The Best Fish & Chips Recipe is one that brings the British Pub right into your home!
Fish and Chips are a unquestionably a classic British pub favorite that has transcended borders and captured the hearts (and taste buds) of people around the world. Flaky white fish coated in a light, crispy golden beer batter and served alongside piping hot, perfectly cooked thick-cut chips is a meal that feels both nostalgic and delicious. Whether you’re making this traditional fish and chips recipe for a Friday fish fry or recreating memories of a trip to England, this trusted recipe has been tested, perfected, and enjoyed in my family for years. It brings the authentic taste of an English pub right into your own home.
About Homemade Fish and Chips
If you’re a authentic fish and chips lover, you know how disappointing it can be to order it at a restaurant only to end up with a greasy, soggy coating instead of that perfect, crispy crunch. After enough mediocre experiences, it became an obsession to learn how to make fish and chips at home. I was determined to recreate what I remembered, and what I crave when I visit family in England. So I set out testing and refining techniques until I found the combination that finally got it right, with a but of guidance and support from my English Grandmother-in-law.
You too, can make fish and chips, right at home!
The Best Batter for Fish and Chips (The Secret to Success)
The Best Fish and Chips recipe starts with the best batter for fish and chips. The batters job is to encapsulate the fish to form a crust, allowing the fish to steam within the crust and never crack. If the batter is done well, no oil will ever penetrate the batter and have direct contact with the fish’s flesh. (When that happens, you get greasy, soggy fish.)
The batter mixture should be thin, yet tacky enough to cling to the fish. It needs seasoning, but not so much that it over powers the delicate flavor of the cod, haddock, or other white fish.
Once cooked, the batter should be very crispy and crunchy (and not at all doughy.) It should stick to the cooked fish when cutting through it, and not pull off and separate from the fish.
It should never, ever, ever be soggy or greasy.
How to make Homemade Fish and Chips
What I have learned is that there is only one way to ensure a crispy coating on the outside, and a moist, delicate fish on the inside. You have to learn how to make homemade fish and chips.
And after testing countless recipes, watching videos, and researching the history of fish and chips, I finally arrived at the best fish and chips recipe that consistently yields the perfect results. So if you can follow directions, you too, can traditional English fish and chips.
Nanny’s Traditional English Chip Recipe
My now treasured fried fish recipe comes from the America’s Test Kitchen archives, and while their fried fish recipe is great, the chip recipe was not up to my standards. They cook their potatoes in the microwave and this is far (very far!) from traditional. This is not what I was looking for when trying to achieve a traditional fish & chip experience. I prefer to make my chips just as I was taught from my English grandmother-in-law, Gladys. We all called her Nanny, and she would want you to as well.
Nanny made her chips for over 90 years so why mess with perfection? Her method is rustic, and involves hand peeling the potatoes imprecisely- that is to leave some of the skin on the potato. The thickness of the chips is also imprecise, but should be about 1/2 inch thick. As a child, my husband Brett, would watch her expertly peel and cut the potatoes with a pairing knife, dropping the chips into the fresh water as they were cut, removing the starch, eagerly awaiting the time they would be fried. Nanny would then pat the chips dry on tea towels and ready them from frying.
Gladys hand cut, thick cut chips, are simply the best. They are the right shape and thickness, and brown beautifully when fried. Don’t mess with a good thing.
When frying Fish and then frying Chips, I prefer to work two separate pots of oil to ensure the potato flavor is not influenced by the fish oil. However, its a personal choice and I am sure many people fry both the fish and the chips in the same oil.
The Real Secret to Success is Temperature
If you really want to take your frying game for fish & chips, or frying anything, to the next level, then I HIGHLY RECOMMEND getting a Thermoworks Dot and probe. This tool can be used to monitor the exact temperature of the oil throughout the cooking process, which can fluctuate greatly when frying. For example, you could set the oil temperature to 375°F, but once you drop anything into the oil, it WILL drop. Monitoring the temperature with a Dot allows you to adjust your heat control accordingly to get it back up to the right temperature and maintain it while frying until golden brown.
If frying in batches be sure to wait for the temperature to reach 375° again before dropping.
Pro Tip:
Use the Right Tools to get the Job Done Right
Thermoworks Dot® with Probe
Universal Silicone Probe Holder
Fish & Chips is a very nostalgic dish and if you take a moment to read some of the comments that have been sent in from folks who have tried this recipe, you’ll start to understand how special this recipe really is.
KC
Gerry
Felicity
Alan
Shelia
Diane
Laurie
Keith
What is the best fish to use for Fish & Chips?
Cod and haddock are the most traditional choices for good reason. Cod is prized for its mild flavor and large, flaky pieces, while haddock has a slightly sweeter taste and firmer texture. Either works beautifully with a light, crispy beer batter. While other white fish can be used, cod and haddock remain the gold standard for authentic fish and chips.
Common Questions about How to Make Fish and Chips
Why is my fish batter soggy?
Soggy batter is usually caused by oil that isn’t hot enough, overcrowding the pan, or letting the fried fish sit too long before serving. Frying at the proper temperature and serving immediately helps keep the batter crisp and crunchy.
How to make a good fish batter. Should fish batter be thick or thin?
A fish batter should be thick enough to lightly coat the fish without being heavy. It should flow smoothly off a spoon, creating a thin, even coating that fries into a light, crispy crust rather than a dense shell.
Can I make fish and chips without beer?
Absolutely. While beer adds lightness through its carbonation, you can substitute sparkling water or club soda for a similar crispy texture. The finished batter will still be light, golden, and delicious.
What makes fish and chips crispy?
Crispy fish and chips come down to a few key techniques: pat the fish dry before battering, use a cold batter, fry in oil heated to 350–375°F, and avoid overcrowding the pan. These steps create a light, golden crust that stays crisp while keeping the fish tender and flaky.
Can I make the batter ahead of time?
Fish batter is best made just before frying for the lightest, crispiest results. If needed, you can mix it up to an hour ahead and keep it refrigerated, but avoid letting it sit for too long, as it will lose some of its airy texture.
Traditional Fish & Chips
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Russet potatoes about 4 large potatoes.
- 3 quarts canola oil for frying plus 1/4 additional cup
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tsp Diamond kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ – 2 pounds 1-inch-thick cod fillet or other thick white fish, such as hake or haddock cut into approximately 3-ounce pieces. (Thoroughly dry fish with paper towels)
- up to 3 cups beer 24 ounces, cold. (Any beer will work in this recipe, even nonalcoholic beer with the exception of dark stouts and ales.)
Instructions
1. Prep the fish
- Slice fish into your preferred size portions. I like smaller pieces, about 2 ounces per piece, but sometimes you need to follow the natural cuts of the filet. You want portions that are evenly sized as much as possible. Pat dry with paper towel and set aside in the refrigerator.
2. Prep the potatoes
- Peel the potatoes and slice off the “top & tail” to square off the ends of the potato and discard. Cut each potatoes lengthwise into 1/2 inch fries. Add potato pieces into a water bath for about 30 minutes.
- Remove from water and pat dry with paper towel.
3. Fry the Potatoes
- In heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (about 7 quart capacity), heat TWO of the three quarts oil over medium heat to 350°F. Pro Tip: Use a Oil safe Probe to monitor and control temperature for perfect results. Add fries to hot oil and increase heat to high. Fry, stirring with mesh spider or slotted metal spoon, until potatoes turn light golden and just begin to brown at corners, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Transfer fries to paper towels to drain.
4. Set up the dredging station
- Whisk the flour, cornstarch, cayenne, paprika, pepper, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Remove 1.5 of a cup of the flour mixture and add it to a casserole dish and set this flour & dish aside.
- Go back to the flour mixture that remains in the bowl and add baking powder. Whisk to combine.
- Add 1.5 cups beer to the flour mixture in the mixing bowl and stir until mixture is just combined (batter will be lumpy). Add remaining beer as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking after each addition, until batter falls from whisk in thin, steady stream and leaves faint trail across surface of batter.
5. Dredge & fry the fish
- With the fries done, increase the heat of the oil to medium-high, add remaining quart of oil if necessary and heat oil to 375°F. Pro Tip: Use a Oil safe Probe to monitor and control temperature for perfect results. (Meanwhile, thoroughly dry fish with paper towels. Dredge each piece of fish in the flour mixture shaking off excess flour. Dip 1 piece of fish in batter at a time and let excess run off, shaking gently. Place battered fish back into the casserole dish (or what ever dish you are using) with the flour mixture and turn to coat both sides. (This is messy, but worth it!)
- If you are working with a partner in the kitchen you can now add each piece directly to hot oil if or, if you choose, keep pieces in single layer on baking sheet and repeat until all pieces are coated. (It’s best if you have one person frying and another dredging. However, you can certainly do it in batches if working alone, just be careful not to let it sit too long to avoid the batter sticking to the sheet pan)
- Tip: As you add the fish, you will likely need to adjust the heat to keep it maintained at 375-385°F. Not adjusting your temperature to maintain oil temperature when frying is a common, and costly, mistake. The fish will not crisp up. But make it too high, and everything will burn. Use an oil safe thermometer for best results.
- Fry the fish, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes depending on thickness. Use a kitchen spider to remove fish from hot oil and transfer fish to a sheet pan lined with a gridded cooling rack. Never walk away!
- Tip: If you are unsure about the doneness, remove one piece of fish and use an instant read thermometer to test for a minimum of 145° F.
6. Re-fry the potatoes
- Add the previously fried potatoes back to the hot oil for about 2 minutes to crisp up. Remove to fresh paper towel or directly to a cooking rack. Immediately sprinkle with sea salt or kosher salt.
Serve hot
- Serve fish & chips with traditional malt vinegar and tartar sauce.
Notes
What readers are saying about The Best Fish and Chips Recipe
I have made this recipe several times now and it is 10/10. The fish is so flaky and the batter is so crispy if you follow the recipe exactly, the only thing I changed was I used Avacado oil. turned out perfect!!
Best Fish & Chips ever! Don’t reheat the fries for 2 minutes, though — that’s way too long. I will try the batter on chicken next. Thanks!
Made this tonight – perfection! Exactly what I was looking for and tasted sooooo good. Big hit with the rest of the family as well – THANK YOU!
this recipe was fantastic! really came out well. looking forward to trying more recipes.
I’ve never been good at frying…but you promised us that if we followed your instructions, we would have authentic Fish and chips, so I tried it. It was easy, just a little messy, and absolutely perfect. Thank you so much for teaching us this recipes.
I am thrilled that at 73 I first challenged myself to make fish & chips! And I don’t normally like batter over breaded, but I have made this recipe EXACTLY as written and now I am a star in my family for having not only succeeded but made it so well that my fish-hating SON is now begging for me to make F&C! SO DELICIOUS! THANK YOU!
Hi Dottie,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write a note and share your experience. I can’t tell you how happy I am that you and your family enjoyed it!
Here is another simple and yummy cod dish that you may want to try: Ritz Cracker Baked Cod
Cheers,
Chrissy
Soooo good! I used a deep fryer recently received as a gift, but having used oil in a pot before, I might try that next time instead. The fish was delectable and stayed crispy, which was fantastic. My British-born husband declares it a hit!
I have always loved fish and chips – it was a tradition with my mom and I to get them at least once a week. I decided to try and make them for her since she can’t get around too well anymore and was really happy with the way they turned out. Brought me right back to my childhood.
WOW! Oh My Goodness this is wonderful. Yes, it’s messy but so worth it. The fish is so crispy and crackly even after refrigerating the leftovers. It reheats beautifully. You can’t get decent Fish N Chips near me so Thank You So Much for sharing your recipe.
This was delicious. First time making fish and chips, instructions were ideally laid out, nice write up beforehand and perfect outcome. Thank you!!! Keith
I grew up in the Scottish town of Kearny, NJ where Fish u0026 Chip shops were everywhere, so I am a Fish u0026 Chip-aholic! Having moved away many years ago, I’ve been searching for a wonderful recipe to make it myself. Two years ago, I spent a week in Scotland and ate Fish u0026 Chips seven (7) nights in a row! Never tire of it!!!!
I’ve waited 30 years for this recipe. I’ve tried countless Fu0026C batter recipes and NONE have been satisfactory. I did yours with not only cod but with shrimp as well. Fried everything in 3 batches and the fish and shrimp stayed glass brittle crunchy from the first fry all the way through dinner and beyond. This will be the only recipe that I’ll use for fish. Can’t wait to try it on crappie and rock cod! Thanks!
Since I can remember my mother made fish and chips. Being English and working in my Grandad’s chip shop she had the recipe memorized. Fast forward to today and dementia has claimed that recipe. I learned sourdough at my dad’s side but never the fish and I am grieving it’s loss. Hopefully I will be able to create something close with this.