For years, I struggled to find that perfect, crispy on the outside, tender and flaky on the inside fish recipe. This dairy-free oven fried fish is it. It won over my picky husband and quickly turned into a weeknight favorite. Unlike other crispy baked fish recipes, these crunchy fillets have a quick four-layer technique that double seals the moisture while adding flavor.
Dairy-Free Oven Fried Fish – Get Your Chips Ready!
I originally shared this dairy-free oven fried fish recipe on my side blog, about fifteen years ago. I later moved it to Go Dairy Free, but it’s been buried in an old section of our site. Today I’m giving it a new permanent home in our recipe section. I’ve also got answers to recipe FAQs, followed by various serving suggestions.
What Types of Fish do you Recommend?
The first time I made this dairy-free oven fried fish recipe, I used Hoki, a type of New Zealand hake fish that I found at my local grocer. Other types that work well include cod, halibut, haddock, or catfish. Red snapper and tilapia can also work. I would just avoid stronger-flavored and meatier fish, like salmon, tuna, or swordfish.
Do you have an Egg-Free Option?
You can substitute about 1/4 cup aquafaba or plain unsweetened dairy-free yogurt for the egg. These will help the coating adhere properly. Or you can try the Oven-Fried Fish recipe in my cookbook Eat Dairy Free. It’s a variation on this recipe that’s naturally egg-free.
Can I Substitute a Different Cereal?
Yes, you can use a different cereal. Just make sure it is a non-sweet crunchy cereal. Some possible options include several varieties of Chex and other types of flaked cereal, like Uncle Sam and Nature’s Path Heritage Flakes.
Can I use Bread Crumbs instead of Cereal?
Bread crumbs won’t produce a crunchy coating. But you can use toasted dairy-free bread crumbs or panko if you want breaded style fish. It helps to drizzle the breading with a little oil before baking.
Can I Substitute Almond Flour for the Cereal?
You can! But I would use almond meal instead of almond flour. It’s a little coarser and will add texture. You can use 1 cup almond meal in place of the 1 cup cereal for dairy-free grain-free oven fried fish or fish sticks.
Can I Cook this Recipe in an Air Fryer?
It should work just fine in your air fryer. I haven’t tested it in one, so I can’t estimate the cooking time.
Oven Fried Fish Serving Suggestions
Fish & Chips – Cut the fish into strips before coating and cooking to make dairy-free fish sticks. Use my roasted potato wedges recipe to make your own French fries (tip: you can cut them into fry shapes, if preferred). You can use store-bought tartar sauce, many brands are dairy free. Or you can simply whip up your own dairy-free tartar sauce – it’s easy!
Wraps – One of our favorite easy lunches is crispy fish wraps. Put a little tartar sauce or other dairy-free mayo-based sauce on a wrap. Top with a piece of crispy fish, avocado slices and coleslaw greens. Pull the bottom edge up, then roll (leaving the top open) for a quick lunch wrap!
Tacos – Similar to the wraps, we like to put crispy fish, cabbage slaw, avocado, corn, and salsa in taco-size tortillas for lunch. Serve with hot sauce, and if you’re a cilantro fan, sprinkle some on.
Sandwich – Put the crispy fish on a dairy-free bun and pile on some classic dairy-free coleslaw. Optionally top with avocado and/or spicy mayo.
Platter – Serve the fish with rice or fries and coleslaw, roasted asparagus, or sauteed summer squash. Drizzle with dairy-free lemon dill dressing.
Special Diet Notes: Oven Fried Fish
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, optionally gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, and soy-free. Be sure to choose butter alternative, flour, and cereal that meet your dietary needs.
- 10 ounces white fish fillets
- 1 cup cornflakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper (black or white)
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon dairy-free buttery spread or stick
- ¼ to ⅓ cup flour (see Flour Note below)
- Preheat your oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Place the fish fillets on the prepared baking sheet.
- Place the cornflakes, salt, paprika, onion powder, pepper, and garlic powder in your blender or spice grinder and pulse until the cornflakes are crushed into crumbs. Pour the spiced crumbs into a large zip top plastic bag. Alternatively, you can put the cereal and spices in the large zip-top plastic bag, seal, and crush with a meat mallet until the flakes are fully broken into crumbs. Shake the sealed bag briefly to ensure the ingredients are combined.
- Beat the egg with a fork in a wide shallow dish.
- Baste both sides of your fish fillets with the butter alternative. Sprinkle both sides of the fillets with flour until lightly coated.
- Dredge one of the fish fillets through the egg (both sides), place it in the zip-top baggie, and give it a good shake to coat. Remove the coated fillet and place it back on your prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining fillets.
- Bake the fish fillets for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the filets. You may opt to flip them midway, but mine usually work well without the flip.
6 Comments
This was amazing and so crispy. I did not use the corn flakes and added more spice. Thank you
Glad it worked out well for you Natalie. Thank you for the feedback and your notes!
Substituted rice chex for the cornflakes because that is what I had on hand, but otherwise followed the recipe. I used cod. My hubby really liked it! Will definitely make again.
Thank you for sharing your substitution Karen!
Tried it tonight and it was amazing. Thanks!
That’s great, glad you enjoyed it and thanks for your feedback Lott!