There’s something nostalgic about classic fish sandwiches. Pillowy buns piled high with beer-battered fried fish, melty cheese, and tartar. Man-oh-man, this here is a tasty combo.
Since moving to North Carolina, Duke’s Mayonnaise has become my base for so many dressings, sauces, and of course… slathering on sandwiches. So when they sent me a batch of their Tidewater Tartar from their Southern Sauces collection, I knew I had to make this iconic McDonald’s dupe at home. Other recipes I’ve made with Duke’s includes my Fried Chicken French Bread Pizza with Purple Slaw, these Alabama White Sauce Pulled Chicken Sandwiches, and this take on Mexican Street Corn Egg Salad. Give all of these a try, I know you’re gonna love ’em!
THE BEST FISH SANDWICHES:
No frills, no fuss… simply the key components you need to make a craveable handheld.
- White Fish Filets
- Salt
- White Pepper
- All-Purpose Flour
- Garlic Powder
- Cayenne
- Old Bay
- Egg
- Pilsner Beer
- American Cheese
- Dukes Mayonnaise Tidewater Tartar Sauce
- Brioche Buns
- Vegetable Oil
I like to use cod, pollock, flounder, or even mahi-mahi for the fish filets. Any white fish will do the trick, but those four are my personal preference. McDonald’s uses pollock in theirs, just a heads up if you’re wanting to make a true duplicate.
SIDES TO ENJOY THESE WITH:
Serve with any of the following to make this into a well-rounded meal.
Mary Me Parm Piccata Roasted Potatoes
Crispy Cheesy Dill Pickle Chips
Mind-Blowing Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Tangy Refrigerated Pickled Vegetables
Parm-Rosemary Baby Dutch Oven Roasted Potatoes
Watermelon and Cucumber Salad with Feta
One of the Easiest Farro Salad Recipe
Homemade Apple-Spiked Coleslaw
Grandma June’s Cheesy Potatoes
Pasta Salad with Lemon Caper Sauce
Super Crispy Fish Sandwiches (Filet-O-Fish Copycat)
There’s something nostalgic about classic fish sandwiches. Pillowy buns piled high with beer-battered fried fish, melty cheese, and tartar. Man-oh-man, this here is a tasty combo.
Ingredients
- 4 – 6 oz. White Fish Filets (Pollock, Flounder, Cod, or Mahi-Mahi)
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 1.5 cups All-Purpose Flour + more for dredge
- 1 tbsp. Garlic Powder
- 2 tsp. Cayenne
- 1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
- 2 tsp. White Pepper
- 1 Egg
- 12 oz. Pilsner Beer
- 8 Slices American Cheese
- 1 Bottle of Dukes Tidewater Tartar Sauce
- 4 Brioche Buns
- Vegetable Oil, for frying
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with enough oil to cover the filets and heat until the oil has reached 365F. While the oil is heating, prep the rest of the ingredients for the sandwiches.
- If needed, trim the white fish filets to a little larger than the size of the buns. Season with salt and allow them to sit for 5 – 10 minutes at room temperature.
- In a large bowl, mix together the 1.5 cups flour with garlic powder, cayenne, old bay, and white pepper. Next add the egg, pilsner and whisk together to make a batter.
- Add some flour to a plate and fully coat the fish filets with flour followed by the batter. Working in two batches, drop 2 filets into the oil and fry for 5 minutes. Drain fish on a wire rack with a lined baking sheet underneath.
- Lay out the buns, toast them if you prefer, and pile each with a fried fish filet, two slices of cheese, and desired amount of tartar sauce. Finish with the top bun. Enjoy immediately.
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NOTES ON THIS RECIPE:
- The cheese will slightly melt when assembled on top of the hot fried fish filet. You could alternatively use a blow torch or place them in an 350F oven for a few minutes or until your desired melty preference.
- I buy the “deluxe” American cheese slices at the grocery store for this sandwich. However, if you have the plastic wrapped kind… that’ll work too!
- If you trim the fish filets, go ahead and flour then batter the trims to make fish nuggets! Dunk them in the Duke’s Tartar Sauce and you’re all set. Depending on the size, fry time will vary. Just make sure the internal temperature has reached 130F before enjoying.
This post is sponsored by Duke’s Mayo. Per the usual, all opinions here are mine alone and I would never recommend an ingredient that I did not immensely enjoy myself. Thank you for supporting the brands that support SliceOfJess.com!
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