How To Reheat Fried Fish And Revive Its Crispy Coating

Whether making homemade fish and chips or frying up some fillets to make perfectly crispy fish sandwiches, there's nothing quite like fried fish that's deliciously crunchy on the outside and tender and flaky on the inside. Fried fish is so tasty that you might end up making extra, only to be stuck with the conundrum of how to handle your leftovers. Leftover fried fish makes a great addition to your favorite fish taco recipe, but it can easily become soggy or rubbery when reheated.

To master warming leftover fried fish, Food Republic asked Chef Johnnie Gale, the Corporate Chef at Guidry's Catfish and Ocean Select Seafood, for tips. Gale says, "The best way to reheat fried catfish is to use an oven or air fryer, as these methods use dry heat, which helps maintain the crispy texture without making it soggy." 

If you're reheating another kind of fried fish — for example, cod, halibut, or haddock — you can also use a conventional oven or air fryer. Depending on which method you choose, the cooking instructions will vary slightly.

Air fryers are particularly good at warming up fried food because they circulate hot air, which ensures the fish is heated evenly and gets a perfectly crispy crust. To create delicious reheated fried fish, preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, place your fish pieces in the basket. Leave spaces between each piece so the air can circulate evenly. Overlapping pieces of fish will make the fish soggy at the point of contact, so if you have a lot of leftovers, it's best to air fry them in two batches.

If you're using a conventional oven to warm up your leftover fish, place your fish evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment to prevent sticking. Gale suggests, "Reheat until it is warmed through, flipping halfway through for even cooking." For temperature, set your oven to 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for approximately 15 minutes.

Lastly, optimal leftover fried fish starts with proper storage. After making fried fish, allow it to cool fully before putting it in an airtight container and refrigerating it. This will help prevent condensation (extra moisture) in the container, which could create mushy results when you reheat it. Keep your leftover fried fish in your fridge for 3-4 days. While freezing fried fish isn't ideal, it's still doable. To freeze your fried fish, wrap each portion tightly in plastic wrap and put the pieces in a freezer bag, squeezing it so that no air remains.