Fried Cod

For a lot of people over the years, a cod fish fry was a sure sign that the weekend had finally arrived. Eating fish on Friday isn’t a requirement anymore, even for Catholics, but the tradition is established well enough that it still lives on. (Fun fact: For centuries, because religious holidays and fast days drove a demand for fish, cod from the North Atlantic was one of the world’s most valuable trade commodities.)

There’s a reason for the popularity of the fried-fish dinner. Don’t get us wrong: Fried cod makes up only a small portion of the cod fish recipes here at Taste of Home. There are lots of other ways to serve it that are also tasty. But fried fish is just really, really good, and even among the calorie conscious, it’s almost irresistible.

Ingredients for Fried Cod

• Cod: Cod fillets are lean and moist, making cod one of the best fish for frying.
• Flour: The small quantity of flour in this recipe is used to dredge the cod, helping the batter adhere.
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch is usually a thickener, but here it provides the body of the batter. Tempura-style cornstarch batter is lighter than flour-based batter, but still crisp.
• Garlic powder and onion powder: The onion and garlic powder bring a subtle base of savory flavor to the batter mixture.
• Cayenne pepper: The pinch of cayenne called for in the batter isn’t enough to make it actually hot, but it helps enliven the other flavors.
• Paprika: Paprika adds color to the batter, along with a gentle sweet-pepper flavor.
• Oregano and thyme: Oregano and thyme add aromatic herbal notes to the batter and complement the delicate flavor of the cod.
• Club soda: The club soda in this recipe provides the liquid component of the batter, and its bubbles also act as a leavening agent to keep the batter light.
• Oil for deep frying: The best oils for frying fish have a neutral flavor and a high smoke point, and you have several to choose from.
• Orange marmalade: Orange marmalade brings a sweet and fruity note to the unusual dipping sauce.
• Prepared horseradish: The sharp, pungent flavor of horseradish is balanced by the sweetness of the marmalade in the dipping sauce.

Directions

Step 1: Prep the cod

Rinse the cod fillets in cold water, then pat them dry. In a large shallow dish, toss the flour and the fish, one piece at a time, shaking off any excess flour.

Step 2: Make the batter

In a shallow bowl, combine the cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, cayenne pepper, paprika, oregano, thyme and club soda to make a light batter.

Step 3: Batter and fry the fish

In a cast-iron or other heavy skillet with a heavy bottom and high sides, heat 1 inch of oil. Warm the oil over medium heat until a drop of batter sizzles in the oil. Dip the floured fillets in the cornstarch batter, then fry them until the fish just begins to flake easily with a fork, two to three minutes per side.

Step 4: Make the dipping sauce

Combine the marmalade and prepared horseradish to make a dipping sauce, and serve it alongside the fried cod.

Fried Cod Variations

• Switch to beer batter: The light cornstarch batter used in this recipe is good, though nontraditional. If you prefer a classic-style batter, try the beer batter from this beer-battered cod recipe instead. That will give you the traditional flavor and appearance, and you can use nonalcoholic beer if you wish. Club soda works too, though you’ll lose the signature flavor that beer brings to the batter.
• Try a different fish: Fried cod is great, but if it doesn’t fit into your budget for the week, you have lots of good alternatives. Haddock is a frequent substitute, and tilapia and catfish would also work well. If you like to fish, or have friends who do, walleye, pike, eelpout (a freshwater cod relative) and most small panfish are also good for frying.
• Bring the homemade tartar sauce: Like the cornstarch batter, the marmalade-horseradish dipping sauce is decidedly nontraditional. It’s surprisingly good (do try it at least once), but if you can’t wrap your head around it, there’s always classic tartar sauce. The homemade kind is brighter and more flavorful than store-bought, and you have the option of fine-tuning the flavors to suit your palate.

How to Store Fried Cod

If you have leftovers from your cod fish fry, refrigerate them immediately after the meal in a food-safe container with a tight-fitting lid. Cornstarch batter doesn’t absorb as much oil as flour-based batter, but you should still line the bottom of the container with a paper towel to absorb any excess.

How long will fried cod keep?

Cooked fish stays safe to eat for three to four days in the refrigerator after it’s cooked, as long as it was refrigerated promptly.

Can I make fried cod ahead of time?

It’s not ideal. The batter will be crisp and the fish at its moist and delicate best at the moment it leaves the hot oil. A cod fish fry happens pretty quickly, with this recipe taking just 15 minutes from start to finish, so advance prep doesn’t save much time. Your best bet, if you have a time constraint, is to focus on prepping your side dishes ahead of time and cooking the fish fresh.

Can I freeze fried cod?

Again, freezing the leftovers isn’t a great option. You can reheat fried fish in your oven or air fryer, which restores some of the batter’s original texture, but you run the risk of the fish being overcooked. You can freeze the uncooked fish, though, for quick meals. Lay the battered fish on a parchment-lined sheet pan, making sure the portions don’t touch. Freeze the whole pan of fish, then pack the portions into bags or freezer-safe containers. They’ll keep for one to three months, depending on how well they’re packaged, and they can be cooked from frozen.

Fried Cod Tips

Why didn’t the batter stick to my cod?

The most likely reason is that you didn’t dry the fillet pieces well enough. If your fish is already damp, the batter is prone to sliding right off it. Blot the fish dry really, really well before you dredge it in the flour. You may also have had too much flour clinging to the cod, in which case the batter will adhere to the flour but the flour won’t stick to the fish. The end result is a big glop of batter falling from the fish. If the fish is dry enough, and you shake off the excess flour, you should be fine.

How many pieces should I cook at one time?

That’s a hard question to answer with confidence, because it really depends on the size of your skillet and the amount of oil it takes to bring it up to a depth of 1 inch. A short answer is “a few pieces less than you think,” and a better answer is “if the oil doesn’t bubble fiercely, that’s too many.”

The best answer of all is to use a thermometer. Make sure the oil is in the range of 350° to 365°F when you start putting the fish in. When it drops to 330°, stop adding more. Once those pieces are cooked and golden, wait for the oil to rebound to its starting temperature before you add more fish.

Why is my fish sticking to the bottom of the skillet?

A couple of things could be happening. One, your oil may not be hot enough (see above). Another is that you may be working too quickly. If you hold each piece of fish so that it’s just immersed in the oil at one end, the batter will swell and puff a little. If you then gently lower the rest into the hot oil, it should have long enough for a slight crust to form before you let go (in restaurants, this is called “swimming” the fish). That slight crust keeps the pieces from sticking. If you just plop the pieces into the oil, they may make contact with the bottom of the skillet and get stuck before the batter sets.