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

  • 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: Swap with any neutral oil like canola with a high smoke point.
  • All-Purpose Flour: For gluten-free, use a 1:1 ratio mix so the batter holds up right. And use milk instead of beer.
  • 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.

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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.

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. My family absolutely loves fish and chips. I think my 9 year old would eat it every day, if given the chance. I will have to make this for them soon!

  2. Fish and chips is such a classic meal! I can’t believe that I have never actually made it at home, definitely need to try this. And bees are never good in the house 🙂

    1. Yep this recipe is so easy to make at home that you will want to make it again and again, and I totally agree on the bees.

  3. Oh, Jocelyn, you know this southern boy loves some fried fish!! Don’t worry about the photos. I can totally see that your version of fish and chips was delicious!

  4. I feel your pain lady! I do most of my photography outside and the little critters have learned that I have tasty treats with me. So I’m always dealing with a bee or any or something! Eeekkk!

  5. Bees or no bees, your fish & chips look really delicious! I’m from the Midwest so Friday Fish Fry is definitely a year-round thing, but now that I live in SoCal I eat quite a bit of fish & chips when I have the craving. Your version looks tastier than anything I’ve found out here! Pinning!

  6. Despite the crazy bee interruption, I say these pics look wonderful and you have achieved the mission of making me crave fish and chips!

    1. Hahaha yes Mommy is wonder woman and I am a supreme punk but I do love my fish and chips!

  7. There are no words to describe my love for fish & chips! That fish looks perfectly crispy and totally delish! Yum!!

  8. I love fish and chips! This recipe looks awesome! Too funny about the bee – I did something similar at work yesterday. We were all coming back from lunch and a bee started circling us – I ran, yelling “Run for your life!” 🙂

4.05 from 49 votes (39 ratings without comment)

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