Oven Fried Fish

Here’s a healthy oven fried fish recipe that tastes incredible and really easy to make!! We will show you how to fry fish in the oven so it’s healthier but still as crispy as ever.

I will start by saying we all love seafood! I have three girls and whether we make fillets, sticks or these into fish nuggets it is one of our favorite meals! Add Panko coating to the outside and all our taste buds are on fire. NO need to deep fry anymore, this is how to get the same result without oil. (affiliate links present)

The earlier you get your kids to try new foods the better. Mine are teens now and would choose fish over just about anything else nowadays. Seriously. 😉 If you love air fryer frozen fish sticks, but want a homemade version with that same deep fried crunch, this is how you do it.

Ingredient Notes

As far as the fish fillets you choose we typically choose a white filet like mahi mahi, tilapia or cod. The cooking time below will work for all of those types, cut into pieces that are about the size of your palm length, maybe 2 inches wide.

I like using lighter Panko bread crumbs for this. You could use Italian but that creates a more dense coating that isn’t quite as crunchy and has more calories too.

In that small bowl combine in some Parmesan cheese too for flavor and added texture. This is of course optional but a really nice touch to the dish overall.

Eggs are used to get the coating to stick well. I like to whisk it once they are close to room temperature if possible.

All purpose flour is also used to further coat the outsides to give it a nice crisp. To add flavor we will include some Garlic powder and some Salt. When done you can serve with our cilantro lime sauce or tarter and enjoy.

Let’s start off with a bowl, shallow dish for breading and a rimmed baking sheet with foil or sprayed with non stick cooking spray for baking. 

Variations and Substitutions

If you cannot have eggs for your “fish fry” there are a few other options. Once your fillets are dry you can soak for 20 minutes in some heavy cream, to allow breadcrumbs to stick well. Some would rather dip in melted butter or brush some mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt on, all are good alternatives.

Can you use frozen fish?

We used thawed tilapia in this case, no, cooking frozen fish would not be able to be breaded. Baked fish is delicious if you follow the steps in our how to cook frozen tilapia but you won’t get this same outcome. Instead you can sprinkle some Panko and seasoning on halfway thru. You can get some of the same texture but not all.

You can even get the kids involved in this recipe. They love the whole assembly line process. Especially if you are trying to introduce fish into your family’s dinner routine it is a great way to get them to take ownership over the meal. A trick to making them browner on the top is just a little spray of olive oil on the top, all you need. This is hush puppies with Jiffy Mix, they’re great served on the side.

How long to bake white fish at 400?

Typically you just want fish to flake easily when touched with a fork. Color should be white or opaque vs. translucent. For this one it takes 12-15 minutes or until fish is lightly golden on top and flaky in the middle. For small pieces like how long to cook scallops they would take just a few min.

Fish and Chips Option

Make it even more fun by pairing these with some beer batter French fries. Or you can throw frozen on another baking sheet next to this one on the same rack.

Other easy fish recipes you’ll love

If you have an Instant Pot try one of our pressure cooker fish recipes. Our frozen fish in air fryer or salmon recipes are fabulous with a squeeze of lemon juice on top and tartar sauce on the side. Then try our air fryer catfish or no breading with air fryer teriyaki salmon.

Pair it with some veggies or pan fried calamari and you have a perfect meal using just 5 ingredients in less than 30 minutes! Once you’ve made this and love it, then try oven fried chicken next! It too is lower in saturated fat that the traditional recipes out there and so good too.