How to get crispy skin on fish

When moisture is driven away from the skin of the fish it allows the skin to caramelise. The technical name for this is the Maillard reaction: a chemical reaction between amino acids and sugars that browns and crisps the skin, and tastes delicious.
Make sure the skin is very dry, pat the skin with kitchen paper to remove all moisture before cooking, as water prevents caramelisation.
Once the fish is out of the pan, rest or plate it skin-side up - this will ensure any moisture from the fish isn't re-absorbed into the skin.
Carefully press down on the fish as soon as it goes into the pan. The heat of the pan will cause the fish to bend away - by gently pushing down will ensure even contact and even crispness.

How to sear fish

This technique cooks the skin quickly until crisp but the heat also pushes through to the delicate flesh. Fish flesh conducts heat easily, making it easy to overcook - it's better to cook it a touch less than you think it needs and then let it rest and continue cooking out of the pan.
Oiling the fish rather than the pan ensures there is minimum oil between the skin and the base of the pan. The skin will get super-crisp then self-release, helping to avoid sticking – so don't touch! Let the fish cook undisturbed. Once a crust has formed it will pop away from the bottom of the pan.
Even if you follow all the steps necessary to prevent the fish from sticking to the pan, an old, well-used pan that has lost its non-stick coating will cause fish to stick fast, requiring it to be scraped off.

Best fish recipes

Trout traybake with asparagus and new potatoes

Make the most of seasonal sea trout in this vibrant fish tray bake packed with soft baby new potatoes, fresh spring asparagus and covered in a creamy dill mustard sauce. Discover more of our best tray bake recipes here.

Fish Tray Bake Recipe with Sea Trout, New Potato and Asparagus

Haddock with black cumin and tarragon brown butter

Black cumin, also known as kala jeera, is the darker, nuttier cousin of standard cumin. In this recipe, it's infused into brown butter and honey alongside fresh tarragon.

Fillet of haddock on a plate with new potatoes and steamed green beans on the side

Devilled whitebait with garlic mayo

Check out this easy recipe for crispy deep-fried whitebait and creamy roasted garlic mayo. This simple yet impressive spring recipe will make a perfect starter at your next dinner party.

Devilled Whitebait with Roasted Garlic Mayo

One-pan fish stew

White fish is paired with juicy prawns and creamy butter beans to make this flavoursome fish stew, ready in just 40 minutes.

Pan-fried salmon with watercress sauce

Fried salmon gets the crispy skin treatment here, and is served with a vibrant (and nutritious) watercress sauce, made all the more interesting with dill, lemon, crème fraîche and capers. Also check out more of our easy salmon recipes.

Baked fish with roasted turnips, feta and chimichurri

Turnips' mild and peppery taste lend themselves to roasting, bringing out their natural sweetness and pairing excellently with the punchy chimichurri salsa.

baked fish roasted turnips feta chimichurri in a round serving dish

Salmon traybake

Looking for an easy mid-week salmon recipe? This vibrant salmon dish is packed with punchy flavours and will make for a flavour packed meal to feed the family.

Baked salmon with curried coconut

A Thai-style flavour combination of lemongrass, chilli and lime gives this simple baked salmon dinner a fresh, aromatic edge.

Creamy salmon pasta

You can't go wrong with salmon, pasta and a great big dollop of crème fraîche. Make our high protein, low salt midweek dinner in a matter of 20 minutes.

Pan-fried cod with butter beans

Check out our easy pan-fried cod stew recipe with large butter beans. This quick fish recipe is low in calories and ready in 25 minutes - simple midweek meal for two.

One-pot paprika cod and chickpeas

Check out our punchy paprika cod one-pot with juicy tomatoes. This simple tray bake is an easy, low calorie midweek meal for when you're short on time but still want something healthy.

Spicy merguez and cod tray roast

Spicy, smoky lamb merguez gives this sauce a rich, deep flavour and combines really well with the cod. You could also use cooking chorizo for a similar result.

Merguez Sausage Recipe with Cod and Harissa Sauce

Baked chorizo orzo with hake

Check out our easy baked orzo with spicy chorizo and flaky hake fillets. This simple but filling one-pot is an impressive midweek meal ready in under an hour, plus it's low in calories too.

Beer battered fish tacos

Cod goujons, coated in a black garlic marinade, are stuffed into tortilla wraps with zingy red cabbage for a sensational feast.

A plate topped with beer battered fish in tortillas with pickled red cabbage and wedges of lime

Sea bream with green tomato salsa

For a fish supper that’s light yet full of fresh, aromatic flavour, check out this recipe for bream with green tomato salsa.

A table with a white plate topped with cooked fish and a green salsa

Baked cod and butter beans

Flaky, pearly-white cod with a rosemary parmesan crust, served on a sweet cherry tomato and butter bean sauce. It's the perfect midweek meal!

Baked Cod Recipe With Butter Beans For Low Calorie Fish Recipe

Brazilian moqueca

King prawns and white fish (use cod, haddock or coley) feature in this seafood stew flavoured with chilli, ginger and black pepper – it’s an aromatic and gently spiced dish.

Simple fish cakes

One of our most popular recipes on olive, these crispy fish cakes are both versatile and easy to rustle up. Use any white fish or salmon, but not oily fish or the texture will be heavy. We'd recommend serving them up for friends, or even at a dinner party if you add a posh salad and a little dressing on the side.

Cod with tomato and chorizo sauce

Try our soft flaky cod cooked in a juicy chorizo and tomato sauce, served with bulgar wheat for a midweek meal for two.

Two cod fillets in a tomato and chorizo sauce, served with a bowl of bulghar wheat

Posh fish and chips

Try this one-pan, oven-baked take on fish and chips for a quick and easy family supper that’s healthier, too.

An oven tray filled with golden chunky chips and breadcrumbed hunks of fish on a blue background with a creamy dip

Red mullet with romesco potato salad

The co-owners of seafood restaurant Prawn on the Lawn share this moreish red mullet dish, a firm fish that makes for a wonderful supper. Swap mayonnaise for zingy romesco sauce to put a spin on the classic potato salad.

A grey plate topped with pan-fried fish, golden potatoes, green beans and slices of yellow lemons

Healthy fish and chips

Shallow frying the fish and baking rather than frying the chips makes our skinny fish and chips lighter so you can enjoy this delicious British takeaway classic without feeling too guilty. An easy, healthier way to enjoy a taste of British seaside!

Thai salmon burgers with sweet potato wedges

Check out our easy salmon burgers with soft ciabatta buns, crispy sweet potato wedges and a punchy carrot and cucumber slaw. These moreish fishcakes are high in protein and ready in under an hour.

Roast haddock with chorizo crust, asparagus and peppers

A spicy, vibrant chorizo crust perks-up haddock fillets, which are served alongside a medley of roasted asparagus and red pepper.

Roasted haddock with chorizo crust, asparagus and peppers

Roast cod with slow-cooked peas and shoots

Recreate simple yet delicious sharing plates in your own home with this easy cod recipe from Notting Hill's Gold.

Roast Cod Recipe with Slow-Cooked English Peas and Shoots

Ras el hanout salmon with couscous

Add some colour midweek with this nutritious salmon recipe topped with pomegranate seeds and toasted flaked almonds.

Quick Salmon Recipe with Jewelled Couscous

Chermoula fish

This recipe is great for anxious fish cooks – wrapping fish in baking paper guarantees the fish cooks well and stays moist.

Whole fish wrapped in paper on a silver baking tray

Breaded plaice with sauce vierge

Coat this delicate plaice in panko breadcrumbs and serve with a herby sauce vierge for a seasonal dinner idea ready in 30 minutes.

Chilli salmon with chopped salad

Check out this quick and simple marinaded chilli-salt salmon. This colourful recipe is not only easy to make it's low in calories, too.

Crispy soy salmon with quick pickles

A juicy, perfectly cooked fillet of fish with crisp skin that crackles when cut is a thing of beauty. Make our easy salmon recipe for a simple midweek meal.

Grilled Portuguese sardines

Check out these sweet and peppery crispy sardines, ready in 20 minutes. These are great on a griddle, but will also work on the BBQ when the weather warms up. Serve with a big green salad and lots of crusty bread.

Dab with vinegar butter

This recipe for dab with vinegar butter is quick and easy to make and under 500 calories. If you can't get hold of dab, any flat fish such a lemon sole will work.

Moroccan tuna kebabs with mixed grains

Midweek menu falling flat? Lift your appetite with these Moroccan-spiced tuna kebabs ready in 15 minutes, served with nourishing grains and punchy harissa yogurt.

Sea bass fillet with grilled courgettes

This recipe for sea bass, grilled courgette, lemon and hazelnut comes from Percy and Founder in Fitzrovia, London. It's ready in under an hour, is really easy to follow and under 500 calories but still looks fantastic on the plate, perfect if you're hosting a dinner party but don't want to over-indulge.