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The Lowdown on This Fish and Chips
My experience with this classic British dish took place years ago. I remember going to London and trying the authentic rendition of Fish and Chips for the first time. The flavor was off the chain y’all! It has lived rent free in my head since then.
The fish was so fresh and fried super super crispy. The inside was hot, soft and super tender. And boos, I did just that with my fish and chips recipe. Now I can have all that goodness on demand (with a bomb tartar sauce!), no passport required. Get into it.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Fish and Chips
- 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.
- 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: I prefer milk over the beer but it works great to make beer battered fish!
- Potatoes: Russets give you that fluffy inside and crispy outside, but Yukon Golds hold their shape well too. Either way, you’re getting some bomb fries!
How to Make Fish and Chips
Crispy Fish and Chips Recipe
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Ingredients
- Vegetable oil for frying
- ⅓ 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
Nutrition
Tips for Making the Best Fish and Chips with Tartar Sauce
- 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.
Recipe Variations and Additions
- Make it gluten-free. Swap the all-purpose flour for your favorite gluten-free blend. Just make sure it’s a 1:1 mix so the batter holds up right. And use milk instead of beer.
- Give it a spicy kick. Sprinkle some cayenne or smoked paprika into the batter, or hit the fried fish with a squeeze of hot sauce before serving.
- Add extra crunch to the batter. Mix in a little cornstarch with the flour or toss in a handful of panko.
- Switch up the fries. Traditional thick-cut fries are great, but you can do sweet potato fries, shoestring, or even tater tots.
What to Serve with Beer Battered Fish
- Sauce for Dipping: I really love this Cajun remoulade sauce for a different twist on what to serve with this recipe. But a classic tartar sauce works great too! The Brits serve theirs up with malted vinegar so you can give that a try!
- Simple Salads: Such as this vinegar coleslaw recipe or a cucumber and onion salad.
- Fry Feast: Add on some fried pickles and ice cold sweet tea. You can even get down on classic Southern fish fry goodies like fried catfish and fried shrimp y’all!
- Go All In with the Toppings: A squeeze of lemon is a must boos!
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.
Frequently asked questions
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.
Yep! Just make sure it’s fully thawed and patted dry before battering.
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 Delicious Fried Recipes
- Fried Shrimp
- Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe
- Chicken Fried Steak Recipe
- Buttermilk Fried Chicken
- Catfish Nuggets
- Fried Okra
This post was originally published August 2018. It has been updated with new content and images.
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Tastes just like London fish and chips! And few ingredientS – so easy to make.
Yay! The biggest compliment, thank you so much!
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?
It definitely won’t come out as airy for sure but you could try a non-alcoholic carbonated drink instead here.
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
I Added a bit more flour into the batter and it turned out Prefect. Very tasty, very easy. Thanks for the recipe
You’re so welcome, doll!
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.
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.
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.
You’re so welcome! Thank you for making it and sharing your thoughts with me Catherine!
So good and so easy! I’ve tried other recipes I found online, but this is both delicious and quick. Thank you so much!
You’re so welcome, boo!