Crispy Fish Burger Recipe
This Crispy Fish Burger Recipe is the fast food upgrade that every seafood lover deserves. A thick fillet of flaky white fish. A shatteringly crispy golden panko crust. A cool, tangy homemade tartar sauce. Furthermore, stacked high in a pillowy toasted brioche bun with crisp lettuce and sharp pickles.
Moreover, this Crispy Fish Burger Recipe is infinitely better than anything from a drive through. For more fantastic fast food and seafood recipes, also explore our vibrant Fish Tacos Recipe, our classic Fish and Chips Recipe and our full Fast Food collection.
The Panko Crust in This Crispy Fish Burger Recipe
Panko breadcrumbs are Japanese style and significantly larger, lighter and airier than standard breadcrumbs. Furthermore, they create a dramatically crispier and more textured crust. Consequently, the finished fish stays crunchy for longer and provides a deeply satisfying shatter with every bite.
The Three Stage Coating
Coat the fish in flour first, then egg wash, then seasoned panko. Furthermore, the flour creates a dry surface for the egg to grip. The egg wash binds the panko firmly. Consequently, the crust adheres perfectly during frying and does not slide off.
Seasoning the Panko
Mix smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried dill and cayenne into the panko before coating. Moreover, this means the flavor is built into the crust itself. Additionally, the paprika gives the crust a beautiful deep golden color that looks spectacular.
The Best Fish for This Crispy Fish Burger Recipe
The fish needs to be firm enough to hold together during coating and frying while staying flaky and moist inside. Furthermore, choosing the right variety makes a meaningful difference.
Top Fish Choices
- Cod — Most popular choice. Moreover, its firm texture holds together perfectly and its mild flavor lets the crust and sauce shine.
- Haddock — Slightly sweeter than cod. Furthermore, it has a beautiful delicate flavor and firm flaky texture.
- Pollock — Affordable and sustainable. Additionally, it performs excellently in this Crispy Fish Burger Recipe.
- Halibut — Premium option with a meatier texture. Consequently, it produces the most impressive and substantial fish burger.
The Homemade Tartar Sauce for This Recipe
The homemade tartar sauce takes just 2 minutes and is incomparably better than any jarred version. Furthermore, the combination of capers, gherkins, fresh dill and lemon creates a perfectly balanced sauce.
Key Sauce Ingredients
- Good quality mayonnaise — The creamy base. Full fat produces the richest result.
- Capers — Their briny salty pop adds savory depth. Moreover, they define classic tartar sauce.
- Gherkins or dill pickles — Finely chopped for sweet sharp crunch. Additionally, they add a textural contrast.
- Fresh dill — The most essential flavoring. Furthermore, its herbal freshness makes tartar sauce taste authentic.
- Fresh lemon juice — Lifts all flavors. Consequently, it prevents the sauce from tasting heavy.
How to Make This Crispy Fish Burger Recipe
The method is clear and fast. First, make the tartar sauce. Then coat the fish in three stages. Next, fry until deeply golden. Finally, toast the buns and assemble. The full method is in the recipe card below.
What to Serve with a Crispy Fish Burger
This Crispy Fish Burger Recipe is a complete meal. However, these sides create a spectacular spread:
Perfect Side Dishes
- Our golden Onion Rings Recipe — furthermore, onion rings alongside a fish burger is the ultimate combination
- Our creamy Coleslaw Recipe — moreover, cool slaw contrasts perfectly with the hot crispy fish
- Our fresh Classic Caesar Salad for a lighter side option
- Thick cut fries — additionally, fries and a fish burger are a timeless combination
Easy Variations for This Crispy Fish Burger Recipe
Korean Style Fish Burger — Top with gochujang mayo, quick pickled cucumber and sesame seeds. Moreover, the bold sweet and spicy Korean flavors create an exciting modern twist.
Avocado Fish Burger — Add thick ripe avocado slices and rocket. Additionally, a smear of wasabi mayo adds a sophisticated Japanese inspired note.
Beer Battered Version — Use our beer batter from the Fish and Chips Recipe instead of panko for a completely different but equally spectacular result.
Shrimp Burger — Replace fish with large shrimp pressed together and coated in the same seasoned panko. Furthermore, shrimp cook in under 3 minutes per side.
Make This Crispy Fish Burger Recipe Tonight
In conclusion, this Crispy Fish Burger Recipe is the most satisfying and impressive fast food meal you can make at home in just 30 minutes. Therefore, whether it is a Friday night dinner or a weekend feast, this recipe always delivers. Browse more of our incredible Fast Food recipes and share your results in the comments below!
Crispy Fish Burger Recipe
Flaky white fish in a shatteringly crispy seasoned panko crust, stacked in a toasted brioche bun with homemade tartar sauce. Ready in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- The Fish
- 4 filletsThick white fish — cod, haddock or pollock (approx 150g each)Pat completely dry before coating for the crispiest crust
- The Three Stage Coating
- 60 gPlain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
- 2 largeEggs, beaten
- 150 gPanko breadcrumbsJapanese panko creates a dramatically crispier crust than standard breadcrumbs
- 1 tspSmoked paprika
- 1/2 tspGarlic powder
- 1/2 tspDried dill
- 1/4 tspCayenne pepper
- 500 mlNeutral oil for shallow frying
- The Homemade Tartar Sauce
- 150 gFull fat mayonnaise
- 2 tbspCapers, drained and finely chopped
- 3 tbspGherkins or dill pickles, finely chopped
- 2 tbspFresh dill, finely chopped
- 1 tbspFresh lemon juice
- 1 tspDijon mustard
- To Assemble
- 4Brioche burger buns, split and toasted
- 4 leavesCrisp iceberg lettuce
- As desiredSliced dill pickles and lemon wedges
Equipment
Method for This Crispy Fish Burger Recipe
- 1Make the tartar sauce: Combine mayonnaise, capers, gherkins, fresh dill, lemon juice and Dijon mustard in a bowl. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate while you prepare everything else. Furthermore, making the sauce first allows the flavors to meld and intensify beautifully.
- 2Set up the coating station: Set out three shallow bowls — seasoned flour, beaten eggs and panko mixed with all the spices. Pat the fish fillets completely dry. Furthermore, dry fish is essential — moisture prevents the flour from adhering and causes the coating to slip off during frying.
- 3Coat the fish: Dip each fillet in flour, shake off excess. Dip in egg and let excess drip off. Press firmly into seasoned panko on both sides. Moreover, press the panko with your full palm to ensure the crust adheres completely and stays in place during cooking.
- 4Fry the fish: Heat oil in a large pan to 175 degrees C. Fry coated fillets for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side undisturbed until deeply golden. Flip and fry a further 2 to 3 minutes. Furthermore, the fish is cooked when it flakes easily at the thickest point. Drain on a wire rack not paper towels.
- 5Toast the buns: Split and toast brioche buns cut side down in a dry pan for 60 seconds until golden. Furthermore, toasted buns hold up better under the weight and moisture of the fish and sauce. A soft untoasted bun becomes soggy immediately.
- 6Assemble and serve: Spread generous tartar sauce on both bun halves. Place crisp lettuce on the bottom bun. Add the crispy fish fillet. Layer with sliced pickles and squeeze fresh lemon over the fish. Close with the top bun and serve immediately while the crust is at its crispiest.
Nutrition (Per Serving — 1 burger with tartar sauce)
* Nutritional values are estimates per burger with tartar sauce. Using light mayo reduces calories by approximately 60 kcal per serving.
Notes
- Always pat the fish completely dry before coating. Furthermore, any surface moisture prevents the flour from bonding. Consequently, the entire three stage coating slides off in the oil rather than staying crisp and golden.
- Press the panko firmly into the fish with your full palm. A gentle press is not sufficient. Moreover, a firm press ensures the coating adheres completely and stays in place throughout frying.
- Drain on a wire rack not paper towels. Paper towels trap steam and soften the crust within seconds. Furthermore, a wire rack keeps air circulating on all sides and maintains crispiness for much longer.
- This recipe serves 4. To serve 6, increase fish to 6 fillets and coating by 50%. Furthermore, fry in two batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
- The tartar sauce keeps for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Moreover, it improves overnight as the flavors develop. Consequently, it can be made the day before for stress free assembly.
Tips for the Perfect Crispy Fish Burger Recipe Every Time
- Always use panko not standard breadcrumbs. Furthermore, panko creates a shatteringly crispy crust with far more texture and visual appeal. Consequently, the difference is dramatic and immediately noticeable.
- Season every layer of the coating — the flour, egg and panko. Moreover, flavor in every layer produces a far more interesting and complex tasting crust.
- Do not move the fish during the first 2 minutes. The crust needs to bond with the hot oil first. Furthermore, moving too early tears the crust away from the fish before it has set properly.
- Serve within 5 minutes of frying. The panko crust softens quickly once assembled. Moreover, fry and build the burger just before serving rather than making in advance.
- Use brioche buns. Their rich, slightly sweet and pillowy texture pairs extraordinarily well with the crispy fish and tangy tartar sauce. Furthermore, brioche holds up better than standard buns under the moisture of the sauce.