Southern Pan Fried Fish (Whiting Fish Recipe)

Name: Southern Pan Fried Fish
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 lb Fish Fillet ( whiting, cod, catfish ); salt and pepper for taste; vegetable oil for frying; 3/4 cup cornmeal; 1 tbsp all purpose flour; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper; salt and pepper for taste

By April Boller Wright 89 Comments

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Southern Pan fried whiting fish seasoned then fried until crispy and golden. Tender, flaky whiting fish is so delicious! Perfect with hushpuppies or a side of coleslaw.

If you love this fish recipe you'll really enjoy my crispy tuna patties with lemon garlic, herbs and parmesan. Amazing!

Southern Fried Fish

Southern fried whiting fish is so underrated. It's like everyone forgot about it. I will never forget it. I can't forget anything I grew up eating. Heirloom recipes make me feel some kind of way. I love them. And eating crispy pan fried fish bring back so many childhood memories. I don't know which food I love more, this fried fish or my favorite tastiest meatloaf .

Many people are unfamiliar with whiting fish. But it's very popular in African American homes. It has a mild fish and sweet flavor. So if you don't care for fishy tasting fish then you will enjoy this whiting recipe.

Check out this Washington Post article if want to learn more about the history of fried whiting fish.

My little brother, well, he was a greedy kid. He REALLY couldn't wait to dig into the fried fish. I can still hear his voice "Are you gonna eat all your fish?" I still don't know how he ate so much but never gained a pound.

Who would give up crispy fried whiting? None of us wanted to share. We never had leftovers on fish fry nights.

The days I craved crispy fish. I'd take a walk to a tiny and I mean tiny takeout restaurant. Their limited menu. They had fried fish sandwiches, burgers, and fries and a couple of fried seafood choices.

I always ordered fried whiting fish with wheat bread a side of fries with lots of ketchup and a nice cold sweet tea. Those were the good old days.

Fried whiting fish is one of my guilty pleasures for sure. When my mom or grandmother made fried whiting, they only used a handful of ingredients. We didn't use milk, eggs or in the batter. Only cornmeal and flour. Sometimes all cornmeal and a bit of seasonings and fried it in one her old trusty pan, the cast iron skillet. My mom uses all cornmeal but I like to use cornmeal and flour.

We prefer to use whiting fish because it's one of the best fish to pan fry. Oh and of course we love the flavor of whiting fish...catfish is a great fish to pan fry too!

Fried fish sandwich

I love to eat my fried fish with tartar sauce. Make your own quick tartar sauce or buy a quality one and let's not forget about wheat bread. Slather the tartar sauce over each slice of wheat bread (or your choice of bread).

I always add tartar sauce onto both sides, a bit more on one side and minimal tartar sauce on the other slice of bread. Add the fried crispy fish on top of the tartar sauce with bread then drizzle on the hot sauce.

I'm telling you if you haven't tried frying whiting fish, nows your chance. This recipe uses frozen whiting fish but if you can get your hands on fresh whiting..Omg it' even better!

How to make Pan fried fish

This recipe is too easy. Whiting only takes 3-4 minutes on each side to fully cook.

Season the fish with salt and pepper. Don't over do it with the seasonings. Too much salt will make the fish salty. Set aside. In a large bowl or shallow plate, combine the flours and all the seasonings. Or if it's easier add the flour and cornmeal to a bowl first whisk to combine then pour it on a shallow plate.

Dredge both sides of the whiting in the breading mixture. Place the fish on a large parchment paper lined baking sheet or pan.

Continue coating all the fish in the cornmeal/flour mixture. Let the fish sit for about 15 minutes. By doing so, the coating will stick to the fish and it will fry up nice and crispy.

Whiting fish coated in a cornmeal and flour mixture

Fry the fillets in a heavy bottom pan or cast iron for 3-4 minutes on each side.

Drain on a paper towel. Serve right away with your choice of bread, tartar sauce and hot sauce.

Tips to make this fried whiting fish

Use a heavy bottom pan or cast iron skillet to fry the fish
Use your choice of fish. Tilapia, whiting, cod or catfish. I used whiting fish.
If necessary, remove the bones from the fish
To make this gluten-free, don't use flour.
Pat the fish dry before you dredge them.
Season the fish lightly with salt. Add pepper
Gently press the breading onto the fish and shake off excess flour before you add it to the oil.
Coat the fish then leave it alone for 10-15 minutes. the longer the better. This will help keep the coating from falling off.
Use a cast iron skillet or a heavy duty frying pan
Do not fill the skillet more than halfway with oil.
Once the temperature reaches 350F it's time to fry the fish.

Have you ever tried whiting fish? If so, I'd love to know. Leave a comment below.