalted soda crackers. 375 degrees for 3 minutes each side was right-on. I used a sheet pan with a wire rack in a 225 Oven to keep the fliets hot and crispy, because I made three batches. I would give recipe 10 stars if I could!!!

Excellent as is!

I'm from Minnesota and this is the recipe I grew up with. Thought I'd come in here an look for options but nope,,this is the one to make!!

Excellent fish recipe. We made this outside on the side grill burner to keep the fried fish smell out of the house. Since my family likes highly seasoned food I doubled the seasoning and added fresh ground black pepper. The fish was so fresh and crisp as my son caught the red snapper we used the day before.

Great tasting recipe & very easy will use this every time for cooking fish thanks

I followed the recipe as written. The crust on the fish would rival the best of them. Light and crispy and better yet stuck to the fish. Tonight I substituted Pike, and that was great as well.

Followed the recipe, made no changes. The walleye was moist and the coating was perfect, light and crunchy. Will make this again.

The only change I made was I used 1/2 olive oil and vegetable oil . I usually do not fry my fish (try to eat healthy ) but glad I did , this is an awesome recipe !

I made this just as the recipe stated and received RAVE reviews from all my Friday Fish Fry guests. Everyone had seconds!! Best Walleye they've ever had was the comment most heard.

This recipe was simply amazing. I used garlic salt I tear of salt and garlic powder. Also crushed the crackers in a blender so they were extra fine.

This turned out great!! The only changes I made was a dash of Tabasco in the Egg station and used Ritz/saltine combo for the breading. I used walleye and bass cause that's what my hubby caught. Thank you for the recipe. I am going to use this for northern pike next time.

great

Well I think that the one that submitted this recipe was absolutely correct. I have cooked Walleye (Pickerel) for years and this is one of the best ways to cook such a delicately flavoured fish. Thanks for sharing.

Was very good

I will definitely make it again. What I loved about it was there was so much flavor. I used other recipes that it totally took the flavor out of the fish.

I was surprised at how simple and delicious this was. The breading is a bit delicate when turning the fish, but this is now my go-to recipe for fresh or frozen walleye.

I made it with panko breadcrumbs instead of saltine crackers. Absolutely delicious!!!

Thoroughly enjoyed this dish served with rice mixed stir-fry vegetables looking to try in as fish burger

Wonderful recipe. I added extra salt. But this is now the only way i cook walleye. This recipe impresses everyone.

I've been make fish like this for a long time and I love it. For walleye I leave it just as it is. Other types of fish I sometimes add a little cayenne, hot sauce or other spices depending on the type of fish. You can't go wrong with this one.

Just like everyone else has said, this is an awesome recipe. Fish is so flaky and tender. Great taste. I used townhouse crackers instead of saltines. Good substitute.

The name of this recipe says exactly wat it is. Best friend Walleye! It was delicious, light and crispy. My husband had 3 pieces! I will definitely make this again.

I have utilized this recipe about a dozen times. It is by far the best way to eat fried walleye!

Just caught our first walleye and this recipe was perfect! Light but flavorful but didn't overpower the fish. Think I would try this recipe for other types of fish as well. Even hubby commented on it and that is saying something.

I have used Lays Original Potato chips instead of crackers, works great, tastes great

Family loved it! I substituted almond flour and GF Panko! Thanks for sharing!

Great recipe! Followed exactly. I always make extra so the next morning I can heat it up in skillet and add a few over easy eggs to the pan. My husband and son love the leftovers like this. Fish and eggs sounds a bit crazy but it's wonderful. Add a home made biscuit and yum! This is great for cooking over a campfire, that's how we discovered it!

I made these and they burned easily and were super salty with the crackers. I’m going to try this again using bread crumbs.

We caught this fish while at a friends lake house and was told the classic Minnesota way to cook it was to coat with saltines and fry it. This recipe was excellent, super easy, accurate, and the fish turned out great. I totally think this would be great as a fish taco!

We made this tonight for dinner, was the best recipe for our "Minnesota fish, the Walleye" . My family always made fish by just dunking in egg, then flour mixed with seasoning. This is by far so much better! This is my go-to from now on. Thanks for the great recipe! Crunchy outside, delicate fish on the inside, loved it!

Creates a great crunchy coating that stays on the fish much better than others. I'd like more flavor but it's easy enough to add whatever seasonings you desire for that. This is a classic.

love this recipe

Best fish I have ever eaten!

This was delicious. We are walleye lovers as my husband is originally from Minnesota. This recipe was one of the best we ever made. Did it in the deep fryer.

This was absolutely delicious. The breading was incredibly light and all stayed on the fish. I will definitely be making this again.

This rivals the best recipe .... of all I've cooked over the years...and it's the best fish I've ever cooked! The crumb topping stuck on the fish, it's light tasting too. Followed recipe to the letter, perfect.

Best compliment ever from my husband....Tastes just like my Moms!

Outstanding.

Very quick and easy. Perfect texture on the fish and the crispy crunchy crust. The fish was moist and flaky, not overdone. The flavor was good but not great. I did not care for the garlic powder in the coating mix, it detracted from the flavor of the fish. This only needs salt and pepper only. And it did need Tartar sauce, to cut the garlic flavor. I don't fry food at home, but this recipe had such high reviews, I gave it a try. Will use the crispy baked walleye next time instead of this again.

Both Delicious and succulent fish. We LOVED it!

My family and I really liked this recipe. Although I agree that you should never over spice a beautiful piece of fish, I do believe in order for this to be a 5* recipe you must add more spice. I did salt and pepper the walleye prior to breading. I added seasoned salt, adobe, garlic powder and pepper to the flour mixture. I used crushed saltines on half of my fillets, and buttery Ritz crackers for the other half (just because that's all I had). I used just a bit of vegetable oil mixed with butter in my pan and fried the fillets a total of 3-4 minutes. Fresh walleye, and this breading = AMAZING. Served with browned (leftover) mashed potatoes, fresh aspargus and a wedge of lemon. Simple New Year's Eve dinner for my hubby and 12 year old son. They thought that it needed (even more) spice and I have to agree. Although lack of spice, this recipe is still very good. THANK YOU so much for the recipe and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Delicious! We loved it!