Everybody loves a juicy piece of fish that comes with a shatteringly crispy skin! But not all fish has skin that will easily go crispy when pan seared. Here’s a list of common fish that WILL get crispy skin – and those that will not!
Have I left off fish? Let me know in the comments below and I’ll add them!
Fish with skin that goes crispy
This is a list of fish with skin that will go crispy when cooked on the stove, covering the most common fish in the largest readership countries. See How To Cook Fish with Crispy Skin for directions!
Australia
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Barramundi
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Bream
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Blue eye cod / trevalla
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Jewfish
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Ocean trout
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River trout
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Salmon – see Crispy Skin Salmon recipe
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Snapper
US / UK
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Cod
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Salmon – see Crispy Skin Salmon recipe
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Sea bass
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Tilapia
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Salmon is a fish that is ideal for cooking with crispy skin.
Fish with skin that will NOT go crispy
This is a list of fish with skin that will NOT go crispy when pan seared. This can be because the skin isn’t suitable for crisping (eg. too thin or wrong composition), is not a pleasant texture for eating when pan-seared, or it’s simply too difficult to achieve (eg. the fillets are so thin they cook too fast to crisp the skin).
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Alaskan Pollock
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Basa / Pangasius
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Catfish
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Dover Sole
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Flathead
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Flounder
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Haddock
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Halibut
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Hoki
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John Dory
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Kingfish – See Kingfish Ceviche recipe
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Ling
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Mackerel
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Mahi-mahi
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Monkfish / Stargazer – see Monkfish recipe
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Pollock
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Sardines – See Crusted Italian Sardines
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Swordfish
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Tuna – See Tuna Poke Bowl, Tuna Steak and Tuna Tartare recipes
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Turbot
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Whiting
Note: A number of these fish are sold without skin by fish mongers which is one helpful clue!
Love fish as much as I do? Here you go!
Life of Dozer
He’s as much of a fan of homemade beer battered fish as I am….
