So much better than store-bought: This Crispy Oven Fried Fish gets super crunchy and will be a new favorite for kids and adults alike.
It is basically baked breaded fish, but I always have a few tricks up my sleeve to make anything oven fried extraordinarily good. My homemade breaded fish blows frozen fish sticks out of the water by far!
Baked breaded fish
Is it any secret that I’m obsessed with all things oven fried? And breaded fish might just be my favorite oven fried recipe.
- My foolproof breading method ensures a crispy, batter-like coating without making a fuss. It’s quick and easy!
- The fish comes out flaky and juicy on the inside, with a super-crispy coating on the outside.
- It is perfect served with French fries and tartar sauce as a healthier, homemade fish and chips!
Ingredients you’ll need
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!
Ingredient notes
- Fish: I prefer skinless cod for this recipe, because the fillets are quite thick and firm. Tilapia will also work, though the fillets tend to be much thinner and will cook faster, but they also come out a little less juicy.
- Cornmeal: I use this to make the coating a little crisper. But if you don’t have any cornmeal on hand, you can just use more breadcrumbs instead.
- Breadcrumbs: If you’re using Panko in place of the breadcrumbs, I highly recommend dredging the fish in just seasoned flour first (vs dredging it in the mix of all dry breading ingredients). This will ensure the breading comes out right.
- Seasoning: Old Bay Seasoning can be used in place of the single spices the recipe calls for. I would go for 1 tablespoon, but use more or less according to your taste.
- Fat: Even though this is not deep fried, you do need some fat to get the breading to cook and the fish to crisp up. I like using butter for the taste, but you can also use vegetable oil or, for a very lean version, cooking spray. The cooking spray tends to be not quite enough to catch all of the dry flour, so I recommend using a little bit of oil to brush on any dry patches around 5 minutes before the baking time is up.
How to make Oven Fried Fish
1. Start by preheating the oven to 430°F. Place a dark-colored sheet pan in the oven to heat up.
2. Get your breading ingredients ready: Combine the dry ingredients in a shallow dish and beat the eggs in a bowl. Cut the fish into 8-10 equal pieces and lightly season with salt/pepper.
breading ingredients breading prepared
3. To bread the fish, toss the pieces carefully in the dry mixture first, to create a thin coating. Shake off any excess.
Then, dredge each piece through the beaten eggs, and finally thickly bread with the dry breading mix.
toss fish in flour dredge through egg breaded fish
Note: How to get the breading to stick
For the breading to stick, it’s important to follow the breading method closely (thin coating of dry ingredients, dredge through egg, thick coating of dry ingredients).
For the thick coating of the dry ingredients, I recommend the following procedure to make the breading stick well to the fish:
scoop on dry breading pound breaded fish
- Always use the same spoon to remove the egg washed fish from the bowl with the egg and drop it into the bowl with the dry ingredients without touching the flour (this spoon remains your “wet spoon” and you want to keep it away from the dry ingredients, otherwise things get messy).
- Once you have dropped the fish piece into the dish with the dry breading mix, use a different spoon or small measuring cup to scoop dry breading on top of the fish fillet piece (this is your dry spoon, keep it away from the egg wash).
- Use the measuring cup or the back of the spoon to pound the breading onto the fish. Pounding/pressing on the breading will slightly flatten out the fish, but it also helps to make the breading stick very well.
- Turn the fish over, scoop on more dry breading mix and pound again.
For a super-thick coating, repeat the egg wash and breading once more. This is not necessary, but if you want to have a very thick layer of “batter” on your fish, you can double up on the breading.
4. Melt butter on your preheated pan (or grease it with a generous amount of vegetable oil; OR spray your fish pieces generously with cooking spray on both sides).
Place the fish pieces on the pan (make sure there is enough space between all pieces, do not stack them!). Bake for 10 minutes, flip (add more fat as needed) and finish baking for 5-10 minutes.
You can finish it under the broiler for 1-2 minutes for a super crispy finish.
Recipe tips
To cook the perfect battered fish in the oven, there are a few things you HAVE to do (yes, HAVE TO. Nothing is optional in this recipe ?):
Bread the fish correctly
The trick to getting batter to stick to fish for oven frying is pretty simple. It’s all about dipping the fillet pieces in the right ingredients in the right order:
- First, into a mix of breadcrumbs, flour, cornmeal, seasoning and baking powder (the baking powder helps the batter to rise a little, so the moisture from the fish makes it less soggy) for a thin coating.
- Then into beaten egg.
- And finally thickly coat with the breadcrumb mix again. So simple!
Bake the fish correctly
- do NOT line the pan
- use a DARK pan (I will often use a roaster like this one so I get less splattering in the oven – this is an affiliate link and I will make a commission for purchases made after clicking through)
- preheat the pan in the oven until it’s sizzling hot
- don’t skimp on the butter
- finish under the broiler (but don’t burn the fish!)
- let the fish rest for 3-4 minutes after baking, but not for much longer
Serving ideas
We love this so many different ways!
- in a sandwich bun with coleslaw
- with French fries or mashed potatoes, peas and homemade tartar sauce
- with rice and a big salad
- other delicious vegetable sides: creamed corn, creamed spinach or roasted asparagus
PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.
Printable recipe
Crispy Oven Fried Fish
Recipe details
Ingredients
For the dry breading
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons fine cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons ground paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
For the eggs
- 2 large eggs
For the fish
- 1 pound thick white fish fillet I prefer cod cut into pieces, I do about 8-10 pieces
For the pan
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 430°F (220°C). Put a dark-colored roaster OR baking sheet in the oven to heat up – the pan you use to bake the fish on needs to be hot to melt butter on!
- Make breading: Mix all ingredients for dry breading in a shallow dish.
- Prep eggs: Add eggs to a SEPARATE bowl and beat well.
- Bread fish: Dip fish into breading to lightly coat. THEN coat fish with egg. FINALLY, coat fish with breading again, this time you can really pack on as much as will stick! (Just place breaded fish pieces on a plate until you've breaded them all.)
- Melt butter: Remove pan from oven – careful, it's hot! Add 3 tablespoons of butter to pan to melt. Spread all over pan and put fish pieces on.
- Bake: Bake fish for 10 minutes. Flip, add remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and finish baking for 5-10 minutes or until coating is crispy and fish is cooked through. Finish under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.
- Finish: Let fish pieces rest on the pan for 5 minutes after baking, then serve immediately.
Notes
Ingredient notes
- Fish: I prefer skinless cod for this recipe, because the fillets are quite thick and firm. Tilapia will also work, though the fillets tend to be much thinner and will cook faster, but they also come out a little less juicy.
- Cornmeal: I use this to make the coating a little crisper. But if you don’t have any cornmeal on hand, you can just use more breadcrumbs instead.
- Breadcrumbs: If you’re using Panko in place of the breadcrumbs, I highly recommend dredging the fish in just seasoned flour first (vs dredging it in the mix of all dry breading ingredients). This will ensure the breading comes out right.
- Seasoning: Old Bay Seasoning can be used in place of the single spices the recipe calls for. I would go for 1 tablespoon, but use more or less according to your taste.
- Fat: Even though this is not deep fried, you do need some fat to get the breading to cook and the fish to crisp up. I like using butter for the taste, but you can also use vegetable oil or, for a very lean version, cooking spray. The cooking spray tends to be not quite enough to catch all of the dry flour, so I recommend using a little bit of oil to brush on any dry patches around 5 minutes before the baking time is up.
Recipe tips
Neat breading- Always use the same spoon to remove the egg washed fish from the bowl with the egg and drop it into the bowl with the dry ingredients without touching the flour (this spoon remains your “wet spoon” and you want to keep it away from the dry ingredients, otherwise things get messy).
- Once you have dropped the fish piece into the dish with the dry breading mix, use a different spoon or small measuring cup to scoop dry breading on top of the fish fillet piece (this is your dry spoon, keep it away from the egg wash).
- Use the measuring cup or the back of the spoon to pound the breading onto the fish. Pounding/pressing on the breading will slightly flatten out the fish, but it also helps to make the breading stick very well.
- Turn the fish over, scoop on more dry breading mix and pound again.
- First, into a mix of breadcrumbs, flour, cornmeal, seasoning and baking powder (the baking powder helps the batter to rise a little, so the moisture from the fish makes it less soggy) for a thin coating.
- Then into beaten egg.
- And finally thickly coat with the breadcrumb mix again. So simple!
- do NOT line the pan
- use a DARK pan (I will often use a roaster like this one so I get less splattering in the oven – this is an affiliate link and I will make a commission for purchases made after clicking through)
- preheat the pan in the oven until it’s sizzling hot
- don’t skimp on the butter
- finish under the broiler (but don’t burn the fish!)
- let the fish rest for 3-4 minutes after baking, but not for much longer
Nutrition
More recipe information
Recipe first published on 03/08/2019. Updated with new photos and text on 04/02/2021.
Joan says
Great recipe. This will definitely be added to my file. Had a fish and chips night with my bi-weekley friends. Everyone was very impressed. Very easy to do and you explained it so well. I used fine bread crumbs in place of cornmeal and it still turned out so good. Thanks for posting.?
Nora says
I’m so glad, Joan!
Debra Alexander says
Just made this tonight and it was a huge hit with everyone. Only thing I had to change was the cornmeal. Didn’t have any. But it turned out great anyways. Thanks
Nora says
I’m so glad, Debra!
Marky Mander says
Hi there, Miss Nora!
Yes, I liked this recipe and I adapted it to WW with a few omissions. It was delicious and I am certain this dish made exactly as you wrote it is scrumptious, as well.
I used huge fillets of fresh catfish. I rinsed and dried them well, dredged them in the flour and egg and then in the Panko. If I had had Parm I would have used this too.
Then I sprinkled the cornmeal over it and placed in on parchment paper. I sprayed it with olive oil spray and sprinkled it with organic garlic granules and salt. Then I placed in a convection oven at 430 degrees and sprayed it once or twice till it browned on top. My hubby thought it was delicious!!! Just don’t try to use the broiler on my remake since I have it on parchment paper. And I did not have to flip it over. It was fabulous.
Thank you so much!!!
Gratefully,
Marky Mander
Pipe Creek, Texas
Nora says
I’m so glad, Marky!
Peter Neyndorff says
Dear Nora,
Very nice recipe. Loved the crispy cod made as you explained.
Appreciate if you could pls advise if the recipe could be adapted to be made in the Air fryer.
Tks & Rgds, Peter
Nora says
Hi Peter, it absolutely works in the air fryer! I actually have it photographed, just not in a recipe yet. It works pretty much the same as this air fryer fried chicken. The air frying time will depend on the thickness of your fish. Hope this helps!
Trevell Holt says
I tried this recipe I’m not a fan of fried things ! but this recipe was really great for the amateur fryers the house is still intact and my stomach is happy!!
Nora says
I’m so glad, Trevell!
Anita says
Love the crust on this fish,my go to for flounder
Nora says
I’m so glad, Anita!
Shaunte says
Best oven fried recipe I’ve tried. No need to fry fish ever again! *excited*
Nora says
I’m so glad, Shaunte!
Tanya Dean says
Love Love it! So easy to make and niw a family favorite!
Nora says
I’m so glad, Tanya!
Beverley says
Very tasty, nice & crispy. I did overcook mine but it was thinner than the 1”. I baked for less time but it was still too long. The tartar ssuce I’d made wasn’t needed, this was so tasty. Leftovers will make nice fish tacos. We will make again.
Nora says
I’m so glad, Beverly!
Bea says
I wanted a good recipe for baked fish and this is just what I was looking for. I even tried it with wild caught salmon and my husband said it was a keeper.
Teena says
Oh my! It worked! I have tried other “oven fried” recipes that did not turn out, but this one was awesome! I even used a little over 2# of cod. I used Panko for the bread crumbs and bumped the temp up to 450 degrees after I put it in the oven the first time and then turned it down after I turned it over. (I’m not sure my oven temperature was hot enough.) And I did put it on broil for 2 minutes and flipped it and did another 1 minute on broil. Worked so well. Thank you for the details on how to get it just right!
Gwen Beaubouef says
To make more keto friendly, would substituting almond flour and substituting crushed pork rinds for the bread crumbs work?
Nora says
Yes Gwen, definitely!
Autumn says
Really outstanding! Everyone enjoyed this so much. I will be making this more often. Family approved. Added cajun seasoning and paprika to the dry mix and coconut milk to the eggs. Sooo good ?
Sabrina says
Delicious! I was afraid because it was oven fried it would be a little soggy but it was perfectly crispy and I didn’t even have to broil it. I love having an oven baked option as opposed to frying my fish in a bunch of oil. I will be making all my fried fish like this from now on!
MARCELA says
very good recipi. I made it and was perfect!!!!
Carolyn says
Didn’t have cornmeal so we used corn starch and it was still fantastic! We did not need the additional 1tbsp of butter when we flipped the fish because there was plenty still in the pan. The sides of our roaster were too high with its handles to fit properly under the broiler so we transferred it to a boiler pan and broiled for two minutes. That broiling was key at the end. Thank you!
Nora Rusev says
Carolyn, I’m so glad the recipe worked out well for you! Thanks for sharing your cornmeal substitute, I’m sure others will appreciate the tip.
tuesde fulmore says
Its a great recipe! I’ve used it twice already☀️
Rhonda says
Made this tonight for dinner. Loved it. The spice combination was really good and broiling for a couple minutes worked great! Thanks. 🙂
Nora Rusev says
I’m so glad to hear this, Rhonda! Thanks for your feedback, I appreciate your time.
Sue says
What a terrific recipe. My husband loved it and the fish always turns out great.
Nora Rusev says
I’m so glad, Sue!
Pam says
My husband is diabetic and has chronic pancreatitis. He really misses good fried fish and gets tired of salmon. I’ve tried this recipe with cod and snapper and it’s a home run for our family. I add mustard to the egg mixture because we love the extra little zest it adds. Even my daughter that hates mustard can’t “taste” the mustard but likes the resulting taste. Thanks for sharing the great recipe.
Nora Rusev says
Pam, I’m so happy to hear how much your family enjoys this recipe. And lovely idea with the mustard, too! Thank you so much for sharing your comment, you put a big smile on my face.
Jill says
Should the fish be thawed out first?
Nora Rusev says
Jill, it works best if the fish is not frozen, yes. I have made it with partially thawed fish before (the baking time increases by 5-10 minutes), but fully thawed is definitely best. It also helps to partially thaw it, then cut it into fingers and let it thaw for a bit more (the cut up pieces thaw faster). Oh and final note, I always defrost fish in the fridge for food safety concerns. Hope that helps!
bridget says
What kind of fish is best with this recipe?
Nora says
A firm white fish is best. Cod loin is what I usually buy when I make this recipe! Hope that helps.
Maelean moore says
Can you use catfish fillet?
Nora Rusev says
I would think it should work, Maelean!
Sandy says
Made the recipe for dinner tonight and it turned out great! Thanks for the detailed directions.
Nora says
I’m glad the fish was a hit, Sandy. Thanks for coming back to leave a review, I appreciate it.
Anne Stewart-Pearson says
This is THE BEST fish I’ve ever eaten. My family loves fish, but I’ve stopped frying anything. With this recipe, we can enjoy fish again. Thanks for sharing. I’ll be making more of your recipes.
Nora says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the fish, Anne! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, I appreciate it.
Donna says
This was fabulous. Thanks for sharing.
Nora says
Thank YOU for trying the recipe, Donna, and for coming back to leave a review. I appreciate your time!