Keto fried fish is coated in almond flour, then cooked in avocado oil until hot and crispy. It's amazingly close to the real thing!
I developed this recipe for my daughter, who refuses to touch fish unless it's fish and chips. I don't blame her! Fish is definitely an acquired taste. I didn't really enjoy fish (except for fish and chips, of course) until my thirties.
But I like serving fish and seafood, and making her a separate dish (or having her make something herself which is always a sandwich) is getting old.
A low-carb alternative that tastes like the real thing!
So as a happy compromise, once a week I make either pan-fried sole 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 taste! In fact, the first time I served them, my daughter was sure I had used a flour-based batter.
The ingredients you'll need
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.
Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use, or the dish could end up too salty.
Spices: Garlic powder and dried thyme. Make sure they are fresh! A stale spice can easily ruin a dish.
Fish: I use thin fillets of a firm, white fish such as sole or 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. A tasty alternative would be to use ghee.
How to make keto fried fish
It's easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
1. In a shallow bowl, whisk the egg with the seasonings.
2. Dip each fish fillet into the egg mixture. Place it on a cutting board, and sprinkle both sides with the almond flour. Press with your hands to help the coating adhere.
3. Pour avocado oil into a large nonstick frying pan, enough to reach about ½ inch high. Heat over medium-high heat.
4. Carefully place the fillets in the pan (work in batches if necessary). Cook until the bottom is golden brown and crisp, 3-4 minutes.
5. Flip the fish. Lower the heat to medium and keep cooking until crisp and cooked through, 3-4 more minutes.
Tips for making this recipe a success
Making keto fried fish is easy. But here are a few tips for you to ensure success:
1. 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 good amount of oil.
2. There's no need to deep-fry the fish. I find that using half an inch of avocado oil in the skillet and frying the fish on both sides works perfectly, so I don't bother with deep frying.
What side dishes go with keto fried fish?
Anything! 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 baked jicama fries or with baked zucchini fries.
What to do with leftovers?
You can keep them 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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Keto Fried Fish
INGREDIENTS
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 (6 oz) thin fillets of a firm, white fish such as sole or cod
- 1 cup blanched finely ground almond flour
- Avocado oil
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a shallow bowl, whisk the egg with the 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 bottom is golden brown and crisp, 3-4 minutes.
- Flip the fish. Lower heat to medium. Cook until crisp and cooked through, 3-4 more minutes.
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NOTES
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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. 