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!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.

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.

Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?

I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!

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
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @GrandbabyCakes or tag #grandbabycakes!

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. Not sure why mine cane out golden and soggy 🙁 I used milk and also battered zucchini. Fish and Zucchini were soggy. Good, but not the least crisoy.

    1. The oil could have been too hot and cooked the outside faster than the inside or you might not have left it cook long enough. Zucchini is like all moisture as well so if you had the pot packed with it then it could have been too much.

  2. wow this Fish and Chips Recipe turned out great! The batter was spot on and it was so crispy and still juicy inside.

  3. This was such an easy recipe and turned out great!! Made me feel like I was in one of my favorite pubs in London!

  4. Thanks for such a lovely recipe. My kids to love these Crispy Fish and Chips recipe and the delicious crispy coating too.

  5. These were better than the kind you can get at a restaurant. that’s for sure! Who knew fish and chips could be make so easily at home. I used the cod filets and they were perfect!

  6. I just wanted to let you know that your recipes and the love you put in them have been a blessing to my family. During this terrible time in the world, I am trying my best to be positive and take care of my precious family. I am cooking the fish and chips with my 25 year old son. We are just having a wonderful time. We are all taking turns trying your recipes and enjoying each other’s company.
    Thank you and be blessed always.

  7. I used to wonder why people posted reviews or comments if they had not tried the recipe yet. Well, I can now answer my own question! I signed up for your blog and as a result I’ve saved recipes for the last couple of hours from your site. I’m posting this to say that I’m from the South and love all the foods you post recipes for. Boy, am I grateful since so many of us have gotten away from some of the dishes we love so much. Anyway, it would be impossible to try all the recipes at once and since we all too often move on, I may or may not get back to review the recipe. So just know I value your recipes so much and can’t wait to try the fish and chips among others. I have cod fish on the way, ordered on-line. Thanks for taking the time to pass on such great recipes!

    1. Hi Mobasir, you can omit it but it won’t have the same lift in the recipe. To substitute baking powder in a recipe, start by adding 1 teaspoon of baking soda to the dry ingredients for every 3 teaspoons of baking powder the recipe calls. Then, add 1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice to the wet ingredients for every 1 teaspoon of baking soda you used.

4.05 from 49 votes (39 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating