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Relax, grab a beer, pretend you’re in a pub in England and enjoy my favorite fried dish ever – Fish and Chips! Flaky white fish is fried in the most delicious batter and served with crispy, flavorful french fries. Oh, and I should mention that there’s also beer in the batter, making this the BEST fried fish recipe around!
I miss England so much. It has been two years since I have traveled anywhere outside of the United States and my travel bug is on fire. However, given the current circumstances, it is understandable that travel is a bit on the back burner.
I brought England to me by making this classic English fried dish, fish and chips!
Now, of course this isn’t going to be *just* like how they do it in England and of course there is variations, but this is pretty darn close and a great substitute for when you can’t hop on a plane and cross the pond!
Classic Fish and Chips
I love taking a big bite out of perfectly fried fish. When it’s made just right, the fish should be flaky and tender and the batter should compliment it perfectly with a crunch and added flavor.
However, so often I’m disappointed with fish and chips that I order at a restaurant…which is why now, I use my own trusty recipe to make it at home!
Of course, this meal wouldn’t be fully rounded out without the addition of homemade tartar sauce. It’s creamy, packed with flavorful herbs, and helps elevate this fish and chips even more.
All together, this meal is one of my favorite fried foods to indulge in because it’s such a classic.
I feel like I don’t make a ton of British-inspired cuisine, but this entree is certainly high up on my all time list of favorites.
Really, who doesn’t love fried fish and homemade french fries?! This isn’t just my favorite food that’s fresh from the fryer, but also probably my favorite meal from across the pond too.
Gather your ingredients for this classic fried dish!
Ingredients
- Oil – Canola oil is great for frying!
- Potatoes – For the best fries, use russet potatoes.
- Salt – Just a pinch.
- Paprika – You can use smoked paprika for a touch of smokey flavor if you’d like.
- Garlic powder – Measure with your heart if you’re a garlic lover!
- Fish – For the best fried white fish, use tilapia that’s fresh from your local seafood counter.
- Rice flour – The best thickening agent for the batter.
- Everything bagel seasoning – Any brand is fine!
- Black pepper – Freshly cracked has the best flavor.
- Baking soda – To help keep the batter nice and light.
- Egg – I usually buy free-range organic eggs.
- Beer – Any wheat beer will do! Stay away from IPA’s and stouts.
FAQs on fish and chips
Work in batches of three! This is very important because if you overcrowd the oil with too many pieces of fish, the temperature of the oil will decrease and the fish will not cook accordingly. Likely, they’ll end up greasy and under-cooked. To make sure the fish is perfect every time, double check that the temperature of the oil is 375°F and only fry three pieces at a time.
You can substitute beer in the beer batter with apple cider vinegar, however, it might make your batter more pungent. You can use half apple cider vinegar and half plain soda/seltzer.
You absolutely can! Be careful when you fry frozen fries though. It will spit and splatter a lot because of the frozen moisture on the outside of the fries from being frozen.
I personally love using my cast iron Dutch oven. It holds in heat exceptionally well and it’s very deep. I have a 6 quart one.
If the oil is still good – meaning it isn’t too dark and burnt, you can pour it into a container and save it for another frying day (because let’s be honest, you aren’t going to make this fish and chips recipe just once, are you?!). If it smells funky and/or just doesn’t look fresh, you can pour it into a container and dispose of it properly.
Fried foods typically are best day of but if you have leftovers that you want to save, try to eat it the next day or two. Reheating in the toaster oven is going to be your best bet to re-crisp the exterior. The microwave is only going to make it mushy and not good!
There are plenty of other fish in the sea – and on this website!
Sheet Pan Salmon and Vegetables
Air Fryer Parmesan-Crusted Fish Sticks
Fun recipe for those Potter heads since this is a very relevant post: Homemade Butterbeer
Fish and Chips
Equipment
Ingredients
- Canola oil, for frying
- 4 russet potatoes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 6 tilapia or cod filets, cut in half through the center
- 3 cups (480 g) rice flour, divided
- 1 tablespoon everything bagel seasoning
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 egg, whisked
- 12 ounce (340 ml) can wheat beer
For serving:
- Lemon slices
- Tartar sauce
Instructions
- Heat 4” of canola oil in a dutch oven or large pot to 350 °F (177 °C)
- Cut russet potatoes into ½” strips, leaving the skin on. Carefully add to the hot oil and fry for 5 minutes. Remove from the oil and place onto a paper towel lined plate to allow excess oil to drip off. Next, add fries to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle salt, paprika, and garlic powder over the top and toss to coat.
- Increase the temp of the oil to 375 °F (191 °C)
- Cut tilapia filets down the center.
- Prepare a dredging station. Add 1 cup rice flour to a shallow baking dish. In a separate mixing bowl, add remaining rice flour, everything bagel seasoning, black pepper, baking soda, wheat beer, and whisked egg and whisk well to combine.
- Dredge the fish in the rice flour, evenly coating both sides. Tap fish lightly to remove excess flour, then dip fish into the batter.
- Carefully add fish to the hot oil 3 at a time. Fry for 5 minutes, turn the fish over halfway through.
- Drain fried fish on a paper towel lined plate. Serve with fries, lemon slices, and tartar sauce and enjoy!
