Fried Fish Sandwich Recipe

Battered and fried fish sandwich on a bun with coleslaw, tartar sauce, and a slice of tomato.

5 stars (3 reviews)

Skip the fast food line and learn how easy it is to make the best fish sandwiches loaded with moist, flaky and crispy beer battered fried white fish, crunchy and creamy coleslaw, tangy tartar sauce, and any of your favorite sandwich toppings!

Prep Time30

Cook Time8

Total Time38

Course: Lunch, Main, Main Course, Sandwiches

Cuisine: American

Servings: - 8 sandwiches

Calories: 996kcal

Author: Sommer Collier

Ingredients

For the Beer Battered Fish –

2 pounds white fish grouper, cod, halibut, tilapia
2/3 cup cornstarch
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or black pepper
12 ounce light crisp beer like Corona or Modelo
32 ounces fry oil canola, peanut, vegetable

For the Slaw (Optional) –

1 pound shredded coleslaw cabbage mix
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons honey
1 ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper

For the Fish Sandwiches –

8 brioche hamburger buns
½ cup tartar sauce try our homemade tartar sauce recipe
Butter lettuce
Tomato slices
Dill pickles

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place the whole fish fillets on a cutting board and cut into 6 to 8 fish fillet sections that are slightly larger than the buns.
Pat the fish dry with paper towels on both sides and let them rest for a few minutes while you prepare the batter and oil. They should be very dry before dunking in oil.
If using coleslaw on your sandwiches, set out a mixing bowl and combine the cabbage slaw, mayonnaise, honey, rice vinegar, and garlic powder. Add 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Mix well until all ingredients are smooth and combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
For the beer batter: Set out a mixing bowl. Combine the cornstarch, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Whisk well to combine. Then measure and pour in ¾ cup of beer. Mix well until the batter is smooth, then let the batter rest for several minutes while you heat the oil.
Place a large deep cast-iron skillet (or sauté pan) over medium-high heat. Pour the oil into the pan. Attach a cooking thermometer to the side of the skillet with the tip down in the oil. Bring the temperature up to 375°F. Set a drying rack over a baking sheet and place it close to the frying pan.
Once the temperature gets close to 375, adjust the heat to keep it there. *The temperature will drop when you add the fish to the oil. It’s important to keep the temperature between 350-360°F while frying so the batter isn’t too oily once cooked.
Check the consistency of the beer batter… It should be approximately the thickness of good pancake batter. If it's a little too thick, add an extra splash of beer to the batter.
One piece at a time, dunk the fish fillets in the batter, and gently lay them in the fry oil. Don't try to squeeze them all in at once; it's better to fry and two batches. Fry the fish fillets for approximately 3-4 minutes per side. Three minutes for thin fish fillets and four minutes for thicker fish fillets.
Use tongs to flip the fish fillets over – Be careful so you don't splash hot grease on yourself. Once the first batch of fried fish fillets comes out of the frying pan, place them on the rack and repeat with the remaining pieces of fish. If desired, you can preheat an oven to 200°F to use as a warmer for the fish. However, if you fry the second batch right after the first, you shouldn't need to do this.
Assemble the fish sandwiches: Open the buns, and dollop the tops with a good amount of tartar sauce. Layer butter lettuce leaves and coleslaw on the bottom buns. Place a fish fillet on each bun and top it with a tomato slice and pickles. Then cover the fish sandwich and serve immediately!

Video

Notes

- Storing Leftovers - The pieces of fish are best eaten shortly after frying, when they are perfectly crunchy. If you do have leftovers, store the fish in separate containers from the other toppings and keep them in the fridge for a day or two. The coleslaw will keep well for up to 3 days, but will lose its snappy crunch the longer it sits.

- Reheating - Warm the fish in the air fryer or bake for about 5-10 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Avoid microwaving, or you'll end up with soggy filets.

Nutrition