Crispy Skin Fish

Name: Crispy Skin Fish
Total time: 3 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Western
Ingredients: 2 fillets fish fillets, barramundi or another fish, skin on and pin-boned; 180 g/6 oz each; 2 tbsp olive oil, or vegetable, canola, or grapeseed oil; ¾ tsp (½ tsp) salt, cooking or kosher salt; alternatively, use table salt; ¼ tsp black pepper; sauces and sides, optional serving accompaniments

Two fish fillets with deeply browned, crisp skin resting on a rack. — Crisp-skinned fish fillets, freshly cooked.

Pan-seared fish with crisp, golden skin. Dry the skin well, cook it skin-side down in hot oil, and finish thick fillets in the oven.

By Cookin' KitchenOctober 18, 2026Updated October 19, 2026

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Prep: 3 minutes
Servings: 2 servings

Prep: 3 minutes
Servings: 2

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Recipe

Crispy Skin Fish

Pan-seared fish with crisp, golden skin. Dry the skin well, cook it skin-side down in hot oil, and finish thick fillets in the oven.

Cookin' · https://cookin.club/recipes/crispy-skin-fish

Prep: 3 minutes
Servings: 2

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Ingredients

2 servings

For 2 servings

Fish

2 fillets fish fillets, barramundi or another fish, skin on and pin-boned; 180 g/6 oz each
2 tbsp olive oil, or vegetable, canola, or grapeseed oil
¾ tsp (½ tsp) salt, cooking or kosher salt; alternatively, use table salt
¼ tsp black pepper
sauces and sides, optional serving accompaniments

Equipment

Nonstick pan
Ovenproof pan
Oven
Paper towels
Sharp knife
Spatula
Wire rack
Meat thermometer

Instructions

Preparation

Step 1: Treat fillets thicker than 2.5 cm/1 inch at their thickest point as thick fillets; they are best finished in the oven.
Step 2: Use a nonstick pan. For thick fillets, use an ovenproof pan if available.
Step 3: For thick fillets, preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan).

Cooking

Step 4: Pat the skin dry with paper towels. For extra precaution, leave the fillets uncovered in the refrigerator, skin-side up, for an hour.
Step 5: For thick fillets, score the skin with slashes 4 cm long, 1 cm apart, and 2–3 mm deep, cutting through the skin and just slightly into the flesh.
Tip: Scoring helps the flesh and skin cook more evenly and helps keep the skin from curling.
Step 6: Sprinkle the salt and pepper over both the flesh and the skin just before cooking.
Step 7: Heat the oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat until the first small wisps of smoke appear.
Step 8: Place one fillet in the pan skin-side down. Press it down lightly with your fingers or a spatula for 10 seconds so the skin seals flat against the hot surface. Repeat with the other fillet; cook both at the same time if they fit.
Step 9: Cook skin-side down for 2–3 minutes, until the centre is crispy and the skin is golden. Lift the fish to check.
Step 10: For thick fillets, transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 10 minutes, without flipping the fish or changing its skin-side-down position, or until the internal temperature reaches 55°C/131°F.
Step 11: For thin fillets, turn the fish and cook the flesh side in the pan.
Step 12: Transfer the fish to a rack, skin-side up, and rest for 3 minutes.
Step 13: Serve the fish skin-side up. Add sauce only just before serving so the skin does not soften. Serve with a sauce or side, if desired.

Notes

Skin-on fish that crisps well includes barramundi, bream, blue eye cod or trevalla, cod, jewfish, ocean perch, orange roughy, snapper, tilapia, and trout. Use a separate crispy-skin method for salmon.

Check shop-bought fillets for bones and scales, even if they are sold pin-boned and descaled.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 266 kcal
Fat: 14 g
Saturated fat: 3 g
Carbohydrates: 1 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 36 g
Sodium: 966 mg
Cholesterol: 90 mg

Estimated values; they will vary with the exact ingredients and brands you use.

About this recipe

For crisp-skinned fish, start with very dry skin and hot oil. A light press in the pan helps the skin make even contact with the heat. This method uses barramundi, but works with other skin-on fish that crisps well.

Skin-on barramundi fillets, olive oil, salt, and pepper arranged on a counter. — Fish, oil, salt, and pepper for crispy-skin fish.

Serve with a saucy side such as French Lentil Ragout, lemon herb risotto, pea puree, or mashed cauliflower. Creamy white wine sauce, Béarnaise, garlic butter, lemon butter, lemon cream sauce, and dill garlic herb sauce are also suggested.