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Cod fillet in batter in a frying pan

Pan-Fried Battered Cod Fillet

Incredibly delicious, in the best batter for fish! Cod fillet can be cooked in the skillet all sorts of ways. To keep the fish juicy, cook it in batter. And by the way, this recipe works for any fish fillet.

Julia M.

Recipe author

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Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Cod

600

Eggs

Milk

150

Flour

250

Lemon juice

Vegetable oil

Salt

Dry spices

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 39 % 13 g

Fats 15 % 5 g

Carbohydrates 45 % 15 g

155 kcal

GI: 7 / 0 / 93

Cooking method

Cooking time: 30 min

Step 1:

How do you fry cod in a skillet? Gather all your ingredients. If the fish is frozen, thaw it first at room temperature. Don't drop it into hot water to speed things up—it'll lose its juices and turn out dry. I usually set the fish in a colander the night before so any excess liquid can drain off.
Step 2:

Blot the cod fillet with paper towels and cut it into serving-size pieces. Sprinkle the fish with a little lemon juice—this cuts any overly strong fishy smell.
Step 3:

To make the batter, combine the eggs with the milk and add a little salt and spices. A ready-made fish seasoning works fine. Mix it all together.
Step 4:

Then add the flour and whisk the batter smooth, with no flour lumps—a mixer helps here. Judge the final amount of flour by the batter's consistency: it should be a little thick so it doesn't run off the fish as it fries.
Step 5:

Dip each piece of fish fully into the batter.
Step 6:

Heat a skillet until hot and add a little vegetable oil. Lay the battered fish in the pan and fry for 2–3 minutes per side. Lower the heat so the fish cooks through inside without the batter starting to burn.
Step 7:

The finished pieces will turn an appetizing golden color.
Step 8:

Transfer the finished fish to a paper towel to blot off excess oil.
Step 9:

Battered cod is delicious on its own as an appetizer for a party table. You can also round it out with a side, such as mashed potatoes. Enjoy!

Here's an easy way to check whether the oil in the pan is hot enough: dip in a wooden spatula. If bubbles gather around it, you're good to start frying.
If you use a ready-made spice blend, always check the ingredient list on the package. These blends often already contain salt, so keep that in mind or you risk over-salting the dish.
Every oil is only good up to a certain point—its smoke point, where it starts to burn and forms toxic compounds, including carcinogens. For how to gauge frying temperature and pick the best oil to fry with (and which ones to avoid entirely), read here.