I’ll never forget the first time I rang that bell. You know, the one at Long John Silver’s. It’s by the door, and if you were satisfied with your meal, you rang the bell. I swear when I started taking my own kids there for crispy fried fish, they wolfed their food down to try to beat each other to the bell!
If Long John Silver’s was part of your childhood, you know exactly what I’m talking about Golden crust. Crispy batter. All the things. That’s what their fried fish is. When I was a kid, I seriously thought Long John Silver’s was fancy dining. We didn’t go out to eat much, obviously.
I spent years trying to create copycat recipes for crispy fried fish. It’s not easy to get it as good as a restaurant seafood dinner, especially when you’re going in blind with limited cooking skills in the beginning. My kids loved Long John Silver’s fish, and I was determined to find a way to make it at home so I could control the ingredients. What I ended up with was this one, and it’s pretty darn good!
The whole thing takes about 15 minutes for prep. Cook time runs somewhere between 8 and 12 minutes depending on your fillets. You’ve got a whole seafood dinner on your table on a busy weeknight in less than half an hour.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
There are tons of reasons to love the fried fish you get with this copycat recipe.
- Tastes like the real deal: If you love Long John Silver’s fried fish, this is like beer batter copycat, but better. Gets you close without leaving the house.
- Affordable ingredients: Flour, cornmeal, baking soda, ginger ale. Your fish is the priciest thing on the menu, and you can go with an inexpensive one.
- Family-approved: My kids, my neighbor’s kids, pretty much every kid who’s tried this crispy batter has asked for seconds.
- Quick enough for weeknights: From mixing the batter to pulling golden fried fish out the oil, you’re looking at less than 30 minutes total.
- Totally customizable: You can swap the fish, change the seasonings, and make this recipe your own every single time.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
There are a few things you can change if you don’t have all the ingredients, or want to work with something different.
- Fish fillets: White fish or cod are my faves. They’re mild, and flaky. Other good picks are tilapia or haddock.
- Yellow cornmeal: This is where your crunch comes from. If you can’t eat cornmeal, you can use almond flour, but you’ll get a different texture.
- All-purpose flour: Switching flours gets kinda dicey if you want the signature crunch we’re going for here. Try mixing a little almond flour to get more nutrients in there. But straight substitutions are gonna change your final seafood dinner.
- Ginger ale: This is the real MVP to my fried fish with crispy batter. The carbonation all the hard work for you. You can use beer batter if you want to.
- Frying oil: Vegetable oil, canola, peanut oil. Any of these. Just choose an oil that has a high smoke point.
Tips for Success
I’ve figured out a few things for a foolproof seafood dinner. Try these and see if they work for you.
- Dry your fish first: Pat down each fillet with a paper towel before you dredge it in the batter.
- Completely thaw frozen fish: If you’re using frozen fish, be sure to thaw it before you start cooking. Squeeze out all the excess water.
- Don’t crowd the pan: Fry in batches so the oil temp stays consistent. Too many pieces at once and you’ll get soggy fish instead of crispy fish.
- Keep the oil at 350 degrees: Use a thermometer if you have one. Oil that’s too hot will burn the batter before the fish cooks through.
Storage and Reheating
Put your leftover fried fish in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge. It’ll keep for 3 or 4 days.
Reheat your leftover fried fish in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. Or do it in the air fryer for about 8 minutes. Watch it closely so it doesn’t overcook.
You can freeze leftover fried fish for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight. Then reheat it in the air fryer.
Serving Suggestions
Tartar sauce or cocktail sauce has to be on the table for a seafood dinner. Just like Long John Silver’s does it. Some garlic butter goes great with fried fish, too.
For sides, roasted vegetables or homemade fries are hard to beat. A simple coleslaw rounds out the whole seafood dinner if you want to go all in on the fish fry vibe. Serve your seafood dinner with some Mexican cornbread for some spicy flair.
FAQs
Can I use actual beer instead of ginger ale?
You sure can. A light beer batter gives you a slightly different flavor, but the carbonation works the same way. Stick with a lager so it doesn’t overpower your fish.
Why is my batter not sticking to the fish?
Almost always it’s because the fish is too wet. Pat your fillets completely dry before you dip them. You can also dust them with a light coat of flour first.
Notes
My best tip is to suggest you try making this with different types of fish until you find your favorite. Sometimes it takes practicing a few times to get a seafood dinner just right, but after a while, it’s easy peasy.
Crispy Fish Batter
Ingredients
- 6 Fish fillets White fish or cod is ideal
- 1 ½ cups All-purpose flour
- 4 Tbsp. Yellow cornmeal
- ½ tsp. Baking soda
- ½ tsp. Baking powder
- ½ tsp. Salt
- 1 ½ cups Ginger Ale ice-cold
- High-smoke point oil for deep frying such as vegetable, canola, or peanut oil
Instructions
- Pour your frying oil into a deep-sided skillet or heavy pot, ensuring it is at least 2 inches deep. Heat the oil over medium to medium-high heat until it reaches exactly 350°F on a kitchen thermometer.
- While the oil heats, arrange your raw fish fillets flat on a heavy layer of paper towels. Press additional paper towels firmly over the top to completely dry the surfaces. Pro Tip: If the fish has any lingering surface moisture, it will turn into steam the moment it hits the hot oil. This trapped steam pushes the batter away from the fish, causing the crust to separate, balloon, and crack open instead of sticking firmly to the protein core.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, yellow cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until completely uniform and free of any lumps.
- Pour the ice-cold ginger ale directly into the dry ingredients. Whisk gently and quickly just until the flour disappears and a smooth batter forms. Crucial: Do not over-whisking. The combination of baking soda, baking powder, and carbonated soda creates an intense network of micro-bubbles. Over-mixing will deflate these carbon dioxide pockets, resulting in a dense, heavy, doughy crust rather than the signature light, shattered-glass texture.
- Dip a thoroughly dried fish fillet into the batter, turning it over to coat it entirely. Lift the fish up and let any heavy excess batter drip back into the bowl for 3 seconds.
- Gently lower the coated fish away from you into the 350°F oil. Fry for 4 to 6 minutes per side. Keep a close eye on the stove heat; if the oil starts smoking, drop the temperature slightly to prevent the cornmeal from scorching.
- Once the exterior is a deep, uniform golden brown and the fish flakes easily inside, lift the fillets out using a slotted spoon or spider wire mesh. Transfer them immediately to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off any surface grease. Serve piping hot.
