Best Fish and Chips Recipe

My Fish and Chips recipe gets as close to London’s rendition as possible. The fish is fried crispy with the inside being hot and tender. Serve with a bomb tartar sauce!

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A tray with a portion of fish and chips with tartar sauce in the back.

Fish and Chips Ingredients

Ingredients to make fish and chips on the table.
  • Fish: I always use cod, but haddock, pollock, catfish, or even perch will work. Just make sure the fish is light and flaky.
  • Vegetable oil: Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, like vegetable, canola, or peanut oil.
  • Flour: All-purpose, boos. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 ratio mix so the batter holds up right. And use milk instead of beer.
  • Eggs: So the batter holds on tight to the fish.
  • Baking powder: Make sure you grab baking powder, not baking soda.
  • Salt: Season everything y’all. Batter, fish, fries.
  • Beer or milk: Both work great.
  • Potatoes: Russets give you that fluffy inside and crispy outside, but Yukon Golds hold their shape well too.

How to Make Fish and Chips

Mix the Batter

The flour and egg in a mixing bowl with a whisk.

Step 1: Whisk together flour, eggs, baking powder, and salt in one medium sized bowl until smooth.

Milk added to the batter and a whisk in the bowl to stir.

Step 2: Slowly add in beer or milk and continue whisking until batter is combined.

Dip the Fish into the Batter

Fish in a container of flour and batter in a bowl next to it.

Step 3: Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper.

Dipping the fish into the batter with tongs.

Step 4: Dip each piece into batter coating evenly.

Fry Everything

A piece of fish in a strainer over the hot oil.

Step 5: Fry fish in oil until golden brown and crispy.

Cooking the french fries in oil.

Step 6: Fry potatoes until golden brown.

Fish and Chips Recipe | Grandbaby Cakes

Crispy Fish and Chips Recipe

White meat fish like cod or haddock are dipped in an airy batter that is then deep fried on the stovetop getting extra crispy and golden brown. Served with classic potato fries aka chips!
4.05 from 49 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Servings: 2 servings

Ingredients

  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup beer or milk
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 pound haddock or cod fillets cut into strips and completely dried with paper towels
  • 3 potatoes cut in fry shapes

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a medium sized pot over medium high heat.
  • Whisk together flour, eggs, baking powder, and salt in one medium sized bowl until smooth.
  • Next slowly add in beer or milk and continue whisking until batter is combined.
  • Salt and pepper fish then dip each piece into batter coating evenly.
  • Fry fish in oil until golden brown and crispy.
  • Next fry potatoes until golden brown.
  • Salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Video

Notes

Fresh fish makes the difference. Look for fillets that are firm, shiny, and smell fresh, not fishy. If it’s dull or slimy, it’s past its prime. And always pat the fish dry! If your fish is damp, the batter won’t stick right. Use a paper towel to dry it off.
Use ice-cold beer (if you’re using beer). The chill creates air pockets in the batter, making it light, airy, and extra crispy when it hits the hot oil.
Cook in batches. This is VERY important boos. Don’t overcrowd the fillets in the hot oil!
Last but not least, don’t just pile the fish on a plate. Let it rest on a wire rack so the excess oil drips off and the coating stays crisp. Paper towels will make it soggy.

How to Store & Reheat Fish and Chips

Let the fish and fries cool completely before storing. Pop the fish in an airtight container and the fries in a separate one so they don’t turn into a soggy mess, and keep them in the fridge.
To reheat, pop the fish in a 375°F oven or air fryer for about 10 minutes until it’s hot and crispy again. Fries can go right in the air fryer or oven too. Give ’em a shake halfway through!

How long will Fish and Chips last in the fridge?

Fish and chips are best fresh, but they’ll keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Can I freeze batter for fish and chips?

You can freeze both the batter and the fried fish. For the batter, store it in an airtight container and freeze for up to a month. Just give it a good stir after thawing. For the fried fish, let it cool, freeze it in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. It’ll keep for about 2 months.
The fries can go in the freezer too! Spread them out on a baking sheet to freeze first, then toss ’em in a bag. They’ll last up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 526kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 308mg | Sodium: 1171mg | Potassium: 2160mg | Fiber: 8g | Vitamin A: 400IU | Vitamin C: 36.4mg | Calcium: 192mg | Iron: 12.6mg
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Recipe Tips

  • Fresh fish makes the difference. Look for fillets that are firm, shiny, and smell fresh, not fishy. If it’s dull or slimy, it’s past its prime.
  • Pat the fish dry. If your fish is damp, the batter won’t stick right. Use a paper towel to dry it off.
  • Use ice-cold beer. The chill creates air pockets in the batter, making it light, airy, and extra crispy when it hits the hot oil.
  • Cook in batches. This is VERY important boos. Don’t overcrowd the fillets in the hot oil!
  • Don’t just pile the fish on a plate. Let it rest on a wire rack so the excess oil drips off and the coating stays crisp. Paper towels will make it soggy.
A tray of fish and chips on the table with lemons and tartar sauce.

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Serving Suggestions

Recipe Help

Why did my batter fall off the fish?

If the fish ain’t dry, the batter won’t stick! Pat it down with a paper towel before seasoning and dipping. Also, let it drain on a wire rack after frying so it stays crispy.

Can I use frozen fish?

Yep! Just make sure it’s fully thawed and patted dry before battering.

Why aren’t my fries crispy?

Did you crowd the pan boo? Fries need space! Also, double-fry them. Once at 325°F to cook through, then again at 375°F to crisp up.

More Fried Recipes

This post was originally published August 2018. It has been updated with new content and images.

Filed Under:  Dinner, Main Dishes, Seafood, Stovetop

Comments

  1. The flavor was very nice but the crust was soft very soon after leaving the oil. How does one get a crispier crust on the fish that stays crispy after cooling?

    1. Did you let it drain well? Your oil might not have been hot enough so it soaked into the crust instead.

  2. Hi i just found this recipe but i dont drink alcohol. I know this recipe calls for a milk substitution but im afraid it wont come out airy and crispy. Should i stick to milk or find some other carbonated substitute?

    1. It definitely won’t come out as airy for sure but you could try a non-alcoholic carbonated drink instead here.

    2. I dont drink either. But i still use regular beer. All the alcohol is cooked out an i just dump the rest of what I dont use when im done cooking. Idk where you live but where i do, you can buy a single can

  3. I Added a bit more flour into the batter and it turned out Prefect. Very tasty, very easy. Thanks for the recipe

  4. This did not turn out well for us. I followed the recipe exactly. I think my mistake was that I did not dry the haddock before dipping it in the batter. Also I used my large LaCrueset brasier instead of a non stick skillet. I learned what I did wrong. Hopefully next time. I will try it one more time.

    1. Hi Sally, I am so sorry to hear that it did not turn out well for you. I do have in the ingredients section to make sure that the fish is completely dry, def a big thing here in getting the batter to stick.

  5. Such an easy and delicious way to cook the fish! The addition of egg really lightens the batter and as an experiment, I also threw in the potato strips…wow, the best I’ve ever had. Many thanks.

    1. You’re so welcome! Thank you for making it and sharing your thoughts with me Catherine!

  6. So good and so easy! I’ve tried other recipes I found online, but this is both delicious and quick. Thank you so much!

4.05 from 49 votes (39 ratings without comment)

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