You can make an easy, healthy dinner that looks great in no time with this recipe and some tips for making it your own. This lean fish recipe goes well with your favorite chilled, dry white wine and some of the sides listed below.
It’s not done cooking if the fish sticks to the sauté pan and won’t come off easily. Give it a little more time and try again. You can skip this issue by using a non-stick pan. I don’t typically use a cast iron skillet for this dish though it can be done.
Sautéing is a quick and easy cooking method that yields delicious results with fish. The high heat of sautéing gives fish fillets a crispy exterior while keeping the interior moist and flaky. But what types of fish work best for sautéing? Here is a guide to the best fish to sauté along with tips for flawless pan-fried fillets.
Qualities of Good Fish for Sautéing
The ideal fish for sautéing should have these characteristics:
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Delicate, flaky texture – Fish with a soft, delicate flesh withstand sautéing without becoming tough.
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Medium to small fillets – Fillets around 1/2 inch thick ensure even cooking. Larger fillets may overcook on the exterior before the interior finishes.
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Mild neutral flavor – Fish with a delicate natural flavor allow any added seasonings to shine rather than competing.
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Skin-on fillets preferred – The skin helps hold the fillet together, provides flavor, and crisps up beautifully when pan fried.
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Reasonably priced – Since sautéing uses little added fat, expensive fatty fish like salmon and tuna aren’t ideal. Inexpensive white fish are a better value.
Taking these criteria into account, these are some of the best candidates for sautéing:
10 Best Fish for Sautéing
- Tilapia
- Cod
- Flounder
- Sole
- Snapper
- Mahi mahi
- Catfish
- Trout
- Bass
- Perch
Tilapia and cod are likely the most popular choices for sautéing since they are affordable readily available as thin fillets, and have a delicate taste. But any white fish with a thin flaky texture tends to sauté up deliciously. Even fattier fish like trout and bass work well since their rich flavor is perfectly complemented by pan frying.
Preparing Fish Fillets for Sautéing
To set your fish fillets up for sautéing success:
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Pat dry – Remove excess moisture from the surface of the fillets so they brown rather than steam.
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Season generously – Coating the fish with salt and pepper concentrates the flavor.
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Score skin side – Cut shallow slashes across the skin to prevent curling when pan-frying skin-on fillets.
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Use fresh fish – The fish should smell clean, not fishy, for the best flavor and texture.
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Cut evenly – Trim fillets to an even thickness so they cook at the same rate.
Executing the Perfect Sauté Technique
With properly prepped fillets, achieving perfection comes down to your sauté technique:
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Use a heavy, nonstick pan – The weight helps prevent hot spots while the nonstick surface prevents sticking.
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Heat oil until shimmering – Use just enough oil to coat the pan and heat it until it shimmers to ensure even browning.
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Cook at medium heat – High heat causes sticking and overcooking. Medium temperature browns without burning.
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Cook most of the way undisturbed – Resist flipping repeatedly so the fillets brown evenly.
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Flip once – A single flip halfway through is sufficient for thin fillets.
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Baste with pan juices – Tilt the pan and spoon hot oil over the fish as it cooks for extra browning and moisture.
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Don’t overcook – Remove from heat when fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
Complementary Flavors for Sautéed Fish
A simple pan sauce made right in the sauté pan after cooking the fish adds lots of flavor. Try these easy sautéed fish sauce ideas:
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Lemon butter – Whisk together lemon juice, butter, and fresh herbs
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White wine garlic – Sauté minced garlic in wine and butter
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Tomato basil – Simmer chopped tomatoes and basil with olive oil and garlic
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Caper dill – Sauté capers and dill in lemon butter
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Pesto – Add a spoonful of basil or other pesto to hot pan drippings
Sautéed fish also pairs well with fresh veggies like sautéed zucchini or tomato relish. Grains like couscous or quinoa and simple green salads balance the richness of the fish.
Helpful Tips for Hassle-Free Sautéed Fish
Follow these handy tips for easy, delicious sautéed fish fillets every time:
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Pat fish dry before sautéing to prevent steaming
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Use skin-on fillets and score the skin to minimize curling
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Season fish at least 15 minutes before cooking to boost flavor
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Use medium heat and cook most of the way through undisturbed
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Try tilapia, cod, flounder, or other white fish with delicate texture
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Make a quick pan sauce while the fish rests after cooking
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Take care not to overcook – fish fillets cook quickly!
Sautéed Fish Fillets Make Healthy, Quick Meals
Sautéing is one of the quickest and easiest cooking methods for serving up healthy, delicious fish for dinner. Following the tips above helps ensure tender, flaky fillets encased in a beautiful crispy crust. Pair your sautéed fish with fresh veggie sides and sauce for a fast, flavorful meal. Just about any mild white fish works well, so pick up whatever looks best at the market and sauté away!
Pan Seared White Fish
- White fish: This is an umbrella term for mildly flavored, flaky, and usually pretty cheap white fish. Teeple like tilapia, cod, halibut, snapper, bass, grouper, and haddock are all types of white fish. Another great thing about them is that they can be roasted, pan-fried, deep-fried, steamed, or poached. Those who don’t like seafood because of “fishy flavors” will enjoy any of these fish because they don’t taste too strong. I like fish fillets with the skin on, but skinless fish fillets can be used in this recipe instead. If you’re overwhelmed with options, ask your fishmonger for help. They can provide information about freshness, sustainability and more.
- Oil: Because they have a higher smoke point, neutral oils like canola or grapeseed are used in this recipe instead of olive oil. Since the fish cooks quickly over high heat, canola oil won’t smoke while it’s cooking.
- Butter—I always use good unsalted butter because that way, the amount of salt can be changed to suit each person’s tastes.
- Lemon: I squeeze some lemon juice over the fish to finish it off. It goes well with the herbs and butter in this recipe, making a simple lemon butter pan sauce. If you’d like, I like to serve the fish with extra lemon wedges added right before serving.
- Capers – Capers have a tangy, salty flavor. The immature flower buds of the caper plant are what you eat. They are usually served pickled and packed in water, oil, or salt. For the best taste, I suggest using nonpareils, which are the tiniest capers, packed in oil or water in this case.
- Herbs—This recipe works well with a number of different herbs. You can use other herbs, like thyme or dill, instead of the ones I suggest, like chives, tarragon, and parsley.
- Season fish. You can use a paper towel to dry the fish (I used snapper below), and then throw it away. Season all over with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil. While the pan is on medium-high heat, add the oil and heat it through.
- Cook the fish skin down. Put the fish filets in the pan with the skin side down. For a few seconds, press down gently so the skin doesn’t curl. Sear for about three minutes, or until the skin is golden and comes off easily.
- Flip and continue cooking. With a spatula, carefully flip the fish over. Then, add the butter, lemon juice, and capers to the pan. As you keep cooking, tilt the pan so the butter pools on the side. Pour butter over the fish with a spoon to baste it for about one more minute, or until it’s fully cooked.
- Serve. Put the herbs on top of the fish and serve it with lemon wedges.
Best Side Dishes For White Fish
I like serving white fish over a simple white rice or rice pilaf. The rice absorbs some of the herb butter sauce for a delicious addition. Use a rice cooker for easy cooking!.
Another grain like quinoa or bulgur adds a nutty flavor that compliments the white fish. Try serving it over this vegetable quinoa salad.
Roasted potatoes like these crispy smashed fried potatoes pair well with this simple fish recipe.
When I eat fish with potatoes or grains, I like to add a vegetable to round out the meal. A honey-glazed roasted carrot is a good vegetable to try, or you could serve it with simple sautéed spinach or creamed spinach.
