Rosemary & Parmesan Crusted Fish

There’s a special place in my heart for seafood dinner recipes. And a large part of it is reserved for crispy pan-fried fish. Especially rosemary fish.

There’s just something about the light crunch and the flakey, tender interior that gets me every time. Add in parmesan cheese and fresh rosemary?! Talk about a game-changer.

This recipe is full of flavor and texture and is so easy to make. Truly, it comes together in right around 20 minutes. You can use fresh or frozen fish – and a variety of fish types at that! It’s so flexible and can be served with an assortment of side dishes.

I call that a weeknight, date night, or any night, winning dinner!

What You’ll Need: The Basics

• Panko Bread Crumbs: the base of the fish coating; it creates a lovely crunch and texture with the larger breadcrumb pieces. Find it in the baking aisle near the flour and breadcrumbs.
• All-Purpose Flour: a little bit to help the breading stick to the fish.
• Our basic seasonings come from salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Because in this herby combination, we really cannot be without garlic!
• Fresh Rosemary: the star of the show! Rosemary is a super aromatic herb that’s slightly woodsy, with a little hint of pine, lemon, and mint. It’s truly a heartwarming herb and one of my favorites! And yep, you guessed it, goes wonderfully with fish.
• Egg: used to help the breading stick to the fish.
• Neutral Oil: a little oil to pan-fry the fish into a beautiful golden brown. You won’t need any if you decide to bake it.

What Kind of Fish Should I Use?

Ah, you don’t think I forgot the truly most important ingredient in this recipe, did you? The fish!

Any type of white fish will work for this recipe. I like to use cod. It’s generally easy to find and mild enough to let the flavors in the crust shine through.

Other varieties include Walleye, Tilapia, and Halibut. You really can’t go wrong.

What about frozen fish? Absolutely! You can totally use frozen fish in this recipe. Be sure to thaw according to the package directions and pat them dry (really well!) and proceed with the recipe.

How to Make Rosemary-Crusted Fish

Can I just say, it’s so incredibly easy? If you’re intimidated by breading, or fish, or skillets with oil, take a deep breath, and tell yourself YOU GOT THIS. Because you do!

Preparation

First, prepare the fish. As with any meat or seafood recipe, it’s important to pat it dry before proceeding. This helps in the cooking process, generally for creating a nice crust on the meat, but in this case, it helps the rest of our coating stick. It also takes away extra moisture.

I also like to season the meat at this point too, so that the fish itself is flavorful. A sprinkle of salt and pepper on both sides goes a long way!

Next up, toss together the coating. In a shallow bowl, combine the panko, parmesan cheese, flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Keep your life easy by combining this in a shallow dish so that you can easily coat the fish in it.

In a similar-sized shallow dish, whisk the egg.

Coating the Fish

Set up your dredging station. It’s your assembly line for breading the filets. From left to right, place the fist, the bowl of whisked egg, the panko coating, and a baking sheet lined with cooling racks.

I like to have a baking sheet prepped with a cooling rack because it catches any panko that falls off, and once fried, any oil drips. It is optional but I find it easiest.

Ok! So dredge the fish in the egg wash, allowing the excess egg to drip off before transferring it to the panko.

It helps to use one hand for the egg wash and your other hand for the panko. This prevents your hands from getting extra goopy.

Next, toss the fish in the panko mixture until coated, lightly patting it down as needed. Be sure to get the sides!

Pan-Fry the Fish

Heat a small amount of oil in a large skillet. I prefer using a 12-inch cast iron skillet, but any skillet with sides will work.

Test the oil to see if it’s hot by placing a few pieces of panko in the oil. It should begin dancing around – that’s how you’ll know it’s ready!

Place the coated fish filets in the pan, ensuring that there is space between each filet to cook properly. After 4-5 minutes, the bottom of the filet should be golden brown and you should be able to easily place a spatula underneath it.

Gently flip the filets over and cook again for 4-5 minutes until the second side is golden brown.

Remove the fish from the pan once they’re cooked through and either place on your prepared baking sheet with cooling racks, or a paper-towel-lined plate.

Can I bake the fish instead?

If you really must bake them, you can. I tested both ways for y’all.

Frying them creates a crisp, golden brown exterior that has the “crunch” you want when you’re encrusting a filet. Unfortunately, baking doesn’t do the exterior the same justice.

But anyway, if it’s your preferred method, here are a few pointers.

• Butter a baking dish well. This helps the bottom of the filets crisp up.
• Drizzle melted butter on top of the filets.

I like using butter in this case for the added flavor, but a drizzle of olive oil will work too. Bake for about 20ish minutes until the center is translucent.

The internal temperature of fish once cooked should reach 145°F. Keep in mind that the temperature will continue to rise several degrees once it’s removed.

Serving Ideas

I mentioned earlier that there are so many sides to serve with this recipe – and there are! Here are a few of our favorites. Be sure to leave a comment below and let us know how you served this rosemary fish!

• Green Veggies:
  • Roasted Broccolini
  • Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
  • Sauteed Green Beans and Mushrooms
  • Green Beans Almondine
  • Green Salad – a side salad or a main-dish salad topped with fish
• Other Veggies:
  • Instant Pot Steamed Carrots
  • Roasted Root Vegetables
  • Potatoes! Garlic Mashed, Gruyere Scalloped, Stacked, or Smashed!
• Carbs!
  • Wild Rice with Mushrooms
  • White Wine Mac and Cheese
  • Baked Rosemary Garlic Fries – a fancy fish and chips night, anyone?

Storing & Reheating Leftovers

If you happen to have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

They’re best reheated in an air fryer to keep the crispy exterior. I like to reheat around 325°F in the air fryer until crisp and heated through. That way the outside doesn’t cook too fast.

Otherwise, reheat them in the oven (convection if you have it).

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review in the form below. I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!