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Buttermilk Fried Walleye

This is a great method for frying walleye or really any other firm, white fish.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 310 kcal
Course: Main Course , Appetizer , Lunch
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 pound walleye fillets, or other firm, white fish
  • 1 tablespoon Cavender's seasoning, or any other seasoning mix
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups full fat buttermilk
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • A dash of Tabasco (optional)
  • A dash of Worcestershire sauce (optional)
  • 1 cup flour
  • oil for frying (see below for types)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Cut the fish into large pieces for frying. Salt them and dust with the seasoning mix. Press this into the fish fillets, let them sit on the cutting board while you heat up the oil in a large pan, Dutch oven or fryer. You want enough to almost submerge the fish. Bring the oil to 350°F.
  2. Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet in your oven and set it to 200°F.
  3. Mix the buttermilk, eggs, Tabasco and Worcestershire. Dunk as many pieces of walleye as will fit in your frying pan without them touching each other.
  4. You can either flour your fish in a large, shallow pan, or in a plastic bag. Regardless, flour the fish heavily, pressing it into the pieces. You want a few chunks here and there. If you want your fried fish extra crispy, put them back in the buttermilk and back in the flour a second time -- if you do this, you will need more buttermilk, eggs and flour.
  5. Fry your fish until golden brown on each side, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Move them to the cooling rack in the oven while you do the next batch.

Notes

  • Leftover walleye is tasty eaten cold, right out of the fridge.
  •  
  • The best oil for frying walleye or other fish is one with a high smoke point, so canola, grapeseed, peanut, rice bran, safflower or avocado. These oils can go to 400F without burning.
  • Keep you oil as close to 350°F as you can. The single most common problem when frying fish is oil that's too cool. Cool oil makes for greasy fish.
  • To that end, don't crowd the pan. Give each piece of fried walleye some room. Fry in batches.
  • Between each batch, let the oil return to 350°F. This is another very common mistake newcomers make.
  • Put your fried walleye on a rack set over a baking sheet in a 200°F oven. This will prevent the fish from getting soggy.

Nutrition Information

Calories 310kcal (16%) Carbohydrates 28g (9%) Protein 32g (64%) Fat 7g (11%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 2g Trans Fat 0.01g Cholesterol 148mg (49%) Sodium 767mg (32%) Potassium 528mg (15%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 5g (10%) Vitamin A 267IU (5%) Calcium 132mg (13%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 310

% Daily Value*

Calories 310kcal 16%
Carbohydrates 28g 9%
Protein 32g 64%
Fat 7g 11%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 2g 10%
Trans Fat 0.01g 1%
Cholesterol 148mg 49%
Sodium 767mg 32%
Potassium 528mg 11%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 5g 10%
Vitamin A 267IU 5%
Calcium 132mg 13%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.