Salmon fish cooking can be a little challenging. Still, if you know the basics and cook more and more salmon, these challenges vanish by themselves. For salmon fish, ways to cook are abundant. It is a very nutritious fish, and it is readily available as it is delicious and versatile. 

The best and most delicious ways to cook salmon fish include baking, broiling, sautéing, simmering, grilling, and pan-frying on a stovetop. You can also cook and eat salmon fish head in several different ways. 

Let us go slowly but thoroughly to describe essential details to help you hit the ground running and cook your salmon fish on the first day. 

Ways to cook salmon fish head 

Can you eat salmon head?

You can cook salmon fish head and eat it. But you should remove salmon gills before cooking as they are not a good part of the fish because their main task is to filter the water to retrieve oxygen. Thus, they main contain much bad staff filtered from the water. 

You can quickly cook and eat the salmon heads. There are many ways to do that, including boiling, baking, grilling, or making a soup from the salmon head. When cooking salmon head, besides removing gills, you also need to remove any extra parts which are not part of the salmon meat. You can leave salmon eyes and eat them once cooked. 

Note: the fish head may contain some parasites, more so than in the body. One of the ways to prevent that is to buy previously flash-frozen salmon. If your salmon has never been frozen before, then freeze it in the fridge and keep it for 5-7 days should kill off parasites. 

On the other hand, most fish sold in US markets were previously frozen, and salmon is often farmed. Farmed salmon feed an anti-parasite diet and, most of the time, are clean from parasites to the point that it is good enough to be used raw to make sushi. 

This section will tell you how to cook a salmon head for a surprisingly enjoyable meal. 

What do you do with the head of a salmon?

Even the United Nations says that it is not wise to waste yummy fish heads. http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/214442/icode/

Instead of throwing away salmon heads, why not just cook and then eat it? 

Note that if you have a cat – cooked small bones are dangerous for them.  

1. The simplest salmon heads recipe – salmon head dormitory soup. 

• If you are not about elaborate cooking, then here is the simplest way to cook salmon head. Did you know that in many parts of the world, people make soup out of fish heads? You can do it too. 
• Remove gills from the salmon head.
• Cut the head in two or more parts, depending on the size of the head.
• Boil water in a relatively large pot.
• You can add salt if you want. 
• You may add onions or some spices that you like.
• Throw in some jasmine rice and boil rice.
• Once the rice is cooked, throw in salmon heads or heads. 
• Bring back to a boil and simmer on low medium for another 15-20 minutes, until fish is ready.

You just have made a soup with salmon heads. Was not it easy? If you want more, let us dive into cooking some specific delicious ways to cook salmon heads.

2. Salmon heads with rice noodles and soup.

 Ingredients

• Salmon heads – 3
• Sea salt
• Sweet wine – 1/4; cup
• Chopped onions – 1 cup
• Sliced chives and chiles
• White miso paste – 1 Tbsp
• Kombu seaweed – 2 pieces, 2 inches each.
• Rice noodles- 1 pack

Procedure  

• Remove gills from the salmon head.
• Place the salmon heads in a big pot with enough water to dip them.
• Now add in ginger, onions, kombu, and place the pot on the stove.
• It would take to simmer around 20 minutes.
• Take the broth and remove the salmon heads into a bowl.
• Add mirin to the broth and then add soy sauce and add salt as per taste.
• Cook noodles in salt and water.
• Pour the broth, add miso, and noodle with a salmon head as a topping. 
• Cover more broth and add chives and chiles for garnish.
• Serve and enjoy.

Source: https://honest-food.net/salmon-head-soup-recipe/

However, generally, when it comes to salmon, chefs prefer not to use it in soup but to roast or bake it. 

3. The roasted salmon head

Ingredients

• Salmon head- large
• Lemon
• Chopped onions-1 cup
• Grill rub or homemade seasoning
• Aluminum foil
• Chopping board, knife
• Rice noodles- one pack
• Oil

Instructions

• Remove gills from the salmon head.
• Cut the salmon heads in half. Everything besides gills is edible in the salmon head.
• Rub the packaged or homemade rub over it to make it sweet, a bit spicy, and salty. 
• Rub the seasoning over the parts on all sides.
• Place the salmon head with skin on a baking sheet that is covered with foil.
• Preheat the oven to 250-400F (120-205C), with the average being 180C (350-375F).
• Place baking sheet with salmon heads in the oven.
• Bake them at 250 degrees F for 40 mins or at 400 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. Time is based on the head size as well.
• Now turn the oven heat to 450 deg F. Flip the salmon head.
• Cook for 8-20 minutes more or until it is brown and crispy.
• Serve with a slice of lemon once the meat is ready. 
• Serve on a large platter with rice and green beans to enjoy.

Source: https://guides.brit.co/guides/cook-a-roasted-salmon-head/particle-8

Rough total baking estimation of time for an average salmon head is as follows:

Note: if you use an air fryer for cooking salmon heads, then the timing and temperature regime will be like that above. Source: https://thetopmeal.com/roasted-salmon-head-recipe/

4. Garlic and butter broiled salmon heads

This recipe is based on Filipino recipes. 

Ingredients

• Butter- ½ a brick
• Salmon head -1
• Garlic cloves – 8-10
• Broiler or conventional oven with broiler
• Chopper or good chef’s knife. 

Instructions

• Clean the salmon heads cautiously.
• Rinse them in cold water. 
• Eliminate the gills and set the head aside.
• Make use of a food processor for thorough garlic cloves chopping. Or use a good chef’s knife to make your life a little bit harder.
• Add the room temperature butter to the chopped garlic and chop them together to make a paste.
• Add in herbs and spices, and salt (if using unsalted butter)
• Spread or place the butter and garlic on both sides of the fish head. 
• Preheat to the highest setting in the broiler. 
• Place the fish with eyes side up for even and fast cooking.
• Keep checking for around 5 minutes periodically.
• The butter begins to melt around 5 minutes, and garlic browns up.
• Now spread the melted garlic and butter mixture over fish with a long brush or spatula again for even spreading.
• Cook for another 2 to 5 minutes.
• Flip the fish head and cook the other side the same way also for 2-5 minutes.
• Eyes are also edible.

 Source: https://cookingwithstellaaa.wordpress.com/2013/01/30/garlic-and-butter-broiled-salmon-heads/

Below is one of the most popular recipes for baked salmon heads.

5. The salmon heads with potatoes

Ingredients

• Salmon heads – 2-3
• Fresh dills – 1/3 cup
• Whipping Cream -1/2 cup
• Bay leaves – 2
• Onion- A large size
• Kosher salt- 1 tsp
• Potato cubes- 2-inch cubes- 8 oz or about 3 medium potatoes. 
• Are you feeling lazy? You can cut potatoes into few large pieces each instead of cubing them. 
• A little bit of butter for frying.

Procedure

• Melt some butter in a pan on medium heat.
• Pan fry added onions until soft for 5-7 minutes.
• Add salmon heads, potato cubes, bay leaves, and dill leaves. 
• Add in water to just enough to cover everything and bring to simmering temperature.
• Cook until the fish heads and potatoes are tender. It may take about 20 minutes.
• Take the fish head and split the edible parts from the skeleton without breaking them into pieces. (Optional, you can have leave whole heads if you want)
• Add these parts into the broth. (optional)
• Add in cream and chopped dill with some salt and pepper.
• Serve, and it can be stored in the refrigerator.

You can add other ingredients into this receipt – carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, for example, can be cut and thrown in to cook along with potatoes. 

Source: from Serious Eats

6. The salt grilled salmon head

Ingredients

• Salt -1/2 tsp
• Salmon head- ½ – 1
• Lemon slices – several

Procedure

• Dry head after washing carefully. Pat dry with a paper towel. Using hair drier only if you keep drier away from the fish to avoid it start cooking a little. 
• Prepare grill. Use aluminum foil to line the tray for grilling. Put in the racks. Now preheat the grill to 400 F or 200 C temp.
• Sprinkle salt on the slit side of the salmon head. Sprinkle all over the fish.
• Grill till it is somewhat charred for about 8 minutes.
• Once the fat begins to spit and bubble, turn the head to the other side and sprinkle the salt.
• Grill this side as well until it is charred a little. This site will also take around another 8 minutes.

 Adapted from http://kitchentigress.blogspot.com/2011/02/salt-grilled-salmon-head-kabuto-yaki.html

How to prepare salmon fish in the oven?

You can cook salmon fish in the oven by baking it. Baking is probably the best way to cook salmon fish. Baking in the oven is identical to broiling. It is easy to make a quick and perfect salmon. 

Baking salmon fillet is one of the best methods and is a primary way to prepare salmon fish in the oven. 

Using one large fillet is better than trying to cook several small ones. There are some pre-preparations to be done before proceeding to bake it in an oven. 

How to cook salmon in the oven? Starting tips.

• Take the large spatula, large enough for lifting and turning a good portion of the fillet, lift the fillet, and transfer it to a platter (the whole thing). It would help if you got spatulas meant for this purpose because you will need them for baking.
• Take preferably a cast iron pan which is suitable for searing fillets and putting them into the oven. A non-stick pan that can go into the oven and sustain its heat is also good. But cast iron transfers heat better. 
• A small plier, needle-nose type, does an appropriate job of yanking the pin bones. Get it if you cook fish often. Strong tweezers could be used; however, they are less efficient in doing the job.
• You may bake salmon or other fish in aluminum foil. Foil traps the moisture, reducing fish dry-out, and keeps the flavor in. Have aluminum foil or parchment paper on hand. 
• Note that wrapping salmon in foil results in a kind of steaming-baking salmon fish combination.
• Many blogger chefs recommend using parch paper if you do not have or do not like aluminum foil. The foil or parchment paper makes it easy to line up and makes cleaning easier. I personally never tried parchment paper when baking salmon. 
• It helps to remove bones from salmon for a better overall experience unless you buy a boneless fillet. 
• Get salmon fillet. There is no need to mess with cutting salmon fish unless you want to do it yourself. If you missed the fillet into smaller pieces or slices before cooking, it would cook slightly faster, and You will be able to serve it right away.

What is the best temperature to bake salmon?

As a rule, you can bake salmon at a temperature in the range of 325-450 degrees F, with 400 F being the average consensus temperature level. A higher temperature will cook salmon faster. I like to use high temperatures for cooking my food faster.

Also, large salmon fish or fillet size may require higher temperature settings than smaller fish or pieces of salmon.

How long should I keep salmon in the oven?

As a rule, you should cook salmon fish for about 5 minutes per half an inch of thickness at about 400 F – 450 F degrees. So, for a 2-inch-thick salmon fillet, it should take about 10-12 minutes to bake. Just make sure you preheat the oven to that temperature before putting salmon. 

Other chefs roughly estimate that it takes about 1 minute baking time per 1 ounce of salmon. It means 5 minutes per 5 ounces or 10 minutes per 10 ounces. Therefore, the large the salmon is, the longer you should keep it in the oven.

A rough estimation of the time necessary to bake salmon in the oven:

7. A basic general recipe for cooking salmon fish in the oven. 

• Preheat the oven to a desired baking temperature.
• Pat salmon dry with kitchen or paper towel.
• Spray it with some salt and pepper.
• Line baking sheet or baking pan with aluminum foil.
• Put salmon on it and place in the oven.
• Bake the fillet skin side down for 10-25 minutes, depending on the temperature selected.
• Season with garlic, thyme, and honey, or anything else you deem necessary.

Should salmon be baked covered or uncovered?

It is not required to cover salmon when baking it in the oven. But covering salmon when baking may speed up the cooking process, and salmon may cook slightly faster than when left uncovered. Covering salmon also may help to trap moisture in the salmon fish. 

For example, when you want to cook it in foil or parchment paper, you wrap it. But note that wrapping salmon fish in foil may result in a longer cooking time. 

Alternatively, you can use an oven-proof baking dish for baking the salmon. 

8. Oven-baked salmon tasty recipe

Ingredients

• Salmon fillet – 12oz. Cut into four pieces.
• Salt
• Black pepper- Freshly ground 
• Almond toasted- 1/2 cup
• Parsley Salsa 
• Baked squash
• Red wine vinegar 
• Shallot-1
• Capers-2 tbsps
• Fresh flat-leaved parsley-1 cup
• 1/2 cup toasted almonds
• Olive oil- Extra-virgin

Procedure

• Preheat to a temperature of 450 deg F.
• Season the fish with pepper and salt.
• Position the salmon skin side downside over a non-stick baking sheet. You can also use a non-stick pan with an oven-proof handle. 
• Bake until cooked all through to around 12-15 minutes.
• Serve with squash and parsley salad made by mincing shallot, vinegar, and salt to let it sit for around 30 minutes to an hour. Chop the parsley, capers, almonds. Blend these in the above mix. Add in olive oil, mix, and add in seasoning.

Adapted from https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/oven-baked-salmon-recipe-1911951

How do you know when salmon is done in the oven?

Salmon is ready when the fillet is opaque and pink and maybe slightly overcooked if it already flakes easily with a spoon. That moment between being fully cooked and overcooked is hard to catch for a newbie. 

First, salmon gets pinky, then opaquer. Then, ff you press firmly with a spoon, and the meat starts pulling apart. Then it is ready. 

Note that it keeps internally cooking for several minutes after you remove it from the oven.

So, take a fork or even a spoon, open the oven, press firmly on top of the baking salmon. It is ready or even overcooked if it flakes easily when pressed. 

Salmon must reach an internal temperature of 135-145 F degrees to be fully cooked on a well-done level. 

Also, suppose you check with an instant read thermometer in the thickest part of the salmon, and that part shows 140F degrees. In that case, many chefs say they remove fish from the oven right away to avoid overcooking it. Some chefs say that reaching 135 F degrees is enough for a well-done salmon. 

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Tell-when-Salmon-Is-Cooked

How do you keep salmon from drying out in the oven?

Salmon fish may often dry out when cooked in the oven. There are few methods you can use to keep salmon from drying out in the oven. 

• Brush salmon with oil to cover lightly, and it will keep it moist.
• Keep salmon very tightly wrapped in aluminum foil or parchment paper to trap moisture. It may take a longer time to cook it this way.
• Bake salmon in a closed oven-proof baking dish to trap moisture.
• Bake it on no more than 350-375 F degrees to avoid too much drying out, essentially roasting it. 
• Note that baking salmon on low will take a noticeably longer time, but salmon will keep much of its moisture in the end. 
• You can bake salmon fish on as low as 225F – 250 F degrees to trap most moisture. 
• Another technique is to freeze the salmon and then bake it straight from the frozen. 
• A combination of some of the above methods should have an even better effect. 

Different ways to cook salmon fish

Let us talk more about salmon fish and ways to cook it without a sweat. Other methods of cooking salmon can be broiling, stovetop pan-frying, grilling, poaching, and so on. So, let’s dive into different ways to cook salmon fish.

Cooking salmon fish on a stovetop

You can cook salmon on the stovetop and in a pan by sautéing, pan-frying, or poaching. 

9. Boiling salmon on the stovetop.

You can boil it, but this method is quite bland, and we will not discuss boiling here as discussed above in the soup-making section. Boiling salmon is good if you want to make salmon soup. 

You bring pot with water to a boil, through in salmon or pieces of salmon, add salt, pepper, seasonings, and boil salmon until ready. 

It takes anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes to boil fish. We discuss a similar process below in the poaching salmon section. 

Otherwise, cooking salmon on a stovetop is the easiest and quick way to pan-fry or sauté it. Poaching generates a clean-tasting tender salmonю

How to cook salmon in a pan?

Sauteing and pan-frying are somewhat the same, except sauteing means cooking quickly on high heat with very little oil or butter. 

When you pan-fry salmon, you get crispy skin and golden crush which is fantastic to eat.

Salmon pan-frying tips:

• Use good quality clean medium-sized pan.
• A medium-sized cast-iron skillet is even better for frying because iron accumulates and transfers heat better. 
• Brush salmon fillet in olive oil before frying. 
• Fry over medium heat to avoid drying salmon too much. 
• Fry only on preheated hot pan or skillet.
• The skin side takes a couple of minutes longer to cook when fried. 
• Use the only fillet at room temperature. Do not use cold, and especially frozen, fillet for pan-frying. About 30 minutes at room temperature out of the fridge is enough. Completely thaw salmon before frying if frozen. 
• Pat dry salmon fillet with a paper towel. 
• I prefer frying anything in olive oil, but you can use butter too.
• Be careful as hot oil may splatter. Use glasses or splatter screens. 

10. The most straightforward fried salmon recipe with instructions!

• Take a salmon fillet and brush it with olive oil.
• Put a thin level of olive oil in a pan or skillet to cover the bottom.
• Put pan or skillet on medium-high heat on the stovetop.
• Preheat. When oil shimmers and starts sizzling and covers the bottom of the pan or skillet, put salmon in, skin side down. 
• You may turn the pan or skillet around to make sure the oil completely covers the bottom. 
• Sear on medium for about 6-8 minutes.
• Then use a spatula to flip the salmon fillet over the skin side up.
• Now sear for another 3-4 minutes.
• Now, when salmon is pink and opaque, it starts to flake when you press on it – it is ready, and you can take off the pan or skillet.
• Put it on a plate and let it sit there for 4-5 minutes while it finishes cooking internally. 
• Spray some lemon juice over it, seasonings, and serve.

11. Tuscan Butter Salmon 

• Take a cast iron or non-stick skillet on medium-high heat. Coat the pan with the bit of oil of your choice. It could be butter, olive oil, or veggie oil. 
• Let the pan heat up.
• Place the salmon fillet skin side up. Enjoy the sizzle.
• Cook it till the filets release naturally when flipped or moved with a spatula.
• Do not force with a spatula as the crust is still forming.
• Once the crust is formed totally in around 6 minutes, you flip the fillet.
• Let the skin get crispy and nice post-flipping to around 4 extra minutes.
• This should cook the fillet inside out. If not, pop the skillet into an oven preheated to 350 deg F. Roast it for around 5 minutes.
• Your salmon is ready to serve and enjoyed.

12. Sautéing salmon fillet

You can also sauté salmon fillet over a high flame, resulting in the best, fast and easy fillets. 

Procedure

• Melt just a little bit of butter, about a tablespoon, in a non-stick skillet on medium-high heat. 
• Cook it till the foam subsides, and it turns golden in color. This will take around 3 minutes.
• Turn heat on high.
• Season the salmon fillet with pepper and salt.
• Add to the skillet or pan skin side upwards.
• Cook for around 5-6 minutes on one side till the fillet turns deep golden brown.
• Flip the fish and cook for 2 to 4 minutes longer.
• Cook and check for its doneness.

13. Poaching Salmon

Poaching provides you with cleaned, cooked salmon, which is the right way to get no added fat fish. Poaching is a simple way to make sure moist and nice salmon every time. Similar to boiling, poaching, nevertheless, is different. 

Procedure

• Season the fillets on both sides.
• Take a large skillet, bring a cup of dry white wine and a cup of water.
• Fill water as much as to cover a salmon fillet.
• Now add salmon.
• Sprinkle some salt, add a bay leaf and peppercorns.
• Bring it to a simmer.
• Turn off the heat.
• Cover the skillet tightly and let the fish self-cook for around 20 to 30 mins.
• This will result in medium-rare salmon. If you want it well done, turn it down to low instead of turning it off completely. The salmon should cook within 10-20 minutes to a well-done level.
• Remove the salmon cautiously with a spatula.
• For additional flavor, season it with garlic cloves and herbs like fresh dill in the skillet.
• As per FDA, salmon ought to be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 deg F. When done, check for it using a fork instead of a thermometer.
• Check at the thickest part of salmon to make sure meat is cooked and starts falling apart when pressed.

Adapted from https://cooking.nytimes.com/guides/19-how-to-cook-salmon

Broil Salmon

Broiling salmon is the easiest and simplest of techniques. 

14. Broiled Salmon Horizontal

• To begin with, preheating the broiler too high.
• Place it on an oven rack to make sure that salmon is within several inches of the source of heat.
• Position the fillets on a baking sheet or an aluminum foil to avoid sticking.
• Season the fillet all over with pepper, salt, and other seasonings.
• You can use garlic, grainy mustard, herbs.
• Broil five to eight minutes to make sure it is cooked.
• The salmon top will become brown to indicate readiness.
• Check for doneness using a fork or spoon.

 Adapted from https://cooking.nytimes.com/guides/19-how-to-cook-salmon

15. Grilling Salmon

If you are looking for some smoky flavor and some char marks. 

Procedure

• Season your fish and preheat the grill on medium-high heat at 350 F degrees or more.
• Oil the grates to make salmon easy to flip.
• Add the salmon to the skin side and cook on the grill for around 5-8 minutes. 
• Grill until the bottom fish half appears opaque and easy release when flipped.
• Flip it over.
• Grill after flipping for about 4-6 minutes longer.
• Place the salmon over the foil. 
• Check for doneness. 
• You can also choose flavor components and veggies. 
• You can use veggies like asparagus, bell peppers, zucchini, sliced potatoes, and onions.
• Season with pepper and salt. 
• Cook until tender.

Adapted from: https://www.delish.com/cooking/a19856198/how-to-cook-salmon/

Tip: a trick to keep moisture in salmon when grilling is to cover it with olive oil and set the grill on high temp (450 F – 500 F) to cook quickly before moisture comes out. You can also wrap it in foil to keep moisture in when grilling. Marinating salmon may also help salmon to retain moisture on the grill. 

Marinating salmon for grilling. 

You can marinate salmon for 30 minutes in the mixture of olive oil and lemon juice with some herbs before grilling. Marination will make salmon softer, juicier and it may cook on the grill faster. 

Source: https://rasamalaysia.com/grilled-salmon/

16. Way to grill skinless salmon fillet.

You can grill salmon’s fillet in foil or without foil. Here is how you can grill skinless salmon fillet in foil the easy way.

• Get skinless salmon fillet. 
• Brush it with olive oil, spry seasonings on it.
• Preheat grill to 350 F – 450 F. 
• Tightly wrap salmon in foil and place it on the middle rack of the grill.
• Grill for 15-20 minutes, depending on the temperature and size of the salmon.

Should I flip salmon on the grill?

You should flip salmon on the grill because, unlike the oven, heat distributes unevenly in a grill. Flip once in the middle of cooking, as soon as one side is cooked. 

 FAQ

How long does it take for salmon to be cooked?

Usually, it takes on average 4-6 minutes cooking time per ½ inch of salmon thickness or about 1 minute per 1 ounce of salmon fish. This is especially true for the salmon fillet. 

According to FDA, fish, including salmon, is cooked when its internal temperature in the thickest part reaches 145 F degrees. 

Source: https://www.fda.gov/food/people-risk-foodborne-illness/meat-poultry-seafood-food-safety-moms-be#:~:text=Finfish%20s

You can use an instant thermometer to stick it in the thickest part and measure temperature while still cooking. Be careful, it is hot, and it is still cooking. 

Note that once you remove fish or other food from the oven, frying pan, or grill, it still cooks internally for a few minutes while cooling down. 

How do you tell when salmon is done cooking?

Salmon flesh must become pink, opaque and meat must start pulling apart when pressed even with the spoon. If it flakes easily with the fork, it is cooked and is on the verge of overcooking. 

Also, salmon is done cooking if the internal temperature reaches 145 F degrees in the thickest part. Note, this rule is valid only if all salmon parts were cooked evenly. 

Chefs recommend stopping cooking salmon as soon as it reaches 140 F degrees in the thickest part. 

How do you cook salmon without drying it out? How do you keep salmon moist when cooking?

Cook (roast) it either on very low heat at about 230-250 F. Or cook it fast on high heat before salmon loses much moisture. You can also keep salmon moist with preliminary preparations such as brushing with olive oil and tightly wrapping salmon fillet in aluminum foil. 

Do you eat the skin on salmon?

You can eat salmon skin because it cooks well. 

Final word

There are about million more ways to cook salmon. But now you know most basics of different ways to cook salmon fish. 

The post 16 Delicious Ways to Cook Salmon Fish appeared first on Make Your Dinner Easy.

We divided this post into three separate sections:

• Best fish for frying whole
• Best fish for frying at home
• Best Asian fish for frying

Let us dive in.

Best fish for frying whole (with instructions) 

Any fried fish can taste good. As a rule, the best fish for frying whole is any that is eatable and fits in your frying pan or skillet. Please note that whole fish for our purposes usually means complete fish with skin, fins and scales, and head. Quite often, chefs would cut the head and tail fin of the fish before frying.

Tip: As a rule, the best fish for frying whole is no longer than 10-12 inches. Even when some species grow much larger than that, you can still buy them small enough to fit your pan or skillet.  

You do not want to fry too small fish either, as you will end up with primary bones rather than fish meat. Therefore, the fish sized at least 6-8 inches in size is a good start. And the 6–12-inch fish size is simply perfect to fry whole. 

Why is frying whole fish good for you? Among other reasons, fish skin often contains many valuable nutrients that you may be missing when eating only fish fillet.

Some chefs say that frying fish with skin helps to preserve fish meat better. I cannot subscribe to that, but I have heard this opinion. Finally, fish fried whole offers an array of exquisite flavors.

List of best fish for frying whole

Here is a list of fish you can fry whole at home or camping, or on a fishing trip. If you do not want to mess with cleaning and cut it into pieces, then frying fish whole is a good option.

You can fry this fish whole and eat it right after you catch it – that is a part of the adventure. If the fish mentioned below has grown too large to fit in the pan, you can use a larger pan or iron skillet.

Tilapia

Tilapia is freshwater fish that breeds easily and quickly, filling the holes left by overfishing other species.

Native to Africa and invasive to North America, this fish is now industrially farmed in more than 100 countries globally, including the USA and Canada. You can buy it pretty much in any local grocery store.   

While tilapia fish tastes kind of average, it is perfect for frying due to its size. This fish tastes better when it is fried, and it is relatively easy to cook the whole tilapia that way.

Whole fried tilapia is excellent to eat with basil, garlic, ginger. You would be better off if you remove scales, although it is not mandatory. Some people cook it in coconut oil instead of olive oil.  

(!) But do not overeat tilapia either, because it contains more inflammatory omega-6 than anti-inflammatory omega-3 elements.

Bass

Bass is another trendy game fish. It is a collective name for many smaller freshwater or saltwater sub-species.

Bass is also quite common in North America. You can fish it yourself in many local water reservoirs, including small rivers, lakes, and ponds.

You also can buy it at some grocery stores or online. Or from local anglers.  

Smaller bass species are relatively easy to fry due to their meaty structure and size. Striped Bass, white mouth bass – these are some of the best-tasting fish in the family and are the best fishes to fry whole even when camping.

Smallmouth, Spotted Bass, and White Bass are also quite popular game fish subspecies in the USA. Note that many bass fish species are not genetically related to Bass. Primarily, that is true for sea bass species.

Fry whole brass and feel its fantastic taste with vegetables, tomatoes, and greens. You can stir-fry veggies, too, and serve with brass on one plate.  You make a salad as a side. 

Cajun, pepper as a seasoning, and mashed potatoes on the side will also be good.

Branzino

This is smaller saltwater fish that originated in the Mediterranean Sea. Branzino is an Italian name, also called Mediterranean Sea Bass or European Bass. 

The fish is becoming increasingly popular in the USA and is being farmed for the US market because the natural stock is depleted. 

Its white meat has a mild taste like the taste of trout (read below about trout). This is excellent fish for pan-frying whole with its skin on. Often you can buy it whole or as fillet at fish markets. 

Fry this fish while and taste it with herbs. Especially, use Italian herbs for a good experience. Rosemary, thyme, parsley are good additions. 

Tog

Tog is an Atlantic sea fish like grouper, which is also called blackfish. You can either fish it yourself on the shore or a boat or buy it at a fish market or in some grocery stores.

This fish has white firm meat and a delightful taste when fried. It tastes like red snapper. You can fry this fish whole and add tartar sauce to make a delicious fried fish meal out of it. 

Some cooks suggest adding a side of mashed potatoes and cut apples. You can also stir-fry green peppers, onions, and garlic instead of apples. 

You may add chopped onions and garlic on top of the oil to the frying pan when frying whole tog fish for exciting flavor.  

Flounder (Fluke)

Flounder is a name for a group of related flatfish species. Also called Summer Flounder, it is a flatfish with its eyes on one side. It is native to the coastal North Atlantic or the Gulf of Mexico.

It has white, mild meat which does not smell too fishy. Fluke is excellent frying fish for those who do not like to smell fish after cooking. And smaller fish of this kind can be quickly and gently fried whole in a pan or skillet because of its flat structure. 

Adding herbs and greens will make this dish blossom.

Crappie (Perch)

Crappie and perch are the same fish, but it is called different names depending on the region. This is freshwater fish which you can catch in many places in North America.

Its perfect size makes it ideal for pan-frying fish. And sweetish white meat of crappie fish makes it extremely popular in US southern states.

Crappie fish skin is tasty, so that you can eat it without any problem. Crappie is one of the best fish for frying for these and other reasons.

Brown mustard, parmesan cheese, and even hot sauce will go nicely with pan-fried crappie-perch.

Haddock

It is saltwater fish with a more distinct fishy flavor and smell. It lives practically everywhere in the Atlantic Ocean. You can fish it yourself, especially in the Gulf of Maine.

The juvenile haddock is right the good enough size for an excellent pan-frying. It is one of the leaner fishes if you are health conscious. Low in mercury too.

Fried haddock fish tastes excellent with asparagus, green pepper, green beans, pea salad, and some good, toasted bread. Also, why not add tomatoes, especially, roasted tomatoes for an unforgettable experience.

Black sea bass

Black sea bass is not technically a bass but is comparable in taste. As you have guessed, it is saltwater fish. It is one of the most popular fish to catch and eat, and you can find it all around the US and Canada in the Atlantic Ocean.

Black sea bass is not too fishy in flavor, and some consider it to be one of the testiest saltwater fishes.  Its white meat is mild, delicate, tender, and lean, and you can always find this fish in a smaller size to fit your frying pan. This makes it an excellent fish to fry.

Snapper (Red Snapper)

This larger saltwater fish is native to the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. This fish has excellent tasty white meat, which can be quickly fried.

Red snapper is both commercial and game fish. This fish can be expensive due to some level of overfishing.

The fish also can grow larger than can fit in the pan. In such a case, use an iron skillet if you want to fry this fish whole. But most of the time you can buy a smaller size.

When this fish is fried, it goes excellent with anything from hot chilies to just stir-fried chopped veggies or fresh herbs. 

You can even add citrus fruits to this (and any other) fish.

How about serving fried red snapper as follows:

• covered with fresh lemon or lime juice, 
• with wedges of avocado, 
• mixed with chopped carrots, 
• green peppers, 
• and chopped fresh greens salad, 
• covered with a tablespoon of olive oil,
• Add salt and pepper as desired.

Yummy!

Trout (Rainbow trout)

Trout is an exceedingly popular freshwater fish with low mercury content from the family of salmons. Therefore, it is oily fish with some healthy fish fat content and rich in the good stuff.

Trout lives in streams, lakes, rivers in North America, Europe, and Asia. Like many other fishes on the list, the trout also can come from commercial farms, and it is usually acceptable to eat those.

Serve fried trout with wedges of onions, black pepper, asparagus, bell peppers, and just a teaspoon or two of olive oil. 

Porgy

Porgy is one of the trendy fish all over the world. It lives in shallow tropical waters, but some species live in North America (Atlantic Ocean), Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

You can buy this fish in many stores, including Whole Foods, and on ethnic markets.

It is also popular game fish for anglers, so that you can catch it too.

Porgy is excellent frying fish. It usually fits the pan and has genuinely nice meat that is easy to fry and tastes well.

Larger size fish

You can try frying whole catfish (wild river caught catfish is better than farmed one) or salmon or cod if it is small enough to fit a frying pan or skillet.

But most of the time, it will be larger than can fit in your pan, so it would be better to buy individual pieces of separate pieces to fry at home. Read the section below for that.

To fry whole fish, all you need is a fire and a pan or skillet and something to put it on.

As a rule, pan-frying fish is better than deep-frying because pan-frying preserves more nutrients and uses less oil which fish absorbs when you fry it. 

Note that cast iron keeps heat better than aluminum and thus is generally better for frying fish or anything else, for that matter. Therefore, a good pan or cast-iron skillet is a must-have when frying fish at home.

How to fry whole fish (quick universal recipe)

The whole fried fish can go very well with many sides, including salads, mashed potatoes, fresh green salad, or rice, red or regular onions, lemon or lime juice, and much more.

Here are basic universal recipe and instructions for frying whole practically any fish you want:

Getting fish to fry:

• Catch or buy the whole fish small enough to fit in a pan or skillet or slightly larger.
• Make sure the eyes of the fish are clear, which means the freshest fish.
• Buy whole fish with its fins, tails, and head cut off. Or cut them off yourself later.
• But if you want to fry fish with its tail and head, then buy the fish just the right size for your pan.
• Take a medium or large pan or iron cast skillet in which you will fry fish. Frying one or two fishes at the same on a pan is just enough.

Ingredients:

• extra virgin olive oil, 
• plain all-purpose plain flour (or rice flour, cornstarch, semolina flour), 
• salt (sea salt or kosher salt is better), 
• pepper. 

Frying fish:

• Rinse the fish well with clean cold water.
• Make several vertical cuts on each side from the spine to the fish’s stomach for better frying.
• Sprinkle salt and pepper all over the fish, as much as you prefer.
• Put extra virgin olive oil in the pan, enough to cover the bottom.
• Put the pan on the stove (or over a fire if camping) on medium heat.
• While the pan is heating –
• put enough all-purpose flour to cover the bottom of the plate,
• Put both sides of the fish in the flour, make sure the fish is covered with flour.
• Alternatively, you can skip the flour and fry fish like it is without dipping it in flour. 
• Oil in the pan must be hot now, so –
• Carefully put fish in the pan. Use utensils to handle fish for safety reasons. For example, use tongs or a fish spatula.
• If you fry the whole fish with the tail, you can grab it by the tail and lower it into the pan headfirst.
• If oil is hot enough, the fish must start sizzling in the pan or skillet right away.
• Fry until the skin gets golden/very brown and crispy – 3-5 minutes for each side.
• Take fried fish out of the pan using utensils and put it on the plate with the clean, plain dry towel.
• You can let fish drain some oil in the towel for a few minutes. Then put the fried fish on the plate, which you can serve to your guest or family member.

Note: Thoroughly cooked fish meat must be opaque and flake easily. To test if it is ready, you can take a fork and stick it all the way through in the thickest part of the fish, try to twist a little. If the fork comes through and meat flakes easily – the fried fish should be ready. 

Remember, total fry time should be about 10 minutes per inch of fish thickness.

According to FDA, fish must reach an internal temperature of 145F degrees to be fully cooked. You can use an instant-read thermometer to double-check temperature by sticking it in the thickest part of the fish. 

If you fry more than one fish, repeat the process and make sure you have enough oil in the pan. Be careful when you add oil to the pan, as hot oil can splash all over the face.

Serve with fresh salad or vegetables, lemon wedges, tartar sauce. You are done. Basic fish frying is now your new skill!

Here is YouTube video on how to fry whole fish using another method: 

Best fish for frying at home (Most Popular)

What are the best fish for frying at home? You can fry at home any type mentioned above for frying whole. But some fish is hard to fry during camping trips due to their large size and hustle related to preparing it for frying.

Bigger fish is better to cut and fried at home. The best fish for frying at home includes Alaskan cod, catfish, pollock and halibut. Or you can buy already cut pieces of any fish in your local grocery store or fish market and fry them in the comfort of your own home.

Below are some of the most popular large fish in North America. These are pretty meaty and always come out suitable if you use a good pan or skillet for frying on the stove.

Alaskan cod

This fish is immensely popular among chefs. It has lovely, tender, lean white meat and it is generally not expensive. You have guessed right that it comes from around Alaska.

Alaskan cod fish meat has large flakes with a slightly sweet flavor even when fried.

Fried Alaskan cod makes good main entry for sides like coleslaw salad, zucchini, pumpkin, macaroni, cheese, eggplant, and so on. 

Some recommend avoiding Atlantic cod due to the severe depletion of their population. Buy and fry Alaskan cod instead.

Catfish

This is quite a common and popular fish that also lives around North America. This fish likes rivers and streams with clean water but can be found and caught in lakes and ponds.

Missouri and Texas are two states well-known for their catfish fishing. But if you are environmentally conscious, you can buy farm-raised catfish and eat it simply fine.

Usually, this fish grows too big to fit the pan, so you must fry it in pieces. Its meat does not flake easily, and it is firm but sweet and mild. Wild catfish may taste quite fishy, so use one raised at the farm if that’s an issue for you.

Fish cooking tip: If fish tastes too fishy, you can soak it for an hour in milk or buttermilk. Milk may help to absorb fishy flavor. Catfish is great with any side – hot or mild or tartar sauce, salads and greens, French fries, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, avocado, and so on.

Pollock

Pollock is another collective name for related fish species living in North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans. It has low mercury content and is less expensive than some other fish on this list.

These reasons make it another favorite choice of households in the USA and North America generally.

Pollock has white, lean meat with less oily content. It tastes milder and less fishy than cod, for example.

Fried pollock fits very well with sides of vegetables, pasta, quinoa, lentils, spinach. 

Halibut

Halibut is another flatfish with its eyes on one side, and it lives both in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. This species can grow as large as some humans or even larger. Hence, it may not fit your 12-inch frying pan unless someone cuts it into many smaller pieces.

Therefore, you most likely will buy a piece or several pieces of Halibut already cut for your frying endeavor. This fish has lots of good stuff in it – from elements to nutrients. And its flavor is not too fishy.

Halibut is not cheap due to some fishing quota restrictions to prevent overfishing it. At the same time, Halibut tastes fantastic, and you do not want to miss it entirely.

You should fry and consume Halibut sparingly because it may have more mercury traces than other fish on the list.

Fried halibut fish will go very well with premium basmati or brown rice, basil, lemon juice, garlic, lovely herbs, pineapple, and much more.

Be careful, though, because you do not want to use too hard or spicy ingredients so as not to distract your sense of taste away from wonderful halibut flavor.

Salmon, tuna, shark are not suitable for frying.

I would not fry salmon. While Salmon is fine for simmering due to its meaty structure, it is noticeably tastier when baked or grilled. You can fry salmon, but it is a matter of personal taste preference.

I would not fry tuna because it does not come out good. Fried shark comes out hard and chewy.

Here are video instructions for another pan-frying fish method:

Best Asian fish for frying (Popular and Exotic)

Let us talk about what is the best Asian fish for frying. Some Asian fish is still sometimes exotic for European and North American markets. Nevertheless, you are already eating Asian fish without probably even knowing it.

Asian Carp 

For example, Asian carp, common carp (bighead, black, grass, and silver carp), or just carp is invasive species in North America and Africa and Australia. If you are in those areas, then you are doing good service by catching and eating it as much as you can.

I used to catch it with my grandpa as a kid in Europe, and carp is also not native to Europe. Carp can grow quite large, especially without natural enemies.

Yet, it is good to fish Asian fish for frying either whole or cutting it into pieces because it can be quite meaty and without too many bones in it. 

Rohu fish is from the Carp family and is also originated in Asia. You can fry just like you fry carp.

Here is a fried Asian carp receipt from the Missouri Department of Conservation:

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless invasive carp fillets (cut into 5-inch long pieces) 
• 4 cups frying oil (vegetable or peanut oil) (enough to cover skillet bottom)
• 3 cups of your preferred fish coating (Andy’s is recommended)
• 3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (optional)
• 1-gallon zip-close bag

Instructions:

Put oil in the skillet and put a skillet on the stove.

Preheat cast-iron skillet with oil to 375 F degrees (hot).

While the skillet is preheating, combine fish coating and cajun seasoning in a gallon-sized zip-close bag.

Drop each fillet into the fish coating mixture and shake the bag well to cover fish in the coating.

Carefully place the fillets (or fish pieces) into the hot skillet (do not overcrowd). 

Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the skin becomes crispy and golden brown (carp meat should flake easily with a fork and become opaque). 

Place cooked fillets or pieces on a paper towel-lined plate. Let it dry from oil.

Then remove and put pieces on a plate, which you will serve on the table. 

My note: if you do not have carp fillet but caught or bought a whole carp, you can use cut carp into two halves. 

Start with cutting off the head and tail. 

Then cut open the stomach from head to tail and then along the spine from head to tail. 

Then cut each half of the carp into one or more pieces. 

Then fry these pieces as explained in this recipe. These pieces will contain bones, but you can eat the fried carp like any other fish and pick out bones.

Asian catfish (Pangasius)

You would be surprised to find out that Asian catfish is your old friend pangasius. Yes, pangasius is a catfish, and it comes from Asia.

It is often called Asian catfish or “swai,” “basa fish”, or “bocourti”. There are some legal reasons why it is not called “catfish” in the USA.

Moreover, pangasius sometimes is dishonestly served by some restaurants as other, more expensive, type of fish.  

You can find pangasius pretty much in any grocery store in the USA these days. It can come as whole fish or a fillet. Either way, pangasius is quite suitable for frying. You can fry pangasius just like any other fish. Note that some pangasius coming from Asia may have lived in very polluted rivers.

Asian eels

Asian eel, or Asian swamp eel, is an extremely popular and in-demand fish in Asia but not well-known in the US. Due to huge demand, eel may be expensive.

In the US it may be served inexpensive Asian restaurants in large cities like New York. You probably can also buy it online because this is still a kind of very exotic fish to the US fish food market.

Note, this is not actual eel fish. Some Asian eels were brought and released in the USA, and in the future, they may spread like carp. In the USA, authorities noted Asian eels sold in infamous live markets around NY, Atlanta, Orlando.

Eels are invasive species in some US regions, like Everglades. So, catching them may be a good thing.

But eel can carry a severe parasitic worm infection. I do not necessarily recommend cooking them by frying or any other way unless you know how to handle this fish in the kitchen.

Hilsa fish or Elish fish or Hilsa herring (same fish)

This fish is popular in Asia, especially in India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, or Pakistan. It lives in saltwater and spawns in freshwater. Its smaller size also allows for frying it whole.  

Some chefs say that freshwater Hilsa tastes better than one caught in the sea or ocean. You can buy Hilsa fish in the USA in fish markets, grocery store chains, or even online.

This fish is one of the best Asian fish for frying because it has incredibly soft and fatty white meat, which tastes incredible when fried with mustard oil.

General tips for frying fish

• Generally, fish is fried 10 minutes over an inch of thickness.
• Lime or lemon goes excellent with any fish and helps digest it, including fried fish – serving lemon slices with fish is proper. 
• Also, since you eat fish with hands, lemon water can be there in the jar to wash hands as lemon helps to remove fish fat—part of the etiquette. 
• In addition to flour, you can cover the fish in cornstarch plus rice flour to end up with crispy skin. This coat also keeps fish from spitting when you put it into the oil. 
• Any of the mentioned sides in the descriptions above you can interchange when you fry other fish species. 
• As a rule, saltwater fish has a more substantial fish smell and flavor than freshwater fish, even if fried. 
• Any fried fish will taste great with tartar sauce which you can purchase from the store make yourself at home. 

The above list of best fish for frying is by no means exclusive but comprehensive enough to give you plenty of options. Enjoy your fried fish at the dinner!

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