Pan-fried snapper with panko breadcrumbs is crispy, golden, and packed with flavor. This easy recipe uses wild-caught Yellowtail Snapper from Key West, but you can use any mild white fish fillet.
Jump to:
- What is Panko?
- Gluten-Free Panko
- What Type of Fish to Use
- How Much Does a Yellowtail Fillet Weigh?
- How Do I Remove the Pin Bones From Yellowtail?
- Panko-Crusted Snapper Ingredients
- How to Prepare Fried Snapper Fillets
- How To Fry Fish in a Pan
- What to Serve with Fried Fish
- Can I Bread The Fish Early in The Day?
- How to Reheat Crispy Breaded Fish
- Fried Fish Dinner Ideas
- More Florida Key Recipes
- FAQ
- Pan Fried Snapper Recipe
Whether you have yellowtail snapper, red snapper, mangrove snapper, or tripletail, it's easy to make crispy fish. Just dip the fillets in egg, coat them in panko breadcrumbs, and pan-fry them until golden brown. You'll end up with delicious, crunchy fish every time!
This recipe is similar to my Pan-Fried Yellowtail, which is crusted in almond flour.
Yellowtail is a type of snapper from Florida and along the east coast of the USA.
What is Panko?
This snapper is breaded with panko, a Japanese flaked bread crumb available in the bread aisle or ethnic section of your grocery store.
Japanese restaurants add panko to sushi rolls to make them crunchy. It has almost no flavor but a ton of crunch!
Gluten-Free Panko
Traditional panko is made with wheat, but for gluten-free panko, Chef Jeffrey Nathan makes one called Jeff Nathan Creatives, which is delicious.
I prefer the Italian Seasoned flavor. In Florida, you can find it at Publix in the kosher section.
What Type of Fish to Use
This recipe uses fresh Yellowtail Snapper. You can use any snapper or thin white fish fillets.
- Red Snapper
- Mangrove Snapper
- Mango Snapper
- Lane Snapper
- Vermillion
- Mutton Snapper
- Hogfish
- Pompano
- Grunts
Defrost the fish in the refrigerator before cooking.
How Much Does a Yellowtail Fillet Weigh?
I like to serve whole fillets of yellowtail, which weigh 4 to 6 ounces each.
For kids or smaller portions, you can cut the fillets down the center and then crosswise.
How Do I Remove the Pin Bones From Yellowtail?
There is a little row of bones that can easily be removed from the yellowtail. It's 2 to 3 inches long and it is in the center of the thicker part of the fillet.
Touch the fish, and you will feel where the bones begin. Cut downwards on both sides of the bone with a sharp knife and remove the whole row. There won't be any other bones in a fillet.
Panko-Crusted Snapper Ingredients
Panko-crusted fish is made with just a few basic ingredients and some pantry staples.
- Snapper (or other thin white fish), You can use any type of snapper or flounder, grouper, hogfish, etc. Defrost the fish if frozen. If you have very large whole filets, cut them into 4-ounce portions.
- Flour, all-purpose flour or rice flour.
- Sea salt and black pepper. Make sure you include the salt, or the fish will be very bland. For a lower sodium snapper, use Mrs. Dash's original flavor instead of the salt.
- Onion powder and garlic powder are mixed into the flour.
- Eggs, If you don't have an egg, brush mayonnaise, melted butter, or coconut oil on the surface of the fish and then press into panko.
- Panko, flaked breadcrumbs, are available at most grocery stores. Gluten-free panko is available too. If you don't have any, use an equal amount of the breadcrumbs of your choice.
- Light olive oil, coconut, and avocado oil are good choices for frying fish.
- Lemon wedges and tartar sauce.
- Parsley can be chopped and sprinkled over the finished dish.
How to Prepare Fried Snapper Fillets
If you are using frozen fish, defrost it in the refrigerator for a few hours or run it under cold running water. It must be fully defrosted, or the oil will splatter when you add it. If you have fresh snapper, rinse it well under cold running water. Keep your fish cold until ready to use.
Pat the fish dry with paper towels before cooking.
In a shallow bowl, whisk the flour with onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Dredge the fish in the flour mixture on both sides and shake off the extra.
Dip the fish into the beaten eggs.
Press the fish into the panko and shake off extra. Chill until ready to fry.
How To Fry Fish in a Pan
I'm using a 12-inch sauté pan to prepare this fish. Unlike a skillet or frying pan, a sauté pan has straight sides and more surface area than a skillet. If you have an electric skillet, set it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and let the oil get hot before adding the fish.
- Heat one-fourth inch (about ½ cup) of oil in a large heavy-bottomed or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, until hot, not smoking. Drop a bit of panko into the oil to make sure it's sizzling hot before adding the fish.
- Add fish to the oil without crowding. (Pull out another pan if you have a lot of fish. The oil should only be used for one batch.)
- Cook for 3-4 minutes on the first side. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the fish is golden brown and flakes easily with a fork.
- Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.
- Salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with lemon wedges.
What to Serve with Fried Fish
I have a recipe for Lemon Asparagus Rice that would go perfectly with panko-crusted snapper. I make it with jasmine rice, asparagus, lemon zest, fresh herbs, and butter. You can also add some tartar sauce or spicy mayo.
Here are some more sides that would be great:
Can I Bread The Fish Early in The Day?
For meal planning, you can bread the fish in the morning and cover the plate in plastic wrap. Cook it before your meal for the best results.
If you have extra breaded pieces of fish, wrap them in plastic wrap or freezer paper and freeze them for up to one month. Defrost before cooking. It works too!
How to Reheat Crispy Breaded Fish
You can easily reheat fried fish in the oven. Heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the cooked fish on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet.
If you have a cooling rack that you use for cookies, you can put it right over the parchment paper and place the fish on top of it.
The cooling rack will lift the fish off the pan so the heat circulates it and will restore most of the crunch.
Place the fish on the pan or the rack, and place it in the oven for 5 or 10 minutes until heated through.
You can also put the cooked fish in a preheated air fryer for 2 minutes. It will crisp it up nicely.
Fried Fish Dinner Ideas
- Fish tacos, with warm tortillas, shredded cabbage, and fresh salsa.
- Fried yellowtail sandwiches, on a roll with lettuce and tartar sauce.
- Fried mahi mahi fish fingers with tartar sauce.
- Crispy Porgy Fish Recipe
- Key West Coconut Crusted Snapper
- Top a big green salad with lots of veggies including bell peppers, tomatoes, and a serving of fried fish.
- Fish and chips with tartar sauce and lemon slices.
Why I Love This Dish
Often called crumbed fish, fried snapper with panko is a super crispy and flavorful main dish.
The fish cooks until it has a golden-brown crust on the outside and tender, flaky flesh on the inside. The fish is tossed in an egg wash and dredged in Japanese breadcrumbs called panko.
If you want to make panko-fried fish without eggs, brush some melted butter or coconut oil on the surface of the fish, press it into panko, and pan-fry it in oil.
Yellowtail Snapper is wild caught in Florida and has a mild flavor. It comes from the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico (America).
Fried snapper is a delicious fried fish recipe that's very popular in the Florida Keys and many other places on the eastern shores of the U.S.
FAQ
It takes 5 to 7 minutes to pan-fry all varieties of snapper.
A sauté pan has straight sides and more surface area than a skillet.
Use a non-stick or seasoned cast-iron skillet. Make sure you pat the fish dry with paper towels. Preheat the pan and oil over medium-high heat. Make sure you use enough oil.
Season the flour with salt, pepper, and whatever spices you are using. Panko has very large crumbs and the seasoning will not incorporate well.
I like to serve whole fillets of yellowtail, which weigh anywhere from 4-6 ounces each.
In place of the eggs, brush mayonnaise, melted butter, or coconut oil on the surface of the fish and then press into panko.
Pan Fried Snapper Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Saute Pan
- 1 Fish Turner
- 1 Tongs
Ingredients
- 1 pound snapper fillets (red snapper, yellowtail, mangrove snapper, etc.)
- ½ cup flour (or rice flour)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup cooking oil (I use light olive oil and pour about ½-inch into pan.)
- ¼ cup chopped parsley (optional garnish)
- lemons and tartar sauce for serving
Instructions
- Whisk flour with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder in a mixing bowl
- Heat ¼-inch (about ½ cup) olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, until hot, not smoking. Drop a bit of panko into the oil to make sure it is sizzling hot before adding the fish.
- Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl.
- On a dinner plate, scatter the panko.
- Dredge the fish fillets, one at a time, in the flour. Shake off excess flour.
- Dip the fish in the egg, and then lay the fish over the panko, and push down so it gets coated. Place on a dinner plate or piece of waxed paper. Repeat with remaining fish.
- Add fish to the oil without crowding. Pull out another pan if the fish doesn't fit in one. The oil should only be used for one batch.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes on the first side. Flip and cook for about another 2-3 minutes or until fish is golden brown and flakes easily with a fork.
- Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.
- Serve hot with lemon wedges, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper.
Notes
- Roasted Vegetables with Garlic
- Lemon Asparagus Rice
- Spanish Rice
- Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic
- Oven Roasted Asparagus
- Roasted Tiny Red Potatoes
- Sautéed Tomatoes with Shallots
- Steamed white or brown rice
- Coleslaw
- Green salad
