Classic British fish and chips are — in my mind — a meal best made by professionals. Deep-frying both the fish and potatoes, not to mention handling a wet batter for the fish, takes skill, time and the ability to dispose of a large vat of fryer oil.
However, it’s easy to take the spirit of fish and chips and apply it to a far simpler weeknight method that’s adaptable to whatever spices and seasonings suit your mood (and are already in your pantry). Simply pull out a sheet pan.
Maximize your sheet pan’s potential with staggered cooking and smart oven settings
Sheet pan meals are staples of any weeknight cooking repertoire, but they’re not always maximized to their full potential. It’s easy to overcrowd the pan, leading to steamed (rather than crisp) vegetables, or to overcook one element while undercooking another. So make sure you use the quantities this recipe suggests and stagger ingredient additions as needed.
Start with the potatoes; they take the longest to cook. Once they’re sizzling, add the fish. The fish will cook through while the potatoes turn hot and crisp. A final cooking stage under the broiler ensures that the top of the fish is browned and crunchy and any excess potato liquid evaporates into the oven.
How to thaw frozen fish quickly
Don’t sleep on frozen fish. In addition to being affordable and convenient, thin white fish fillets are quick to thaw and even quicker to cook. I keep a large bag of fillets (usually tilapia or grouper) in the freezer at all times for healthy, last-minute meals that don’t require a special trip to a fishmonger.
To thaw the frozen fish quickly, place the sealed fillets in a bowl of cold water, making sure they are fully submerged. Check on the fillets every 20 minutes; if they’re not thawed, change out the water and check again in 20 more minutes. If you’ve planned ahead, you can also thaw the fish in the refrigerator overnight.
Frozen preroasted potatoes save time and add flavor
The frozen potato section of a grocery store’s freezer aisle is full of weeknight-friendly ingredients. A newer addition is preroasted potato pieces, which cook straight from the freezer and are ready to eat in about 20 minutes. These usually come packaged with a simple sauce that melts and coats the potatoes as they cook. For this recipe, choose the simplest blend you can find, such as Birds Eye Skillets Seasoned Red Potatoes, which are tossed in a garlic-butter sauce and perfectly complement the fish.
Lemon pepper seasoning brings brightness and heat to your fish
For bold flavor without pulling out a pantry’s worth of spices, season the fish with lemon pepper seasoning. This blend of dried lemon and ground pepper adds bright zest and warm heat. Add it to the fish before breading, then again mixed with butter before broiling. A few shakes at the table adds a final flourish. Be sure to choose a lemon pepper seasoning that contains salt; this recipe relies on it. And if lemon pepper isn’t your thing, you can substitute any seasoning mix of your choice.
Panko makes a crisp coating without frying
Oven-fried fish will never be as shatteringly crisp as its deep-fried counterparts, but a panko coating gets it as close as possible. Panko is already crisp before cooking; all it needs is seasoning and some time under the broiler. Use a couple of beaten eggs to adhere the panko to the fish.
Quick Lemon Pepper Fish and Potatoes
- 2 (11-ounce) packages frozen roasted potato pieces in sauce, such as Birds Eye Skillets Seasoned Red Potatoes
- 1 1/2 pounds tilapia fillets, thawed if frozen
- 2 tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning (with salt), divided, plus more for serving
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2 cups panko
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Heat the oven to 450 degrees, with one rack placed in the middle position and one rack placed 6 to 8 inches from the broiler.
- Spread the frozen potatoes in a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan. Bake on the middle rack until warmed through and starting to sizzle, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven.
- Meanwhile, season the tilapia with 1 tablespoon of the lemon pepper seasoning. Place the beaten eggs in a shallow bowl. Place the panko in a second shallow bowl.
- When the potatoes are warm, dip one fish fillet in the egg, followed by the panko, then transfer it to the sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining fillets, nestling the fillets between the potatoes. Return the sheet pan to the oven on the middle rack and bake until the fish is just cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes.
- While the fish bakes, use a fork to thoroughly mix the butter with the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven and switch the oven to broil. Dollop the seasoned butter on and around the fish fillets. Return the sheet pan to the top oven rack under the broiler and cook until the panko is browned, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Serve immediately with additional lemon pepper to taste.
Serves 4.
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