Baked Fish and Chips

I can't tell you how much we love this healthier Baked Fish and Chips recipe. As someone who is always looking for new ways to serve fish, this was a hit with the whole family and was as loved as these Fish Burgers and Cajun Salmon.

Growing up in New England, I ate my fair share of fish and chips. In fact, when all the other kids were ordering chicken tenders, I  was ordering the fish every time. It's always been one of my favorite things to eat. Unfortunately, with all the breading and deep frying, it just isn't something I want to eat on a regular basis so I knew it was time to come up with a baked version.

This version is a little different than a typical baked fish and chips because I decided to leave off the breading entirely and instead go with a tender, flaky baked cod with super crispy oven fries and a lightened up quick homemade tartar sauce. If you can't imagine fish and chips without breaded fish, don't worry I will give you an option for that as well. But I urge you to try this version  - you won't even miss the breading and it makes a really delicious, and much quicker meal.

How to make crispy fish in the oven?

For this recipe, I use the broiler to crisp up the outside of the fish without using any breading or breadcrumbs. The broiler creates a similar effect to searing the fish in a hot pan. 

Want to make battered fish? There is a quick and easy way to make oven baked breaded fish for this recipe. Start with about a half cup of Panko breadcrumbs for every pound of fish. Add any seasoning you like to the Panko. Personally, I like to add Old Bay seasoning since it works so well with seafood.

Next, you want to toast the breadcrumbs. Since fish cooks very quickly, the breadcrumbs don't have time to crisp up on their own, you need to help them along. This may sound complicated, but it is actually really easy. Start by heating about a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Add the breadcrumbs and cook for 4-6 minutes, stirring often, until they are brown and crispy. This trick ensures you will get a super crispy breading on the baked fish.

Finally, you want to bread the fish. I only bread the fish on one side to keep things lighter. You won't miss the second side at all. First, press one side of the fish into a shallow dish with flour. Then whisk a couple of eggs or egg whites, and press the same side into the eggs. Finally, press the same side into the toasted breadcrumbs. Place on a prepared baking sheet. Then instead of broiling the fish, as suggested in the recipe, bake the fish at 450 degrees for about 8 minutes and broil for the last minute to get the coating browned and crispy. 

How to make oven baked chips (fries)?

The other key to a delicious baked fish and chip recipe is the chips. Now there is nothing worse than a soggy fry, so there are some key steps to making sure you end up with a super crispy oven fry.

• Cutting your fries: Think about cutting a "thin-cut" french fry that is about 1/4 inch thick for this baked fish and chip recipe. The easiest way to do that is to cut off the ends of the potato and then cut it into rounds. You could also make a more traditional french fry shape if you like. The more uniform the fries are, the more likely it is they will cook at the same time and you will have a full batch of crispy, yummy fries. If some are larger and some are smaller, you will end up with some under-cooked fries and some over-cooked fries.
• Dry the potatoes: While you may not see it, potatoes have some extra moisture after they are cut. We want to remove that moisture to make sure they can crisp up. The easiest way to do that is with a kitchen towel. Just press down on all the potatoes to soak up that extra moisture. Some people also like to soak their fries for about 30 minutes before drying them. This will help with the crispiness but I usually find I don't have time for the extra step and they still come out delicious without it.
• Baking sheet: One of the most important steps is how you place them on the baking sheet. I recommend covering the baking sheet in parchment paper first. Then make sure they are in a single layer and not touching as much as possible. When the fries touch or overlap, they steam, which leads to a soggy fry. They need space to cook and get browned and crispy.

How to make a healthy tartar sauce?

It's hard to serve fish and chips without some tartar sauce. This lightened up tartar sauce recipe replaces uses light mayo. You could also use Greek yogurt or a combination of Greek yogurt and light mayonnaise. It's super simple and as long as you use high-quality ingredients, it tastes great.

• 4 tbsp. light mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp. pickle relish
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• Salt and plenty of black pepper

Side Dish Ideas for Baked Fish and Chips

There are so many options when it comes to side dishes for fish and chips.

• If you want to go the traditional New England route, you will want to serve it with a traditional coleslaw like this Skinny Tricolor Slaw.
• If you are feeling more of a British vibe, consider serving it with some peas. Mushy peas are the most popular option. To make them, heat 3 cups of frozen peas with 2 tbsp of butter and 1/4 cup of water. Once the peas are tender, mash them lightly with a potato masher and season with salt, pepper, and fresh lemon juice. You can add a touch of half and half as well.
• Since this dish is lacking greens, I usually serve it with some Roasted Green Beans or Roasted Asparagus.

Calories 297, Total Fat 9g, Total Carbohydrate 22g, Protein 33g, Serving Size 6 oz. fish and 2/3 cup potatoes

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