Pan fried Crappie Recipe
There’s something magical about a day spent fishing, especially when it yields a fresh crappie catch. But the real magic happens when you take that catch to the kitchen; fried crappie.
This crappie recipe is one of our favorite way to enjoy this arguably most delicious panfish species. It is simple and only contains only three additional ingredients.
What are crappies?
The genus that crappies belong to, (otherwise known as croppie, Oswego bass, strawberry bass, speckled perch, papermouths, and calico bass) consists of only two species. White crappie and black crappie. They are both indigenous to North America, east of the Rockies.
They are characterized as panfish along with perch, sunfish or pumpkin seed, and bluegills; some people include other small fish, both fresh and saltwater species. The term refers to the fact that you can cook a whole fish in one pan.
These fish are easy to catch at certain times of the year. It is even easy to come across a school of crappie when you are ice fishing!
Most states have regulations on the size and limits to the amount of fish that can be taken. Here in New York, crappie must be 10 inches long, and each angler can only take 25 fish per day; in the Finger Lakes Region, the catch per day is only 15.
Crappies can be baked, pan-fried, deep-fried, or grilled. They can be hog gutted (innards removed) and scaled if you want to keep the skin on. If they are whole, it’s best to pan fry, bake or grill them.
Most anglers will fillet them. Fillets are best lightly pan-fried, or they could be deep-fried, as in traditional fish and chips. When the fish is filleted, they cook very quickly, and you could have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.
Crappies are considered to be the best tasting of the panfish. The flesh is firm and has a flavor and texture that is similar to crab meat, especially if they are taken in the winter or spring when the water is still cold.
What you need
- Flour- you can really use any flour, even gluten-free. You can also use panko bread crumbs, cracker crumbs, or cornmeal for an extra crunchy coating.
- Lemon pepper seasoning – you can substitute fresh or bottled lemon juice and freshly cracked black pepper if you don’t have the seasoning blend.
- Celery salt seasoning – again, just substitute celery seed and salt if you don’t have the seasoning blend.
- Butter or vegetable oil, or olive oil for frying
- Optional- add some cayenne pepper or chili powder for some heat.
- Onion powder or garlic powder
How to make them
Step One
Wash crappie filets under cold water. Dry with paper towel.
Add flour and spices to a small bowl and mix well.
Step Two
Melt butter and/or add olive to a heavy skillet, such as cast iron. Heat over medium heat to medium-high heat.
Step Three
Lightly dredge the fish in the flour and shake off excess.
Step Four
Lightly dredge the second side in the flour and shake off excess. If the flour isn’t sticking well, you can dredge them in a egg wash (beaten egg with a couple teaspoons of water mixed up).
Step Five
Cook fillets just for a couple of minutes. Carefully flip with a small spatula.
Sauté them on the second side for a few minutes, until the fish flakes when broken apart with a fork.
Tent them with aluminum foil to keep them warm and continue cooking the fish in batches.
Variations
Sometimes we like to switch things up and make a cornflake or cornmeal mixture to dredge them or dredge them in bread or cracker crumbs.
We have even deep-fried them in our crispy fish batter which is delicious, as well.
They are also delicious when they are baked in the oven. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Season them as you would above, and broil them on low until browned on one side. Carefully flip filets and brown on the second side.
The air fryer also works great for these fish. Spray the filets with cooking spray. Air fry at 400°F for about 3 minutes. Then flip and continue air frying until the fish is translucent and flakes nicely with a fork.
How to use them
- We serve them for dinner with lemon wedges and any of the side dishes suggested below.
- Make a fish sandwich with tartar sauce and a splash of hot sauce.
- Make fish tacos, top with spicy slaw or your favorite toppings like, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, avocado, a squeeze of lime and salsa.
Side dishes to serve with crappie
These fish taste great with a variety of sides. Some of our favorites are;
- rice
- fried potatoes or French fries
- green salad ( we like a fruity dressing like this rhubarb vinaigrette).
- your favorite vegetables like corn on the cob, green beans, carrots, or broccoli
- refried beans or Mexican rice if you make tacos
- chips or French fries and coleslaw for fish sandwiches
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I hope you enjoyed the recipe today.
Enjoy. And have fun cooking!
Crappie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound crappie fillets
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt or sea salt
- ½ teaspoons celery seed
- 1 teaspoons cracked black pepper
- 1 fresh lemons
Instructions
- Rinse crappie fillets under cold water. Dry well with paper towel.1 pound crappie fillets
- Mix flour, salt, celery seed, pepper in a medium bowl well.6 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt or sea salt, ½ teaspoons celery seed, 1 teaspoons cracked black pepper
- Dredge fillets in the flour mixture. Shake off excess. (If the fillets don't seem to be holding enough flour, make a egg wash with one egg whisked with a tablespoon of water first. Dip the fillets in the egg and then the flour.)
- Add butter or olive oil to a heavy bottom skillet. Heat over medium high heat.
- Add fillets a few at a time and sauté them until slightly browned on the first side. This should only take a couple minutes.
- Flip them with a small spatula and brown the second side. Remove them to a serving tray. Serve with lemon wedges.1 fresh lemons
See all of my favorite tools and gift ideas on my New Amazon Store!Check out Binky’s Amazon Store!Notes
- We serve them for dinner with lemon wedges and any of the side dishes suggested below.
- Make a fish sandwich with tartar sauce and a splash of hot sauce.
- Make fish tacos, top with slaw or your favorite toppings like, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, avocado, a squeeze of lime and salsa.
- rice
- fried potatoes or French fries
- green salad ( we like a fruity dressing like this rhubarb vinaigrette.
- your favorite vegetables like, corn on the cob, green beans, carrots or broccoli
- beans or Mexican rice if you make tacos
- chips or French fries for fish sandwiches
Nutrition
Originally published August 11, 2023.
OMG, did I have a great big smile on my face when I read this!! My husband is a fisherman (we’re in RI) and one of our greatest loves is Crappie. He can’t wait until it gets cold enough to ice fish so we can go to our favorite ‘holes’ to catch Crappie. When we’re not making them like in this recipe, I soak the fillets in Frank’s for an hour, coat them in a crunchy cornmeal/cayenne/salt & pepper mix, then shallow fry them in peanut oil. Crappie really does have a better flavor than some other pan fish. I love your blog (because my husband hunts, too) – so today I yelled out to Walter “Hey! Binky’s got a Crappie recipe this time – I TOLD you she’s cool!” Stay cool, Binky, and thank you for your creations and wisdom.
Aw, Thanks Mich! We’re so glad you and Walter love our recipes! The Frank’s and cornmeal sounds delish too!