Name: Exactly How To Reheat Fried Fish
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 portion fried fish

Table of Contents

If you’re a fan of seafood, then you’ll know how difficult it is to reheat fried fish without losing the crispy batter and its moist, soft flesh.

After less than stellar results re-heating seafood leftovers, I set about finding a solution.

I chose 5 methods and tested them all to see which one would give me the best results.

Here’s what happened.

The best way to reheat fried fish is in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Place a wire rack over a baking sheet (to catch crumbs or any liquid drips), then place the fried fish on top. Reheat the fried fish in the oven for approximately 10 minutes or until it’s piping hot.

A note on my experiment

I judged the results of each method based on the texture and flavor of the batter (the crispier, the better) and the flesh (succulent, not rubbery).

The methods I tested out included:

In the oven/toaster oven (consistently good results)
In a skillet
In the microwave (not recommended)
In an air fryer (perfectly crisp batter)
By re-frying

The oven and the air fryer worked great, while I was less impressed with the re-frying and microwave methods.

For all the details, keep reading!

Related: How To Reheat Fried Calamari

Reheating fried fish in the oven/toaster oven

To reheat fried fish in the oven/toaster oven, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Put a wire rack over a baking sheet (to catch crumbs or any liquid drips), then place the fried fish on top of the rack. Heat the fried fish in the oven for approximately 10 minutes or until it’s warmed through.

How to reheat fried fish in the oven/toaster oven:

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
Put a wire rack on top of a baking sheet and place the fish on the wire rack. If you don’t have a wire rack, place the fish directly on the baking sheet and turn it over after 5 minutes.
Heat the fried fish in the oven for approximately 10 minutes.

A wire rack works best because it lets the hot air circulate the fish, crisping it evenly all the way around.

If the fish is heated all the way through but isn’t crispy enough, turn the broiler on for 1-2 minutes to give it a more crunchy texture.

Top tip: if you have some chips, you can heat these in the oven at the same time as your fish!

My verdict

The oven is great when you need to heat several pieces of fish at once.

It gave the fish a nice crisp (although the air fryer is better) and produces consistent results.

The only downside is it’s a bit slow (less so if you’re using a toaster oven).

Reheating fried fish in a skillet

To reheat fried fish in a skillet, heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. When the pan’s hot, add the fried fish and fry for 2-3 minutes. Then flip the fish over and fry for a further 2-3 minutes. There’s no need to add oil as the residual oil in the batter is sufficient.

How to reheat fried fish in a skillet:

Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. There’s no need to add extra oil, but you can add a light coating if you want (not too much or the fish will be greasy).
When the pan’s hot, add the fried fish.
Press the fillets down while frying for 2-3 minutes.
Flip the fish over and fry for a further 2-3 minutes.
When the fish is hot, remove it from the pan and allow it to drain on a paper towel for 60 seconds if it seems greasy.

Only batter that’s touching the pan will crisp up, so press down firmly on the fish with your spatula to maximize contact points.

Note that the timings above are only a guide.

The exact time it takes to heat your fish will depend on the thickness of the fillets and the density of the batter.

My verdict

This method worked well. It crisped the batter, and the fish inside was still moist.

However, it’s a bit messy and you have a pan to wash up afterward.

Reheating fried fish in the microwave

To reheat fried fish in the microwave, place the fish on a microwave-safe plate lined with a paper towel. Heat the fish in 30-second bursts. Once the fried fish is hot, let it rest for a minute before serving. This allows the fish to heat through while the steam dissipates.

How to reheat fried fish in the microwave:

Place the fish on a microwave-safe dish lined with a paper towel.
Heat the fish in 30-second bursts for up to 2 minutes.
Allow the fish to rest for a minute before serving.

Heating in short bursts means you’re less likely to overcook the fish.

Fish can turn very rubbery in the microwave if you’re not careful.

My verdict

I don’t recommend using the microwave to reheat your fried fish.

The batter ends up far too soggy and there’s no way around this. It was really unappetizing.

Reheating fried fish in an air fryer

Set the air fryer to 350°F (180°C). Place the pieces of fried fish in one layer inside the basket. Avoid the fish overlapping or touching. Warm the fish for 4-5 minutes until hot. There’s no need for extra oil as the batter will contain residual oil from being fried.

How to reheat fried fish in an air fryer:

Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (180°C).
Place your pieces of fried fish in one layer inside the basket. You can spray them with a light coating of oil for extra crispiness, but this isn’t necessary.
Heat the fish for 4-5 minutes or until they’re hot.

Avoid stacking the fish or letting the pieces overlap or touch.

There needs to be plenty of space for the hot air to circulate as this is what crisps the batter.

My verdict

I was delighted with the result of this experiment.

The batter crisped up perfectly and was delightfully crunchy. It also heated the batter fast enough that the fish didn’t have time to dry out.

Reheating fried fish by re-frying

Heat some oil to 350°F (180°C) in a pot. Once the oil has reached the required temperature, drop the fish in for 1-2 minutes. Roll the fish over in the oil to ensure it’s evenly heated. Once hot, remove the fish from the oil and drain it on a paper towel.

How to reheat fried fish by re-frying:

Heat some oil to 350°F (180°C) in a pot.
Check the oil temperature with a cooking thermometer for accurate measurement.
Once the oil has reached the required temperature, drop the fish in for 1-2 minutes.
Roll the fish over in the pot to ensure it is evenly heated.
Once hot, remove the fish from the oil and drain it on a paper towel.

The oil’s temperature must be accurate when you’re frying fish.

The batter will soak up the oil if it’s too cold. And if you allow the oil to get too hot, the batter will burn before the fish has had a chance to heat up.

My verdict

Re-frying the fish is the best way to get the batter nice and crisp.

However, even after leaving the fish to drain on the paper towel, it was still much greasier than any of the other methods I tried.

This method is also a lot of hassle and not very healthy.

How to store fried fish

To store fried fish, blot any excess grease off the batter and wait for the fish to reach room temperature. Once cool, pack the fried fish in an airtight container lined with a paper towel. Put the fish in the fridge, where it will last for up to 3 days.

Always make sure the fried fish is cool before you seal your container. If you put warm fish into an airtight container, it will create condensation, which will leave you with soggy batter.

The paper towel also works to avoid soggy batter by soaking up any moisture that does make its way into the container.

If you’re storing multiple layers of fish, separate the layers with extra paper towel.

Can you freeze fried fish?

Fried fish freezes pretty well. It lasts up to 6 months in the freezer, so it’s a great way to extend its shelf life. However, it may not be possible to get the freshly-fried taste back. While the flavor will still be there, the batter won’t be as crispy as when you first cooked it.

How to freeze fried fish:

Cool the fried fish to room temperature.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and spread the fish out on the tray.
Place the tray in the freezer for 2-3 hours or until the fish is solid.
Transfer the fried fish to a freezer bag and remove as much air as possible*.
Label and date the freezer bags and place them in your freezer.

If your frozen fish fillets are too big to fit in a freezer bag, you can simply wrap them in a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil and freeze them like that.

Flash freezing the fish before putting it in the freezer bag will prevent any pieces from sticking together, so you can reheat one piece at a time if you wish.

*The best way to remove air from a freezer bag (excluding vacuum sealing) is to dunk it in a bowl of water. The pressure from the water will force the air out.

You can also use a straw to suck the air out.

How to reheat frozen fried fish

Don’t thaw your frozen fried fish before reheating it because this can make it overly soggy. Instead, reheat it straight from frozen in the oven or air fryer. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), then place the frozen fried fish on a wire rack and heat for 15-25 minutes.

Summary

The best way to reheat fried fish is in the oven. Other methods to reheat fried fish include the air fryer, skillet, and deep fryer. The air fryer is a great way to reheat fried fish, as it makes the batter super crispy. Avoid using the microwave as it can turn the fried fish soggy and rubbery.