This crispy baked fish will be your new favorite way to eat fish!! This fish is SERIOUSLY crispy and absolutely delicious. I love serving this fish with homemade tartar sauce and my healthy creamy coleslaw! Plus a side of homemade fries. Fish and chips, anyone?! 🙂
I have seriously been making this weekly lately. I am not about spending a lot of time during the week cooking dinner after work, and I am happy to report this crispy baked fish comes together FAST. There’s only about 10 minutes of hands-on prep time, and then the fish bakes very quickly in the oven in 15 minutes! Which means this meal is ready, start-to-finish to put on the table in less than 30 minutes.
unbaked fish
In full disclosure, literally the only fish I ever ate growing up was frozen Van de Camp’s fish sticks. I will always remember those 🙂 It wasn’t until college (!!!) that I first tried other fish such as salmon and discovered I loved it! I am still not a fan of seafood (it’s the texture for me), but I do really enjoy fish. While I often eat fish now that isn’t breaded, I have to say this recipe is nostalgic for me and brings me back to childhood! Maybe it’s my adult palate now, but I seriously like this homemade version baked crispy fish SO much better than any frozen version. I still can’t get over how easy it is to make and how few ingredients you need, too!
unbaked fish
This crispy baked fish can be cooked in either the oven OR an air-fryer. I know most of you might not have an air-fryer, so I tested it both ways. To be honest, while it’s absolutely delicious cooked in the oven, we prefer it cooked in the air-fryer as it gets even crispier! I also love reheating leftovers in the air-fryer. No soggy leftover fish that way! Of course, instead of reheating in the microwave, if you don’t have an air-fryer you can reheat leftovers in the oven-try broiling for a few minutes, watching closely.
baked fish
Here’s what you need to make this crispy baked fish!
Ingredients and Substitution Ideas
Fish
I used walleye fish that my husband caught on the Great Lakes on a fishing trip. He came back with 8 pounds of perfectly filleted fish!! It was great to have that in our freezer. However, since walleye fish isn’t likely a fish you can easily buy in the grocery store (at least I haven’t personally seen it…), I would recommend subbing cod (first choice) or tilapia instead. Walleye has a very neutral taste (at least in my opinion!), but is firm, has thick fillets, and flaky which makes it great for this crispy baked fish recipe. Although, a quick Google search suggests that grouper, perch, and snapper would also be good substitutes for walleye! Basically, most likely any white fish you like and have available should work.
I use frozen fish in the recipe, and let it thaw overnight in the fridge before using this recipe. I wouldn’t recommend cooking straight from frozen, as the breading likely wouldn’t stick and cook properly (plus it would take much longer to cook). This recipe has not been tested cooking straight from frozen.
baked fish
Parmesan Cheese
One of the two main ingredients in the breading is Parmesan cheese! I just used the Parmesan cheese from the can that you buy shelf-stable at room temperature prior to opening. I actually prefer that cheese for this recipe, as it’s very convenient and very finely ground/grated which works well for sticking to the fish.
Panko Breadcrumbs
Panko breadcrumbs are crispier than traditional breadcrumbs. You can find them right next to the regular breadcrumbs at the grocery store! They are technically a Japanese-style breadcrumb (interesting fact for you!). Since the breadcrumbs are crisper and lighter than traditional breadcrumbs, they result in a MUCH crispier end product! I honestly never buy regular breadcrumbs as I find them too bland/boring and don’t care for the end result compared to Panko breadcrumbs. I’ve even seen whole-wheat and gluten-free and Italian flavored Panko breadcrumbs, although I usually just stick with the original.
Seasonings
You will use staple salt and pepper, plus a seasoning of your choice! I’ve tested this recipe many times and enjoy switching it up. You can add 1 teaspoon of your favorite seasoning with fish here! I’ve personally used and tested the following: garlic powder, citrus seasoning from Trader Joe’s (we really like this one!), onion powder, Italian seasoning, and lemon pepper. I also think smoked paprika would be delicious; I may try that next. The only thing I’ll note here is that depending on how much (if any) salt is added to the seasoning you choose, you will need to adjust the added salt accordingly. For example, the citrus seasoning from Trader Joe’s I’ve been using has salt added, so I’ve had to decrease the amount of salt I add or it ended up too salty. However, if you use garlic powder (which has no salt added), you will likely want to increase the amount of salt.
Egg
The last ingredient you need here is an egg. You will scramble the egg with a fork (don’t cook it though!). I then add 1 tbsp water (or you could use milk) to the egg and mix well together. This will be the mixture that you coat the fish in so the parmesan panko breadcrumb mixture sticks to the fish!
Serving Suggestions
I always serve this crispy baked fish with homemade tartar sauce. Instead of using mayonnaise, I use whole milk Greek yogurt mixed with relish to make a super easy, two-ingredient tartar sauce! I honestly never measure these ingredients; just mix together until it’s a consistency you like! As for sides, I really enjoy serving this crispy baked fish with my healthy creamy coleslaw, as well as homemade (or frozen) fries! I usually cook the fries in the air-fryer, or you could bake them in the oven too.
- 1 lb. white fish (walleye, tilapia, or cod). I personally used walleye
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon seasoning of choice (garlic or onion powder, paprika, seasoned salt, citrus seasoning from Trader Joe’s, Italian seasoning, etc.)
- 1 egg plus 1 tbsp milk or water
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a shallow bowl/dish, stir together the parmesan cheese, Panko breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and seasoning of choice until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk egg with milk or water.
- Dip fish fillets in egg mixture first, and then the cheese/breadcrumb mixture.
- Place on baking tray and bake about 15-20 minutes, or until at least 145 degrees F internally. Delicious served with coleslaw and fries (I like making in my air-fryer). Also makes a good fish sandwich with a toasted bun and coleslaw.
- Serve with homemade healthy tartar sauce: simply mix together full-fat Greek yogurt and relish.
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