Indulge in the ultimate keto indulgence with our Old Bay Fried Fish! These crispy, gluten-free fillets are made with almond flour and bursting with flavor.
Savor the irresistible goodness of perfectly seasoned seafood, cooked to golden perfection, for a healthy twist on a classic favorite.
This easy-to-make recipe will satisfy your cravings and leave you wanting more of this keto-friendly low-carb delight.
What is Old Bay Fish Fry, a keto fried fish recipe?
Old Bay Fish Fry is a keto fried fish recipe featuring a low-carb, gluten-free batter that is wheat-flour free.
Don’t be deceived by the golden brown, crispy coating, these fried fish fillets are completely keto-friendly.
Utilizing almond flour as the base, this easy-to-prepare recipe delivers delicious pieces of fish with a wholesome twist.
What does keto fried fish taste like?
Indulge in the delightful taste of keto fried fish, featuring a crispy texture and rich flavors akin to traditional beer batter.
The almond flour-based coating ensures a satisfying crunch, making it a delicious low-carb alternative to classic fried fish recipes.
How many carbs are in this keto breaded fish fry recipe?
This recipe has 2g net carbs per serving, which is 1/2 lbs of fried fish.
What ingredients do I need to make this keto fish batter?
- Cod – patted dry with a paper towel. Can also use other firm white flesh fish such as halibut, white fish, mahi-mahi, ono, or pollock,
- Almond Flour – fine ground almond flour for a gluten-free and low-carbrecipe.
- Old Bay Seasoning – seasoning used for seafood found in grocery stores.
- Grated Parmesan – use grated parmesan or a blend found in the self-stable section of supermarkets.
- Garlic Powder – ground garlic powder.
- Red Pepper – ground.
- Egg – beaten.
- Sparkling Water – non-flavored carbonated water. Can also use low-carb beer if preferred.
What are the instructions to make keto fried fish?
Start by patting dry the cod fillets thoroughly with a paper towel to ensure the batter adheres properly.
Next, prepare the batter by combining almond flour, grated parmesan cheese, bay seasoning, garlic powder, red pepper, egg, and sparkling water with a hand mixer.
Dip the cod fillets into the batter and deep fry them in hot oil for 1-3 minutes per side until they turn golden brown.
After frying, place the fillets on a drying rack and serve them with tartar sauce for a delicious and crispy keto-friendly fish dish.
Cooking Tips – ensure that the oil reaches 375°F before deep frying to achieve optimal batter adhesion. Avoid overcrowding the pan during frying to maintain the oil temperature. To preserve the ideal consistency, use the keto batter as soon as it’s prepared, as leaving it out for too long may cause it to thicken.
How do I make low-carb tartar sauce?
Tartar sauce is very simple to make with only a few ingredients, just mix together the following.
- Mayo
- Dill pickles
- Onion salt
- Lemon juice
How to store leftovers?
To store leftovers, transfer the fried fish to an airtight container and refrigerate, where it will remain fresh for 2-3 days.
For reheating, opt for methods such as re-frying, using an air fryer, or utilizing an oven to restore its delightful crispiness.
What is the nutrition information for this keto fried fish recipe?
- 359 Calories
- 6g Carbohydrates
- 2g Fiber
- 45g Protein
- 17g Fat
- 106mg Cholesterol
- 623mg Sodium
- 985mg Potassium
- 118mg Calcium
- 2mg Iron
- 299ui Vitamin A
- 3mg Vitamin C
Looking for other low carb & keto friendly deep fry recipes?
- Fried Calamari
- Japanese Fried Shrimp
- Honey Walnut Shrimp
- Japanese Tonkatsu Pork Cutlet
- Spinach and Artichoke Cream Cheese Balls
Now, let’s get making this Old Bay Fried Fish recipe!
- Prepping Time 5M
- Deep Fry Time 3M
- Total Time 8M
- Net Carb/Serv ~2g
- Serving 2
Ingredients
Fish
- 1 lb Cod Fillets (or any neutral firm white meat fish)
- 1/2 Cup Almond Flour
- 2 tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 2 tsp Bay Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Powder
- 2 Whole Eggs
- 1/3 Cup Sparkling Water
Optional Sauce
- 2 tbsp Mayo
- 2 tbsp Minced Dill Pickles (about 1/2 spear)
- 1/4 tsp Onion Salt
- 1/8 tsp Lemon Juice
Directions
1) Gather all the ingredients.
2) If making the optional sauce, finely mince dill pickle spears and place into a small mixing bowl. Otherwise, skip to step 4).
3) In the same small mixing bowl, combine mayo, onion salt and lemon juice. Mix well and set aside.
4) Prepare fillets by washing with cold fresh water and then drying fillets very well with a paper towel. Cut fillets into about 3 x 2 inch cuts and set aside.
5) Prepare batter by combining Almond Flour, grated Parmesan cheese, Bay Seasoning, garlic powder, red pepper powder, egg and Sparkling Water. Use a hand/stand mixer to mix (you can hand whisk, but batter won’t be as airy).
6) Take a piece of fillet and dip into batter mix and set aside.
7) Pour enough cooking oil to cover half the fillets into a skillet of choice and heat oil up to 375F (if you don’t have a thermometer, just wait until the oil starts to lightly smoke, about 3-5 minutes).
8) Once up to heat, reduce heat to medium, carefully add coated fillets and cook for 1-3 minutes until golden brown. Flip and cook the other side for 1-3 minute until golden brown. Once done, transfer fillets to drying rack and leave for about 1 minute (if you don’t have a drying rack, you can just place them on a plate with paper towels).
9) Once all excess oil has dripped off, transfer the fried fish fillets to a serving plate and serve with optional sauce.
Hope you enjoy your Old Bay Fried Fish!
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Old Bay Fish Fry
Ingredients
- 1 lb Cod Fillets or any neutral firm white meat fish
- 1/2 Cup Almond Flour
- 2 tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 2 tsp Bay Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Powder
- 2 Whole Egg
- 1/3 Cup Sparkling Water
Optional Sauce
- 2 tbsp Mayo
- 2 tbsp Dill Pickles minced, about 1/2 spear
- 1/4 tsp Onion Salt
- 1/8 tsp Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- If making the optional sauce, finely mince dill pickle spears and place into a small mixing bowl. Otherwise, skip to step 4).
- In the same small mixing bowl, combine mayo, onion salt and lemon juice. Mix well and set aside.
- Prepare fillets by washing with cold fresh water and then drying fillets very well with a paper towel. Cut fillets into about 3 x 2 inch cuts and set aside.
- Prepare batter by combining Almond Flour, grated Parmesan cheese, Bay Seasoning, garlic powder, red pepper powder, egg and Sparkling Water. Use a hand/stand mixer to mix (you can hand whisk, but batter won't be as airy).
- Take a piece of fillet and dip into batter mix and set aside.
- Pour enough cooking oil to cover half the fillets into a skillet of choice (we use a cast iron pan) and heat oil up to 375F (if you don’t have a thermometer, just wait until the oil starts to lightly smoke, about 3-5 minutes).
- Once up to heat, reduce heat to medium, carefully add coated fillets and cook for 1-3 minutes until golden brown. Flip and cook the other side for 1-3 minute until golden brown. Once done, transfer fillets to drying rack and leave for about 1 minute (if you don't have a drying rack, you can just place them on a plate with paper towels).
- Once all excess oil has dripped off, transfer the fried fish fillets to a serving plate and serve with optional sauce.
Video
Nutrition
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I did the recipe exactly, however the batter did not stay on the fish and my pan and oil where Hot!!! ?
Hi Maggie – sorry to hear that. Was the batter thick when you made it? If not, there is a chance too much carbonated water or too little almond flour was used.
Best coating ever, I didn’t have sparkling water but I did have an ice cold Mic Ultra that was the perfect substitute! Thanks for sharing my new go to breading,
Hey Deb! Great to hear you liked the fish batter! Yup, a Mic Ultra will do just fine as well.
I had the same problem with the batter not sticking. I followed the directions because I wasn’t sure with the almond flour how it would turn out, but in normal bartering, you want to go wet-dry-wet. So typically you would coat your fish (wet) in flour (dry) and then dip in the batter. Dipping wet fish (even if it’s patted dry) into wet batter will only result in slide offs unfortunately. Next time I’ll try dipping the fish in either some extra parm or almond flour first.
The taste of what did stick was great, and I modified the sauce by adding some extra lemon juice and some old bay and garlic powder, and it made a great remoulade type sauce to dip it in.
Hey Adam – The only thing I can think of is the fish fillets might have not been thoroughly dried or the batter was too watery. You can try to add some flour before the batter, but if the fish fillets are properly dried, the the flour probably won’t stay on the fillet.
Update – Hey Adam, after getting your comment, we decided to we test this recipe and we found out adding another egg to the batter really helps bind the batter in place once it hits the oil. So if you decide to give this recipe another go, please give that a try!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was so good. I did add 1 tsp more almond flour and patted the fish really dry, the batter stayed on perfectly. I also added a drop of mustard to the tarter sauce but it is a keeper.
Hey Sharon! Glad it came out well for you and you enjoyed the recipe!
hi, can i ask what type of frying oil you guys use?
Hi Toby! We use regular ol’ vegetable oil but you can use whatever your preferred frying oil is. Just make sure the oil is up to temp otherwise it will become a soggy mess (personal experience)!
do you think this would work in an air fryer?
Hi Kat! No, it won’t since it’s a liquid batter. Needs to be hot oil for it to correctly bind.