Healthy Crispy Oven-Fried Cod
Healthy Crispy Oven-Fried Cod
Why eat fried fish with all the fat and mess when you can make it so tasty in the oven? This recipe is super easy and much lower in fat than traditional fried fish! Crunchy breading and homemade tartar sauce make this cod a go to dinner for you and your family! Great dish for the Lenten season too….
Healthy Crispy Oven-Fried Cod
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds fresh cod fillets (or white fish of choice)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Olive oil spray
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper… optional
Tartar Sauce:
1 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
dash or two of cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons favorite pickle relish
1/2 teaspoon onion powder (or 2 teaspoons grated onion)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Equipment Needed:
Dry measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Medium cereal or shallow mixing bowl
Two dinner plates
Fork or small wire whisk
Half baking sheet
Aluminum foil
Bent edged spatula
Every once in a while, we need a break from super healthy, plain food. We still want to eat healthy though, so what do we do? I love fried fish and chips, but hate all the extra fat and calories that always go along with it. So instead of frying fish in a skillet, I oven-fry it! Same ingredient process, but the fish is sprayed lightly with oil and baked in a hot oven… comes out crispy and golden brown with about a quarter of the fat! Only takes about 30 minutes to prepare…. tastes fabulous too! Perfect to prepare for a Friday in Lent instead of a Friday Fish Fry. Grab your supplies and let’s oven-fry some fish!
Preheat oven to 450 F.
First step is to set up your dredging assembly line. So, place the eggs and milk in a medium, shallow bowl. I use the serving bowl from my dish set. Long for fish fillets to fit and shallow too. Next place flour, salt and pepper on dinner plate #1 and stir well with fingers or a fork to combine. On dinner plate #2, place bread crumbs, garlic and onion powder, salt and pepper. Sometimes I add a dash of cayenne pepper for a bit of zing too! Mix these together the same as the flour. Set them in a row to create your assembly line… flour, eggs and crumbs.
Prep the baking pan next so it is ready for the breaded fish. First line pan with foil and zig-zag a drizzle of about 2 tablespoons olive oil across the pan and follow with a generous spray of olive oil to coat the pan too. This will provide a good base to give your fish a crunchy texture. The foil will help clean up be a snap too! Set at the prepared pan at the end of the dredging assembly line.
To dredge your fish, start by rolling fish in flour and shaking to remove excess. Then dip both sides in egg and roll in bread crumbs. Do this with all the fish fillets and arrange on baking sheet. Spray the tops of the breaded fillets lightly with olive oil spray. Bake in a preheated 450 F oven for 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness of fillets. Fish is ready when it flakes easily when pierced with a fork. Toss in a few tater tots or fries into the oven to bake with the fish… Fish & chips!!
While fish is baking, you can mix up a quick batch of tartar sauce. I love a sauce with a bit of kick to it rather than just creamy fat in a bowl. Combine the light mayonnaise, mustard, cayenne pepper, lemon juice and onion powder in a small bowl. Add your favorite relish, mine being homemade zucchini relish. Stir well and taste to adjust the seasonings to your liking. Allow sauce to set for a few minutes in the refrigerator prior to serving for flavors to meld.
Doesn’t it look tasty… just like fried fish? So much better for you too, without all that added fat. My hubby is not a fish fan… so I entice him with baked fries or tater tots! Add a fresh veggie and an easy potato…. this easy dinner is served… Enjoy!
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