How to Cook Fish Fillets

Co-authored by Elsie Glasu-Atunuwa and Jessica Gibson

If you're bored of your usual fish fillets, try a new cooking method. To highlight the delicate flavor of white fish, sauté it with a little butter and finish it with fresh herbs. For classic fried fish, coat the fillets in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. Then fry the fish on the stove top until the fillets are golden brown. If you prefer a hands-off method, lay the fish in a baking dish and pour a simple lemon sauce over it. Bake the fish until it flakes easily and serve it with the creamy lemon sauce.

Ingredients

Sautéing Fish Fillets with Herbs^{[1]
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2 skinless white fish fillets
2 1/2 tablespoons (35 g) unsalted butter
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons (4.5 g) fresh chives, mint, or sorrel, finely chopped
1 tablespoon (2.5 g) fresh thyme, minced
2 teaspoons (1.5 g) fresh tarragon, basil or marjoram, finely chopped
Juice of 1/2 of a lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste

Makes 2 servings

Pan-Frying Crispy Fillets^{[2]
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4 white fish fillets, cut into 2 pieces lengthwise
1 pinch of salt and pepper
4 tablespoons (30 g) flour
2 eggs
4 tablespoons (30 g) bread crumbs
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
1 lemon, quartered

Makes 4 servings

Baking Fillets with Lemon Cream Sauce^{[3]
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Research source}

4 1/2-in (1.3 cm) thick fresh cod or haddock fish fillets
5 tablespoons (50 g) unsalted butter
¹⁄₄ cup (59 ml) heavy cream
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon (22.5 g) Dijon mustard
1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons (22 ml) lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons (15 g) finely chopped shallots
Fresh parsley and lemon slices, to serve

Makes 4 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Sautéing Fish Fillets with Herbs

1
Pat the fish fillets dry and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Take 2 skinless fish fillets and use paper towels to pat them completely dry. Sprinkle each side with a little salt and pepper. If you prefer heavily seasoned fish, use 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) of salt and 1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) of pepper.
- You can use tilefish, cod, halibut, or blackfish that's around 1 in (2.5 cm) thick. If you have thinner fillets, they'll cook a few minutes faster.
- You can also use garlic powder, ginger powder, or onion powder depending on the spices you like.
- Check the fish for pin bones and use tweezers to pull them out.
2
Melt the butter over medium heat and lay the fish in a sauté pan. Put 2 1/2 tablespoons (35 g) of unsalted butter into a large sauté pan and turn the burner to medium. Let the butter melt and foam a little. Then lay both fillets in the pan.
- Leave at least 1/2 in (1.3 cm) of space in between the fillets.
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3
Sprinkle the scallions over the fish and cook the fillets for 2 minutes. Thinly slice 3 scallions and spread them evenly over the fillets in the pan. Leave the fish to cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Use a spoon to ladle the scallion butter sauce over the tops of the fillets as they cook.
- Avoid turning or moving the fish while it sautés.
4
Flip the fish and cook it over low heat for 2 minutes. Use a spatula to carefully flip each fillet over and turn the burner to low. Put a lid on the pan and leave the fish to cook for 2 minutes.
- The skin should be darkened when you flip it over—that’s how you can tell it has cooked long enough.
5
Add the fresh herbs and cook the fish for 1 more minute. Remove the lid and scatter 1 1/2 tablespoons (4.5 g) of finely chopped fresh chives, mint, or sorrel along with 1 tablespoon (2.5 g) of fresh minced thyme and 2 teaspoons (1.5 g) of finely chopped fresh tarragon, basil or marjoram.
- Leave the lid off and cook the fish until it flakes easily.
- Feel free to use your favorite herbs or whatever herbs you have on hand.
6
Serve the fillets with the pan sauce and lemon juice. Transfer each fillet to serving plates and pour the sauce that's left in the pan over the fish. Take 1/2 of a lemon and squeeze the juice over the fish. Consider serving the fish with steamed rice, roasted vegetables, or crusty bread.
- Store the leftover fish fillets in an airtight container for up to 3 or 4 days.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Pan-Frying Crispy Fillets

1
Dry the fish and cut each fillet lengthwise into 2 pieces. Use paper towels to pat each side of the fish until they're completely dry. Use a sharp knife to slice each fillet into 2 smaller pieces. Sprinkle the fish with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Cutting the fish lengthwise will help them cook evenly.
- Try using cod, tilapia, halibut, or rockfish.
2
Set up a dredging station of flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. Lay 3 shallow dishes on the counter next to your stove. Put 4 tablespoons (30 g) of flour into 1 dish. Crack 2 eggs into another dish and whisk the eggs until they're combined. Measure 4 tablespoons (30 g) of bread crumbs into the last shallow dish.
3
Coat each fillet in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. Take 1 of the fillet pieces and dip it in the flour so it's completely coated. Shake it a little to let excess flour fall back in the dish. Then dip the fillet in the beaten egg so it's covered. Lift the fillet up and into the dish with breadcrumbs. Turn the fillet over to cover it in breadcrumbs.
- Let the extra breadcrumbs down into the shallow dish.
4
Fry the fish fillets over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Heat 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil in a skillet and lay the fish in the pan once the oil shimmers. Avoid moving the fish while it's frying because it won't develop a golden brown coating.
- If your skillet isn't large enough to hold all of the fillets in a single layer, fry them in batches.
5
Flip the fillets and fry them for 3 to 5 more minutes. Use a spatula to turn each fillet over and continue to fry them over medium heat. The breadcrumb coating should become totally crisp and browned.
- Your fish should be darkened on the cooked side when you flip it.
6
Serve the pan-fried fish fillets with lemon wedges. Turn off the burner and put the fish fillets on serving plates. Sprinkle the fish with a little salt and pepper according to your taste. Cut 1 lemon into 4 wedges and put a wedge on each plate.
- Avoid storing the pan-fried fillets because they'll become soggy as they're refrigerated.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Baking Fillets with Lemon Cream Sauce

1
Preheat the oven to 390 °F (199 °C) and season the fish. If you prefer lightly seasoned fish, sprinkle just a few pinches of salt and pepper over each fillet.
- For more heavily seasoned fish, try 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) of salt and 1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) of pepper.
2
Arrange the fillets in a baking dish. Get out a large casserole dish or 9 x 13 (22 x 33 cm) baking dish. Lay 4 fresh fish fillets that are 1/2-in (1.3 cm) thick in the pan so they're at least 1 in (2.5 cm) apart.
- If your fish fillets are thicker than 1/2 in (1.3 cm), add a few minutes to the baking time.
- Use tilapia, halibut, cod, silver dory, or rockfish.
3
Put the butter, cream, garlic, mustard, and lemon juice in a bowl. Measure 5 tablespoons (50 g) of unsalted butter, ¹⁄₄ cup (59 ml) of heavy cream, 1 to 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon (22.5 g) of Dijon mustard, and 1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons (22 ml) of lemon juice into a microwave-safe bowl or measuring jug.
4
Microwave the sauce ingredients for 1 minute. Heat the lemon cream sauce ingredients in the microwave for 30 seconds and then stir the sauce. Microwave it for another 30 seconds and stir it again.
- The sauce should be completely smooth and melted.
5
Mince the shallots and scatter them over the fish. Peel 1 shallot and use a sharp knife to chop it very finely. Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons (15 g) evenly over the fish fillets in the baking dish.
6
Pour the sauce over the fillets and bake them for 10 to 12 minutes. The fish will turn opaque when it's finished cooking. If you can't tell, take a fork and gently drag the tines across the center of a fillet. The fish will flake once it's finished cooking.
- If the fish isn't done, return it to the oven and check it again in 2 minutes. Thicker fish may need more time.
7
Serve the baked fish with fresh parsley and lemon slices. Turn off the oven and remove the baking dish. Transfer the fish fillets to serving plates and spoon some of the lemon cream sauce over each piece. Garnish them with fresh parsley and slices of lemon.
- Consider serving the fish with a salad, crusty bread, or roasted potatoes.
- Avoid storing leftover baked fish in cream sauce because the sauce will separate.