This crispy yellowtail sandwich recipe is fried with crunchy panko and stacked on a soft brioche bun with melty cheese and tangy tartar sauce. The fried fish is crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. Ready in under 30 minutes.
The best fish sandwiches are made with fresh fish, and that's just what we cook.
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Fish Sandwich from The Keys
Start your yellowtail sandwich with super-fresh Florida snapper. If you're in Marathon, Islamorada, or Key West, you can catch a few this afternoon and fry them up!
You can also use other local fish, including red snapper, mutton snapper, mangrove or gray snapper, mahi-mahi or dolphin, amberjack, grouper, or hogfish.
The fresher the fish, the better it tastes!
The Best Breadcrumbs for Crunchy Fish
The key to delicious fried fish is making it extra crispy.
Try Panko Breadcrumbs. Originating from Japan, panko is known for its light, airy, and large flakes, which create a very crispy coating. They absorb less oil than traditional breadcrumbs and have a lighter, crunchier texture.
If you can't eat gluten, try Gluten Free Panko. You should find it in the breadcrumb aisle. If not, Publix has some in the Jewish food section in the ethnic foods aisle. It tastes good.
Ingredients
See recipe card for quantities.
A half-pound of fish will make 2 sandwiches.
- Yellowtail snapper fish fillets or other thin white fish fillets, bones removed
- Old Bay seasoning
- Salt and pepper
- Egg
- All-purpose flour, or you can substitute rice flour
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Cooking oil
- Sesame seed buns or brioche buns
- Cheddar or American cheese
- Lemon wedges
- Tartar sauce
How to Make a Classic Fish Sandwich
Start by selecting your favorite type of fish fillet, such as snapper, tripletail, mahi-mahi, or cod.
For this recipe, I'm frying the fish in oil in a heavy-bottomed cast-iron skillet on the stove.
- Rinse the fish under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
- Season both sides of the fish with Old Bay, salt, and pepper.
- Set up a breading station with two shallow dishes and a dinner plate. Place the flour in the first dish, the beaten egg in the second, and the panko on the plate.
- Dredge each piece of fish in the flour, shaking off any excess.
- Dip the fish in the egg, then coat it evenly with breadcrumbs, pressing gently to help them stick.
- Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Make sure the oil is hot before adding the fish.
- Place the breaded fish into the skillet. Fry for 2 or 3 minutes, then flip to cook the other side for about a minute.
- Place the cooked fish on a plate lined with paper towels.
- Spread tartar sauce on the top and bottom buns. Layer the fish and cheese on the bun.
- Add any desired toppings, such as lettuce or sliced onions.
- Serve with lemon wedges and chips on the side.
Top Tips for Crispy Yellowtail
- Pat the fish dry before seasoning. Yellowtail has small bones. Make sure they are cut away before cooking.
- If you have seasoned panko breadcrumbs, mix them well before using. The seasonings tend to drop to the bottom of the bag.
- Get the oil hot before adding the fish. Drop a bit of breadcrumbs in the oil and make sure it sizzles before adding the fish.
- Do not crowd the frying pan. Use two pans for more fish.
What Goes On A Fish Sandwich?
To create an easy mayo sauce for your fried fish sandwich, consider making our homemade tartar sauce. This cold, tangy sauce complements the fish perfectly.
It has a mayonnaise base and is flavored with chopped pickles, capers, dill, grated onion, salt, and pepper.
What To Serve on The Side
A good fish sandwich pairs well with tartar sauce, fries, pickles, and a tall cold drink.
For entertaining, serve fish sandwiches with a platter of the following:
- dill pickles or cornichons
- pickled onions
- green leaf lettuce
- Bermuda onions
- sliced tomatoes
Great sides for fish sandwiches include:
Soft Buns
Fresh buns make the best fish burgers and sandwiches.
Brioche is a French bread made with butter and eggs. It's soft, a little sweet, and makes a great fish sandwich!
Gluten-free hamburger buns are readily available in your grocer's freezer. Katz Gluten Free, a New York-based company, makes tasty bread products including burger buns.
Have Fun!
You'll love our crispy yellowtail sandwich. It makes a very easy weekend lunch or dinner.
Fry the fish and then layer it on a soft bun with sliced cheese and tartar sauce. It's a fun meal to make, and everyone loves it.
If you're out of tartar sauce, grab some Hellmann's mayonnaise and a bottle of pickle relish, and mix the two for the easiest creamy fish sauce ever!
A fried fish sandwich is guaranteed to hit all the right notes. Enjoy every bite!
When you're in Key Largo, try our favorite picks for breakfast!
Frequently Asked Questions
Panko breadcrumbs have a neutral taste, and they're super crispy when fried or baked.
Try my homemade tartar sauce recipe, or use aioli, lemon-garlic aioli, remoulade, or a squeeze of lemon juice with fried fish.
Toasting the bun is optional, but it adds texture and helps keep the sandwich from becoming soggy. Warm the bun in a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes, or in a toaster oven.
You can substitute crushed Rice Krispies, almond flour, coconut flour, rice flour, crushed pretzels, crushed potato chips, or pork rind crumbs for traditional breadcrumbs.
Crispy Yellowtail Sandwich Recipe
Equipment
- 3 Shallow bowls
- 1 Large heavy skillet
- 1 Fish spatula or tongs
- 1 Instant-read thermometer
- 1 Paper-towel-lined plate
Ingredients
- 8 ounces yellowtail fillets or other thin white fish fillets, deboned
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- salt and pepper
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cooking oil
- 2 soft burger or brioche buns
- 2 slices Cheddar or American cheese
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Rinse the fish under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
- Season both sides of the fish with Old Bay, salt, and pepper.
- Place the flour on a dinner plate, the beaten egg in a bowl, and the panko on another plate.
- Dredge each piece of fish in the flour, shaking off any excess. Dip it into the beaten egg and then coat the fish evenly with breadcrumbs, pressing gently to help them stick.
- Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Make sure the oil is hot before adding the fish.
- Place the breaded fish into the skillet. Fry for 2 or 3 minutes and then flip to cook the other side for a minute. Cook until golden, opaque, and 145°F in the center.
- Remove the fish from the pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels.
- Spread tartar sauce on the top and bottom buns. Layer the fish and cheese on the bun.
- Add any toppings, such as lettuce or sliced onions.
- Serve with lemon wedges and chips on the side.
Notes
- Pat the fish thoroughly dry before seasoning. Check the yellowtail fillets for small pin bones and remove them with clean kitchen tweezers.
- If using seasoned panko, stir or shake it well before measuring because the seasonings tend to settle at the bottom of the package.
- Make sure the oil is hot before adding the fish. Drop in a few breadcrumbs; if they sizzle immediately, the oil is ready.
- Do not crowd the skillet. Cook the fish in batches when making additional servings.
C Parker says
We enjoyed this so much. Its simple, but very good with fresh yellowtail from Fishbusterz in Key West.
Jordyn says
❤️❤️❤️
Mel says
Very crispy. We caught 11 snappers yesterday!
Brad says
Made these for myself #TreatYourself So yummy!