Caribbean Style Fried Fish

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Seasoned from the inside out, these fish fillets are marinated in a Caribbean Green Seasoning before being lightly breaded and shallow fried to crispy perfection.
Crunchy on the outside with a tender, perfectly cooked flaky fish interior, you’ll be going back for seconds.

Here’s why you’re going to love these fish fillets:

• The texture is heavenly; crunchy on the outside and with seasoned, tender flaky fish on the inside.
• It is clean eating and uses wholesome minimal ingredients.
•  The breading is simple and doesn’t take away from the star of the dish: the fish.
• It can be made using your favorite fish.
• The level of the seasoning and herbs used in your green seasoning can be adjusted to suit your personal taste.

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To make this dish we’re going to need the following ingredients: 

• Fish: You can use any fish of your choice. I’m using cuts of blacktip shark but Alaskan Pollock, Cod, Hake, Haddock or any other flaky white fish works well.
• Lime Juice: Or lemon juice. Fresh is always best.
• Green Seasoning: This is where the bulk of our fish’s flavor will be, a fresh batch of homemade green seasoning can be thrown together in five minutes and best of all you can adjust the seasoning to suit your taste.
• Egg: This is our binding for our breading.
• Whole Wheat Flour: You can use whatever whole wheat flour you like but I highly recommend using either a white whole wheat flour or a whole wheat pastry flour.
• Salt: I’m using a Pink Himalayan salt but you can also use a sea salt.
• Pepper: White or black, fresh cracked or pre-ground, the choice is yours.

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Don’t want to use egg?

Sub the egg for melted butter.

No fresh lime or lemon juice?

You can also use distilled white vinegar as well.

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Here’s how to make these delicious Caribbean-style fried fish fillets:

Depending on the size of your fish steaks or fillets you may need to cut them into smaller more manageable pieces.

Once your fish is cut into the size you want, add your lime juice (and squeezed lime rinds if you like) to a bowl with enough water to submerge your fish in. Let you fish soak for 20-30 minutes. This allows the fish to be firmer when cooked as well as helps to season and remove any fishy/oily residue which enables your fish to be more tender and sweeter.

Once you’ve soaked your fish, drain the water and pat your fish dry using paper towels or a clean, lint-free kitchen towel. To your fish add your homemade Green Seasoning and toss to coat all the pieces evenly. Allow your fish to marinate for at least an hour or even overnight in the fridge. This will allow the seasoning to fully penetrate the fish, seasoning it from the inside out.

Once your fish has marinated in the green seasoning, add your salt and pepper to a dish with your whole wheat flour and mix it in.

Now we’ll set up our breading station with our bowl of fish in the green seasoning, an egg whisked in a bowl, our plate with the salt and pepper mixed in, and a clean plate to place the breaded fish pieces on. To bread your pieces:

• Gently squeeze and blot any excess moisture from each piece of fish*. (see below for a note on why this is important)
• Dip the fish into the beaten egg and let any excess egg drip off.
• Roll the fish in the seasoned flour and ensure complete coverage on all sides and edges.
• Set your breaded fillets on a clean plate and allow them to rest for at least 10 minutes before attempting to fry them. This is important because it allows the egg and the flour to dry and set which means there will be less of a chance of the breading falling apart and splitting or cracking when we fry it.

*When breading the fish try to remove as much water as possible by gently squeezing each piece and/or blotting off any extra water with paper towels. The reason for this is that once we bread them, the breading will hold the shape but if the fish has excess water in it that liquid will cook off and the meat will shrink back. This can be dangerous since we’re frying our fish in hot oil, the excess water can interact with the oil and cause spattering and the end result will be a small fish fillet surrounded by a large and loose sack of soggy breading.

To a frying pan, add 1-2 inches of oil (more if you want to fully deep fry them as opposed to shallow frying) and bring the oil up to 375F. Working in small batches, fry your fish until golden brown on all sides. If shallow frying, flip your fillets over after 1-2 minutes and fry the other side until golden brown. Remove each fillet to a cooling rack or a plate lined with paper towels so any excess oil can be wicked away.

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Can you bake these fillets?

Yes! Preheat your oven to 425°F and place your breaded and rested fillets onto a lightly oiled baking tray, ensuring that they’re not touching each other, and bake for 12-15 minutes, flipping them over halfway through your bake. If you like, you can lightly spritz the tops with a light coating of olive oil (or any clean eating oil of your choice) to encourage even browning.

Do you have an airfryer?

Preheat your airfryer to 400°F and lightly oil your basket’s bottom. Place your fillets in a single layer, ensuring that they’re not touching each other, and fry for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. If you like, you can lightly spritz the tops with a light coating of olive oil (or any clean eating oil of your choice) to encourage even browning.

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Here are some pairing ideas for your crunchy, freshly fried fillets:

• Mashed Potatoes.
• Fish Tacos (made using fresh homemade corn tortillas).
• Steamed brown rice and this Coconut Lentil Stew (my personal favorite!).
• This Quinoa and Lentil Pilaf.
• Some Simple Coconut Saffron Rice
• Paired with an assortment of veggies like these Skillet Green Beans or Honey Glazed Carrots or this Butternut Squash Bake.
• Paired with this summery Broccoli Salad.
• Paired with Caribbean fried bake, lettuce, tomatoes and chutneys to make your own Bake and Shark.
• Served on some homemade rolls (like these 1-Hour Rolls or Hawaiian Dinner Rolls) along with lettuce, some slices of pickles and topped with this easy homemade tartar sauce.