Julie Clark
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Paleo Battered Fish
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Make this crispy, Paleo Battered Fish for a healthy, 30-minute meal that kids will love!
Do you ever get stuck in the chicken and ground beef rut for dinner?
I know we do. To many of us, chicken and ground beef are the safe, easy meats to prepare at home. It’s true that they are easy, but I’m going to push you out of your little ground beef comfort zone today and show how quickly a paleo battered fish dinner can come together.
I know a lot of times kids (and even adults) can cringe at the idea of fish. This Paleo Battered Fish will become a favorite. How do I know? Because two of my kids were not happy with my choice of fish for dinner, but as soon as they had one bite of this crispy, fried cod, they suddenly thought fish was the best dinner ever.
Alaskan seafood is high in protein, low in sodium and saturated fat, and full of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. It comes from a natural environment which produces lean flesh and firm texture, with a delicious flavor. I chose cod for this battered fish, but Alaskan seafood also includes salmon, shellfish and whitefish and can be purchased fresh, frozen or even canned.
I was more than excited to share about Alaskan seafood in this battered fish recipe, which is one of my favorite comfort foods. I made this version paleo which means it is grain free, gluten-free, sugar-free and dairy free. Healthy, but still fantastically delicious.
And the kids still loved it. Success.
Don’t be scared off at the thought of making a fish dinner. Fish is easy to prepare and cooks quickly, making this a meal you can get on your table in under 30 minutes, and here’s how you’ll do it.
1. Mix up the batter, which is simply ¾ cup tapioca starch, ¼ cup coconut flour, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 2 eggs and ¼ cup sparkling water. Why sparkling water? It’s a replacement for the beer in beer battered fish. If you’d like, you can just use plain water.
2. Get ½ a cup of olive oil heating over medium-heat on the stove so that when you add the fish it sizzles immediately.
3. The 5 Alaskan cod fillets that I used were large. I cut the fillets into two triangles to make 10 smaller pieces of fish. Make sure the cod fillets are defrosted and pat them dry with a paper towel so the batter sticks better.
4. Coat the fish in the batter and place them carefully in the hot oil. When using gluten-free/grain free ingredients, it’s important to handle the fish the least amount possible. The breading doesn’t stick on as well as with regular white flour. I placed the fish in the oil, then didn’t touch it for 4 minutes until I turned the fish. Then the fish cooked for another 3-4 minutes and I gently removed the fish to wire rack so that they can drip but stay crispy. (Make sure you have paper towels under the rack to catch the drips.)
It’s also important to not cook the fish to long. Depending on the thickness of the fish fillets, it will only take 3-5 minutes of frying on each side before it is done. Test the fish carefully with a fork and it should be white and flaky. If you cook the fish too long, it may get tough.
I hope your family will enjoy this paleo battered fish as much as we did!
Q: Do you get stuck in the ground beef and chicken ruts?
Q: What’s your favorite type of Alaskan seafood?
Paleo Battered Fish
Make this crispy, Paleo Battered Fish for a healthy, 30-minute meal that kids will love! Gluten Free, Grain Free, Sugar Free and Whole30.
Servings 5 servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup tapioca starch
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup sparkling water
- 24 ounces Alaskan cod fillets
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the tapioca starch, coconut flour, seasonings, eggs and water.
- Heat ½ cup of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Cut the cod fillets in half diagonally (if they are too big and you'd like smaller pieces). Use a paper towel to gently dry the cod fillets.
- Once the oil is hot, coat the cod fillets with the batter and place them into the hot oil.
- Allow the fillets to cook for 4 minutes, then gently flip the fillets and allow them to cook for an additional 3-5 minutes until they are white and flaky inside. Be careful not to overcook.
- Once the fillets are done, use a spatula to remove them from the oil and place them on wire rack so that they stay crispy. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Serving: 201g | Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 13g
Find more paleo recipes here.
Did you get a chance to experiment with sweet rice flour? It makes coating crispy as well. Thanks for this recipe, because I’ve always loved beer battered fish. I agree with Bill about the fluid correction. I read recently to allow gluten free flour to sit after they’re mixed to allow them to absorb the fluids used. I’ve made better pancakes because of this. In light of lent coming soon, this is a timely post. Thanks, Lizzy!
We are from MN and always love to have fish fries. Looking for healthier options and this was the first grain free fish fry we’ve liked–even our 5 kids enjoyed. I completely agree with some above tips. We made this tonight for dinner, but the batter was very thick. I didn’t want to change ingredients since it was the first time we made this but next time, we will probably do a container with the dry ingredients and a container with the wet. So, we would alternate dipping into the dry ingredients and then the wet until the fish is… Read more »
Would love to try this, but I can’t eat eggs. Do you think this batter would work with a gelatin egg substitute? I ask because I hate to waste all the ingredients and have a dinner fail.
Shoulda doublechecked my numbers.
– 2 teaspoons salt. I actually did a tablespoon, omitted the garlic salt, and added garlic powder.
– 3/8 cup soda water. Math is hard.
S
First, Julie and Maddie, very nice work. This is an excellent recipe. I was going to go through my process to develop one but this one hit the mark so close I just did it with a few tweaks, and I am SO glad I did. For those that are planning on making it, a few tips that helped me. – 3/4 cup soda water – 1 tablespoon of salt – After dipping the fish in the batter, drain it for a full 30 seconds. Just hold it over the bowl. The grease needs to heat up anyway. – If… Read more »
I am not always very successful with paleo recipes! My finished product looked like pancakes with fish in the middle but they were delicious! The batter was thick but stuck on the fish just fine. I did dry the fish with paper towel. My non paleo eating husband said I could make this again and he would be happy. I used a white fish. We really enjoyed the break from beef, pork and chicken!
This recipe is a huge, huge winner. That is all.
This looks good. Could you just grind up regular tapioca to make the tapioca flour? Also, would this work in a deep fryer. Recipe really looks great. Can’t wait to try it.
I made the Paleo Battered Fish for dinner tonight. Also made sweet potato fries. For fish all I had on hand was haddock. The batter was so thick I had to spread it on the fish like peanut butter on bread. When it was done and cooled slightly, the batter slid right off the fish and I was left with plain fish. My kids weren’t impressed. The fries tasted ok but some of them burned. Perhaps I cut them too small? I cut 1/4 slices so I think the size was ok. I wish I had just boiled and mashed… Read more »
Made this tonight. Absolutely delicious! Totally satisfied a craving! Thank you!
I can’t believe this is Paleo! Everything about the recipe is so clever. Looks amazing!
Enjoy it Carolyn! 🙂
My kids would be very happy if I made this for dinner – it’s one of our favorites. I love your paleo batter, this is making me hungry!
How clever your batter is!
This looks so fresh and delicious and I love that it’s Paleo!
We had some fabulous Alaskan Cod a week or two ago. It is a family favorite and so great for kids. My little one would absolutely love your recipe.