Fried Flounder

Fried flounder is a simple seafood dish that’s loved by many, picky eaters included!  Our recipe uses an egg and breadcrumb coating for the fish and includes instructions for our homemade tartar sauce, but the fish is great with just a squeeze of lemon too!

Fried flounder is one of the easiest dishes you can make. 

The seasoned breadcrumb coating is crisp, while the inside stays perfectly flaky and moist.  

We recommend serving these Italian fried flounder fillets with plenty of lemon wedges and our homemade tartar sauce.

Grab some hamburger buns and lettuce and use the leftovers for fish sandwiches!

How to make it

Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.

1. Finely mince a 1/4 cup of flat-leaf parsley and add to a pan along with 2 cups of plain breadcrumbs, 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, and a 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.  Mix the ingredients until combined and set aside. If you’re planning to use the tartar sauce, you can mix those ingredients now as well.  Combine 1 cup of mayonnaise, 1 1/2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of capers that have been rinsed and chopped, 1/4 cup relish, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 5 drops of Tabasco, and salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside until you’re ready to serve your fish.

2. Fill a heavy pan to a 1/2 inch high with olive oil or vegetable oil and heat the oil to 360-370f.  Note:  Use an oil or candy thermometer to ensure the oil is at the proper temperature. Using a paper towel, gently dry off 1 1/2 pounds of flounder fillets and season with salt and pepper on both sides.  Note: Feel free to cut larger fillets into smaller pieces.
3. Assemble your breading station with the breadcrumb mixture, a bowl with a 1/2 cup of flour, and another bowl with 3 large beaten eggs.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Gently dredge a flounder fillet in the flour and shake to remove the excess.  

4. Place the flounder in the egg mixture and coat well on both sides.
5. Let the egg mixture drip off then dip the fillet into the breadcrumbs and coat well on both sides.  

6. Set the flounder on the baking sheet and repeat the process for all remaining fillets.  Note: Parchment paper is a valuable kitchen product but one of its best uses is for prepping a ton of breaded items for frying.
7. Once the oil reaches the proper temperature, begin to fry the fillets until golden and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side.

8. Once done, move the flounder to a wire rack or paper towel-lined baking sheet and repeat the process for the remaining fillets. Work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.  Serve the fried flounder right away with lemon wedges and tartar sauce.  Note: you can keep the fillets warm while you fry the remaining batches by placing them in the oven at 170f.  

Top tips for fried flounder

• Fish. Flounder is widely available where we live on Long Island but if you can’t find flounder, you can substitute it with any flat white fish like tilapia or sole. We used large fillets but you can cut the fish into smaller pieces prior to frying if you’d like.  If doing so, you may need extra breading, flour, and eggs to account for the extra surface area.
• Be gentle. Flounder is a bit on the delicate side so we recommend being gentle when breading, frying, and transporting from the oil to the plate.  You may need to use a combo of a spatula and fork to adequately support the fish. A fish spatula is especially helpful here.
• Oil.  The oil temperature is one of the keys to success with fried flounder.  The temperature should be between 360-370f. We recommend using an oil thermometer here to ensure accuracy. 
• Serving. We highly recommend using the suggested tartar sauce recipe.  It takes just a few minutes and really amps up the flavor of the dish! Lemon wedges are also a must.  If you like fish sandwiches, these flounder fillets would make a great sandwich along with some lettuce.

More seafood favorites

Here are a few more of our favorite seafood recipes.

• Spinach stuffed flounder – rolled with spinach and feta and baked in a white wine butter sauce.
• Clams oreganata – clams baked and stuffed with breadcrumbs, lemon, and white wine.
• Fried calamari – crispy fried squid with a simple marinara.
• Salmon oreganata – salmon fillets topped with breadcrumbs and garlic and baked until perfect.

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