Here's the secret to make your own Filet-O-Fish at home just like McDonald's but bigger and better with our copycat recipe! Soft, fluffy buns with a thick fish filet fried to perfect golden brown with a whole slice of American cheese and tangy tartar sauce to complete the sandwich. This copycat fish sandwich is actually very easy to make and has everything you love about a Filet-O-Fish and more!
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Ingredients needed
Please scroll down to the recipe card for the ingredient quantities!
- Pollock - To make our Filet-O-Fish sandwich tastes just like McDonald's we had to use the same fish, which currently is pollock. It's a very sustainable white fish with mild flavor. You can usually find it vacuum packed and frozen at Kroger or Tom Thumb. If you can't find it, other white fish like tilapia, cod, and even halibut is a good alternative.
- Wet batter - The batter is made of water, all-purpose flour, cornflour and cornstarch, turmeric and paprika for color, and a little salt to season.
- Cornflour is essentially finely ground corn kernel, usually with the bran and germ. You can usually find it at Chinese grocery stores like 99Ranch. If you can't find it, you can substitute with half A/P flour and half cornstarch.
- Breadcrumb - You can also use panko for crispier texture. We like to blend our panko up slightly so that it isn't so coarse.
- Oil for frying - Any high smoke point neutral oil is fine.
- Tartar sauce - It's made with mayo, pickle, onion, capers, vinegar, and a little sugar and salt. McDonald's also added parsley, which we omitted.
- Burger buns - Highly recommend some brioche buns! They're a little sweet like McDonald's and also fluffy and soft.
- Sliced cheese - American cheese adds to this fish sandwich's iconic flavor, but you can use other processed cheeses or even real cheese. McDonald's only use half a slice of cheese, but since our homemade fish sandwich is bigger than McDonald's, a whole slice of cheese per sandwich is necessary.
How to make McDonald's Filet-O-Fish at home
Please scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe and instructions!
1. Prepare the fish. Pat the fish filets dry with paper towels and lightly season both sides with salt. Fold the filets into thirds so that they look like a square/rectangle.
They won't look perfect, but that's fine! Then, make shallow cuts along the folds so that the filets can fold better. Set them aside while you prep the other ingredients. Before battering, pat the fish dry again.
2. Make tartar sauce. Mix together mayo, pickle, onion, capers, vinegar, sugar, and salt. Keep refrigerated until needed.
3. Make the fry batter. Combine all-purpose flour, cornflour, cornstarch, and a generous pinch of turmeric, paprika, and salt in a bowl and add water. Mix until smooth.
4. Batter and bread the fish. Heat up 2 to 3 inches of oil to 350°F (175°C). Meanwhile, dip the fish into the wet batter and let the excess drip off. Place it into the breadcrumb and coat lightly. Don't pack it! Shake off the excess.
5. Fry. Gently place the batter and breaded fish filets into the oil and fry for 3 to 5 minutes, until they are golden brown outside and the fish is cooked and flakey inside. Remove the filets and let them drain on a cooling rack or paper towels.
🌟 Pro tip: Generally, when the oil starts splattering more vigorously, it's a sign that the fish is just cooked. The splattering is from the juices of the fish leaking into the oil.
6. Optional - Steam the buns. This totally optional but will make your buns super fluffy and soft, just like McDonald's. Prepare your steaming set up with an inch of water. Split the buns and place them in the steam basket, crumb side down, and steam on high for 10 to 15 seconds. Use immediately.
7. Assemble. Dress your fish filet sandwich with a slice of American cheese and a generous dollop of tartar sauce. Enjoy!
Storage
Leftover fried fish filets can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Make sure to let the fish filets cool completely before refrigerating or freezing and store in an airtight container. If you plan to freeze, fry the filets for only 3 minutes. This way they won't be overcooked when you reheat.
The tartar sauce is best used within 5 to 7 days. Cover tightly or keep in an airtight container and keep refrigerated.
Reheating
The fried fish filets can be reheated by air-frying or baking.
Air-fryer: Place into the air fryer basket and air fry from the fridge at 400°F (205°C) for about 5 minutes or until hot, 7 to 9 minutes from frozen. Flip the fish midway through and you don't have to spray with oil.
Oven: Place the fish filets onto a sheet pan with a baking rack. Bake in the oven, preheated to 425°F (220°C) for 10 to 15 minutes from the fridge or 15 to 20 minutes from frozen. Flip midway through.
FAQ
A McDonald's Filet-O-Fish is made of a battered, breaded, and fried pollock square, dressed with tartar sauce, a half slice of American cheese, sandwich between soft, steamed buns.
Filet-O-Fish is currently made with Alaskan pollock, which is a sustainable white fish with mild flavor. It was first made with halibut, then later changed to cod, and now pollock.
📖 Recipe
Filet-O-Fish Recipe (Copycat)
Ingredients
For the fish
- 4 piece pollock filet skinless and boneless; about 4 ounces (115g) each
- ⅔ cup water
- ½ cup all-purpose flour fluffed, spooned, and leveled *see notes
- 1 tablespoon cornflour NOT cornmeal *see notes for alternative
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Ground turmeric optional for color
- Ground paprika optional for color
- Salt
- 1 cup breadcrumb *see notes
- Oil for frying any high smoke point neutral oil
Tartar sauce (makes 4 servings)
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons pickle finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons yellow onion finely diced
- 1 tablespoon capers minced
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
- Salt a generous pinch
To assemble the sandwich
- 4 burger buns we recommend brioche buns
- 4 slices American cheese
Instructions
- Prepare the fish:Pat the pollock filets dry with paper towels. Then, run a finger down the center of the filets to check for pin bones and remove. Lightly season the filets with salt on both sides. Working with one filet at a time, fold the ends of the filet over each other in thirds. Make a shallow cut along each fold so that the fish folds better. DON'T cut all the way through! Repeat with each filet, then set them aside as you prepare the other ingredients.*If folding into thirds is too difficult, you can just cut the fish fillets to your desired size and batter and follow the rest of the recipe as is.*
- Make the tartar sauce:In a bowl, mix together all the tartar sauce ingredients until well combined (mayo, pickle, onion, capers, vinegar, sugar, and salt). Cover and keep refrigerated until needed.
- Make the fry batter:In a bowl, add the all-purpose flour, cornflour, cornstarch, and a generous pinch of turmeric, paprika, and salt. Add the water and whisk until smooth. Set aside until needed. Give the batter a good mix before use.
- Fry:Heat 2 to 3 inches of oil to 350°F (175°C) and prepare a sheet pan with a cooling rack or a plate lined with paper towels. Also prepare a spider for easy removal. Place the breadcrumb into a bowl or plate and have the prepared fish and wet batter nearby.
- Wrap the prepared fish in paper towels and firmly pat dry with paper towels. Working with one filet at a time, dip the fish in the wet batter and allow excess to drip off. Place the filet into the breadcrumb and coat lightly. No need to pack on and shake off the excess. Repeat with remaining filets.
- When the oil is ready, maintain the oil temperature around 350°F (175°C) and fry the fish filets for about 3 to 5 minutes, until the outside is golden brown and the fish is just cooked through and the meat is flakey. Flip the filets occasionally and fry in batches if needed. Once cooked, remove the fried fish filets and allow it too drain on the cooling rack or paper towels.Another indication you can look for is the oil activity. When the oil starts to splatter more vigorously, it's an indication that the fish is likely cooked through.
- Optional - Steam the buns:Add an inch of water to a steamer or a pot that's suitable for your steam basket and bring the water to a boil. Split your buns and place them in the steam basket in a single layer, crumb side down. Steam the buns for 10 to 15 seconds. Remove and use immediately.
- Assemble and enjoy:Dress your fish sandwich with a slice of cheese and a generous dollop of the tartar sauce. Enjoy while hot!
Notes
- Pollock - This is the fish McDonald's is currently using. It's very sustainable, has very mild flavor, and is tender and juicy. It's usually available at most Krogers vacuum packed and frozen. If you can't find it in your area, you can use other white fish like tilapia, cod, or even halibut.
- Fluffed, spooned, leveled - This process helps more accurately measure your flour by loosen up the flour, which might've become super compacted overtime and prevents compacting the flour when you measure it. Simply fluff up the flour with a spoon and spoon it into your measuring cup. Then use a straight-edge, like the back of a butterknife to scrape off the excess.
- Cornflour - Cornflour is essentially corn kernels ground into a fine powder, usually with the bran and germ all included. It can be hard to find and is NOT the same as cornmeal or masa flour (for making tortillas and tamales). If you cannot find it, substitute with half A/P flour and half cornstarch.
- Breadcrumb - You can also use panko instead for a crispier texture. We like to give the panko a few pulses in a food processor so that it's not as coarse.
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