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Home ยป Featured

4 Ingredient Crunchy Fish

jenna braddock, rdn
Modified: Apr 7, 2023 ยท Published: Apr 21, 2015 by Jenna Braddock MSH, RDN, CSSD, LD/N, CPT ยท This post may contain affiliate links ยท
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Looking for a healthy alternative to fried fish that's not super complicated? Try this simple and delicious 4 Ingredient Crunchy fish that makes a perfect, satisfying dinner every time.

Looking for a healthy alternative to fried fish that's not super complicated? Try this simple and delicious 4 Ingredient Crunchy fish that makes a perfect, satisfying dinner every time. #MakeHealthyEasy | www.JennaBraddock.com

Fish...The final healthy eating frontier.

At least that's what it feels like sometimes. For many of my clients through the years making fish at home just seems too difficult to even bother. And there's lots of excuses to support this such as:

It smells.

I don't know how to cook it.

I don't know what kind to buy.

And perhaps my favorite,

I only like fish when it's fried.

But the fact is that seafood is really good for us and it's something we all could probably stand to eat more regularly.

Now, I'm not going to pretend that I'm some seafood cooking genius myself. Oh no no no no no. I have messed up A LOT of attempts of making fish at home. (You can just ask Coach about this.)

But, I have a great, easy recipe for you today that is pretty darn fool proof and it uses a couple of unsung-hero staples in my kitchen: panko bread crumbs and dijon mustard. Since our theme for Recipe Redux this month is "spring cleaning" our pantry and using ingredients that get left behind, this recipe is the perfect fit.

I've been using panko bread crumbs over regular bread crumbs for a long time because they are extra crispy. When you are trying to use less oil to cook food, and still accomplish a crunchy texture, this is really important. I also use dijon mustard quite a lot because it adds sophisticated flavor to just about anything. Both of these items are very shelf and refrigerator stable so you can always keep them around.

You can truly use any white fish here that's not too thick, say less than ยฝ". We typically use tilapia, mahi, cod, and lately, swai.

There's one very important secret to success in this recipe....Ready? This is important.

Use a really good nonstick skillet.

Yes, it is worth investing in a little bit nicer nonstick skillet for pan frying fish. This is not the type of pan you would want to use for searing fish, but it's excellent for accomplishing our crunchy breaded exterior on this recipe without needing a boat load of oil.  I have the Calphalon Unison Nonstick 12-Inch Round Griddle Pan and I love it dearly.

The only other important tool, that's not as important as the skillet, is a nice wide spatula. It just makes it's easier to get under the fish for the all important flip in the pan.

Oil wise, I use coconut oil for this recipe because it helps give a great flavor and texture. But you can also use canola or avocado oil here too and it will work great. (Do NOT use olive oil on this recipe. The temperature is too high.) If using one of these liquid oils, I recommend putting them in a Misto sprayer to use to coat the pan because the cans of cooking spray are not recommended for nonstick skillets.

So, what do you think? Think you can tackle this easy recipe? I know you can!! Gather your 4 ingredients and your pan and make this happen tonight for dinner. Leave me a comment and let me know if you will try it. And make sure you check out all the other spring cleaning recipes below.

Taking on the final fish frontier,

Jenna

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Looking for a healthy alternative to fried fish that's not super complicated? Try this simple and delicious 4 Ingredient Crunchy fish that makes a perfect, satisfying dinner every time. #MakeHealthyEasy | www.JennaBraddock.com

4 Ingredient Crunchy Fish


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  • Author: Jenna Braddock, RD
  • Total Time: 13 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
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Description

Looking for a healthy alternative to fried fish that's not super complicated? Try this simple and delicious 4 Ingredient Crunchy fish that makes a perfect, satisfying dinner every time.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4 thin, white fish filets (like tilapia, cod or mahi)
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil (divided)

Instructions

  1. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
  2. Pour bread crumbs in to a shallow dish.
  3. Add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to the pan and swirl to coat (or spray with oil to cover surface).
  4. Pat dry fish fillets. Then evenly spread mustard on both sides of each fillet. (A marinade brush works really well for this.
  5. Place each filet in the bread crumbs one at a time, pressing in the crumbs to stick on both sides.
  6. Place fish in skillet and cook for 2-4 minutes per side. Very thin fish only need 2 minutes per side. Thicker fish, like mahi, will need 3-4 minutes per side.
  7. Add the additional tablespoon of oil (or continue to spray the pan) when needed and finish cooking all filets.
  8. Serve immediately.
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 8 minutes
  • Category: Entree

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag Jenna @jennabraddockrdn on Instagram or Facebookโ€” we can't wait to see what you've made!

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About Jenna Braddock MSH, RDN, CSSD, LD/N, CPT

Jenna Braddock is a Registered Dietitian, wife to a football coach, and mom to 2 little boys. She is all about ways to make healthy living easier through realistic strategies and doable, delicious recipes. Stick around for food, fun, fitness, football, and family by subscribing to email updates from MHE.

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Jenna Braddock registered dietitian

Hi, I'm Jenna Braddockโ€”a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, and Certified Personal Trainer. I'm passionate about helping individuals live with more energy, purpose, and peak performance. I work with adults and athletes to help them perform at their best.

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Jenna Braddock is an experienced nutrition and fitness professional with nearly 20 years of experience. She is passionate about helping you fuel for energy, trust your body and live with purpose.

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