This is an easy, healthy, crispy oven baked fish recipe that’s inspired by a lifelong fish and chips history. I grew up eating fish and chips at my hometown parish fish fry during Lent. I’ve frequented the Best Fish Fry award winners here in Wisconsin where fish fry is sacred year-round,. Fish and chips is the dish I ordered the first time I ever traveled abroad at a British pub in London. After three decades of noshing different versions, I love today’s healthy fish and chips recipe most of all. I mean no disrespect towards any of the fine fish and chips restaurants I’ve patronized throughout the years. The fish fry is a beloved classic for a reason, and every once in a while, a greasy-napkin basket of beer battered fish and chips hits the spot. 99.9% of the time, however, I’m much happier with this easy baked fish recipe. Like the beer battered fish and chips recipes you’ll find in bars, my baked version is golden and crispy on the outside, and the fish is moist and tender on the inside. Although this isn’t a traditional English fish and chips recipe, I bet even Gordon Ramsay, the famously blunt and accomplished British celebrity chef, would approve! To make this fish recipe even easier, the chips (a.k.a. fries) bake on the same sheet pan as the fish. You’ll have just one pan to wash in the end. Ready to make the fish fry an every night ordeal? Let’s make baked fish and chips!
The Secret to Crispy Baked Fish and Chips
The secret to this perfect crispy exterior and tender interior combination is the double dredge. Thanks to the double dredge, the fish fillets bake up crispy and crusty on the outside, while the inside stays moist and flaky. This baked fish is tender but retains a pleasant firmness. It doesn’t taste greasy or fall apart. The double dredge might seem tedious, but when you taste the crispy fish results, you will see that the extra step is WORTH IT.
How to Make the Best Fish and Chips
If you’re looking for a healthier version of this classic recipe that doesn’t sacrifice on taste or texture, then it is better to bake the fish than fry it. Fried, battered fish and chips is not healthy by most standards due to the amount of oil involved in deep frying. I made it my goal to find a more wholesome way to enjoy this beloved meal. This healthy oven baked fish and chips recipe gives you that perfect taste and texture, no messy deep fry required!
The Fish
White Fish. You should use any firm, white fish for fish and chips. I typically make fish and chips with cod, because it is widely available, inexpensive, and works perfectly in this oven fried fish and chips recipe.
Buttermilk + Seafood Seasoning (such as Old Bay). The delicious, flavorful, and easy fish marinade.Egg Whites. Typically, the fish batter is made with flour, beer, and seasonings. Since I wanted to make this a fish and chips recipe without beer, I found an alternative. Using egg whites with the seasonings instead makes this recipe more healthy and ensures the panko adheres to the outside of the fish.Whole Wheat Panko. For the best baked fish, I recommend panko instead of regular breadcrumbs. Panko is a style of Japanese bread crumbs that is larger. It creates a more crunchy exterior.
You can find panko at almost any grocery store. I also use it to make perfectly crunchy, juicy Crispy Asian Chicken Tenders and Honey Mustard Chicken Tenders, to top off casseroles like this Broccoli Rice Casserole, and on the outside of my Baked Chicken Parmesan too. Do not use a flaky white fish, such as tilapia or snapper, as they will not hold together as well.
The Chips
The recipe is called fish and chips, because “chips” are what the Brits refer to as fries. Chips are typically wide and flat, more like potato wedges.
Wedges. In this recipe, I opted for thick-cut oven baked potato wedges made from russet potatoes. Wedges are easier to prep than thin-cut chips, take up less space on the pan, and bake up irresistibly crisp and golden. They are also most similar to ones you’ll find in the country that is famous for fish and chips, England.French Fries. If you’d like a thinner style of chips that resembles a more classic French fry, check out my recipe for homemade Baked French Fries.
The Directions
Fish Dipping Sauce Suggestions
Tartar Sauce. Store-bought tartar sauce is a quick, easy option and Ben’s favorite.Malt Vinegar. Another classic you’ll find in British and Irish pubs is malt vinegar. I adore it!Dijon Yogurt Sauce. For something different and healthy, try Greek yogurt stirred together with a squirt of Dijon mustard. It’s delicious and not at all traditional, but then again, neither is this recipe! Dip as you please.Basil Yogurt Sauce. See this post Zucchini Fries for the recipe.
Storage Tips
To Store. While this recipe is best enjoyed the day it is made, you can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.To Reheat. Let the fish come to room temperature, then place it and the chips uncovered on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F for a few minutes, just until warmed through. The chips may take longer to reheat, so I like to give them a head start.
Recommended Tools to Make Fish and Chips
Baking Sheet. Perfect for our sheet pan fish and chips recipe.Pie Dish. My favorite for dredging meat and seafood prior to baking and for baking quiches, frittatas, and, of course, pie.Fish Spatula. Great for transferring your fish to and from the baking sheet.
Let’s make every night Friday night with this baked fish and chips!
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