Keto fried fish is coated in almond flour, then cooked in avocado oil until hot and crispy.
Ready in just 30 minutes, this easy recipe is amazingly close to the real thing!
I developed this recipe for my daughter, who refuses to touch fish unless it's fish and chips. But I like serving fish and seafood to my family, and making her a separate dish (or having her make something herself which is always a sandwich) isn't the best option.
So as a happy compromise, once a week I make either sole meunière or keto fried fish. I serve them with jicama fries and everyone's happy! It's a compromise only in the sense that it's more work than baked fish. It's not at all a compromise in terms of flavor.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
Egg: I use large eggs in most of my recipes, this one included.
To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme.
Fish: I use thin (½-inch-thick) fillets of a firm, white fish such as cod.
Almond flour: I use blanched finely ground almond flour in this recipe. A coarse almond meal might work too, but I haven't tried that.
Avocado oil: This oil has a neutral flavor and a high smoke point, making it an ideal cooking oil.
Instructions
Making keto fried fish is easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
In a shallow bowl, whisk the egg with the seasonings.
Dip each fish fillet into the egg mixture. Place it on a cutting board, and sprinkle both sides with almond flour. Press with your hands to help the coating adhere.
Pour avocado oil into a large nonstick frying pan, enough to reach about ½ inch high. Heat over medium-high heat.
Carefully place the fish fillets in the pan (work in batches if necessary). Cook until the bottom is golden brown and crisp, 3-4 minutes.
Flip the fish. Lower the heat to medium and keep cooking until crisp and cooked through, 3-4 more minutes.
Expert tip
It's best to use a nonstick skillet when making this recipe. I do often use stainless steel, but then there's more of a risk of the coating sticking to the skillet, even with a generous amount of oil.
Frequently asked questions
There's no need to deep-fry the fish. I find that using half an inch of oil in the skillet and frying the fish on both sides works perfectly.
Yes. You can arrange the coated fish pieces on a greased parchment-lined baking sheet (use high-temperature parchment), liberally spray them with oil, and bake until crispy on the outside and cooked through on the inside.
In my oven, this takes about 10 minutes per side in a 400°F oven.
According to the USDA, fish should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F. When done, its inside should be opaque and you should be able to easily flake the meat with a fork.
Variations
There are two main ways to vary this recipe. You can use different fats to cook the fish, and you can use different seasonings.
In terms of fats, I really like using ghee as an alternative to avocado oil. It's very flavorful and it has a high smoke point.
In terms of seasonings, you could try using dried oregano instead of dried thyme. You can also add a pinch of onion powder and/or paprika.
Serving suggestions
It's almost always a good idea to serve white fish with lemon slices on the side.
When it comes to sides, anything goes with keto fried fish! It's such a versatile main dish. But if you'd like to recreate the experience of eating fish and chips, try serving it with jicama fries or with baked zucchini fries.
Storing leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Reheat them gently, in the microwave, covered, on 50% power.
The coating will lose some of its crispness, though. So if that's an issue, you might want to reheat them in a 250F oven.
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Recipe card
Crispy Keto Fried Fish
INGREDIENTS
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 (6 oz) ½-inch-thick fillets of a firm, white fish such as cod
- 1 cup blanched finely ground almond flour
- Avocado oil
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a shallow bowl, whisk the egg with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme.
- Dip each fish fillet into the egg mixture. Place it on a cutting board, and sprinkle both sides with the almond flour, ¼ cup per fillet, pressing with your hands to help the coating adhere. I find that this method works better than dredging the fish in the almond flour, because when dredging, the almond flour that remains in the bowl becomes soggy and sticky and pretty much useless.
- Pour avocado oil into a large nonstick frying pan, enough to reach about ½ inch high. Heat over medium-high heat until hot, 3-5 minutes.
- Carefully place the fillets in the pan (work in batches if necessary). Cook until their bottom is golden brown and crisp, 3-4 minutes.
- Flip the fish. Lower the heat to medium. Cook until crisp and cooked through, 3-4 more minutes. Serve immediately.
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NOTES
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NUTRITION PER SERVING
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 