Potato Chip-Crusted Fish Fillets with Lemon-Garlic Aioli

Baked fish coated with Panko and Parmesan
Getty Images/Paul Poplis
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 12 mins
Total: 27 mins
Servings: 5 to 6 servings

If you are looking for a new approach to fish and chips, here is your answer: potato chip-crusted fish fillets. The chips complement the fish perfectly, given their salty nature, and kids will be tickled pink at the idea of eating a fun twist on fish sticks. This recipe calls for baking the fish; however, you can also deep-fry or air-fry the fish fillets for a crunchier entree. Serve the fish with a light homemade lemon-garlic aioli on the side.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds white fish fillets, such as cod or haddock

  • 3 large eggs, beaten

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika

  • 1 cup crushed potato chips

  • 3/4 cup breadcrumbs

  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Preheat oven to 450 F. Pat fish fillets dry with a paper towel.

  3. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, and black pepper thoroughly. Refrigerate for 30 minutes while preparing and baking fish.

  4. Combine garlic powder, paprika, crushed potato chips, and breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. Put beaten egg in a separate shallow bowl.

  5. Dip a fish fillet into beaten egg on both sides, and shake off excess. Dip it in potato chip mixture on both sides and again shake off extra. Place fillet on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining fillets.

  6. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve immediately with lemon-garlic aioli on side.

Tips

  • Cooking time: It depends on the thickness of the fillets. One-inch fillets will take approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Adjust your cooking time accordingly for thicker or thinner fillets.
  • Use the lemon-garlic aioli elsewhere: You can plan to serve the lemon-garlic aioli with other recipes, but add a 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt to the recipe. Since the potato chip-crust adds saltiness to the fish recipe, the aioli recipe takes this into account and no salt is added to the aioli used here.
  • Other meats: This recipe can also be used with boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, though they will need to be baked longer, depending on the thickness of the meat.

Recipe Variations

  • Salt-and-vinegar fish: Replace regular potato chips with 1 cup of crushed salt and vinegar-flavored potato chips. Serve with a homemade remoulade: Combine 1 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons spicy mustard, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 tablespoon pickle juice, 1 teaspoon hot sauce, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning.
  • Tortilla chip-crusted fish: Replace the potato chips with 1 cup of crushed tortilla chips and add 1/4 teaspoon of red cayenne pepper to the dry mixture. Add 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice to the beaten eggs and prepare as directed. Serve with Jalapeno tartar sauce, made by combining 3/4 cup mayonnaise, a seeded and diced jalapeno, two minced garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and 2 teaspoons chopped cilantro, as well as salsa or pico de gallo.
  • Dorito-crusted fish: Replace the potato chips with 1 cup crushed Doritos chips (choose your favorite flavor). Eliminate the garlic powder and paprika from the recipe. Prepare the rest of the recipe as directed. Serve with tartar sauce.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
358 Calories
27g Fat
16g Carbs
12g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 5 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 358
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g 35%
Saturated Fat 5g 23%
Cholesterol 129mg 43%
Sodium 389mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 16g 6%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 12g
Vitamin C 3mg 13%
Calcium 51mg 4%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 335mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)