Healthy Homemade Filet-O-Fish Copycat McDonald’s

Your favorite McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish burger got even better with this homemade version. It’s better because it’s healthier as it’s BAKED! It’s made of real fresh ingredients with no fillers or artificial flavors.

Why Should You Try This Homemade Copycat McDonalds’s Filet-O-Fish Burger Recipe?

• It’s homemade! Homemade always scores better! This burger is made of real fresh ingredients with no artificial fillers, chemicals or flavorings.
• It’s BAKED! Making it healthy but no compromise on taste. Of course you can fry it totally if you wish using this recipe.
• I love to use big fish fillet for my burgers, so it makes it hearty and satisfying meal.
• Forget the drive-through pick ups, make your very own healthy burger that you can relish guilt-free!
• Kid approved! My kids are crazy about the McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish burgers. Now with this homemade version I can feed my kids healthy version of the burger. I know what I’m feeding my kids!
• You even make the tartare sauce at home. It’s very simple. Check out the recipe card on how to make your own tartare sauce.
• There’s been more than a few controversies regarding ordering food at McDonald’s. Chicken burgers and nuggets aren’t actually chicken that you end up eating, but it’s loaded with too many fillers and artificial ingredients. Can’t deny the many controversies on Filet-O-Fish burger! Some even complained that it’s not fish that they serve you and of course, have you noticed, it’s mostly never fresh! They just microwave a fillet that has been sitting in the hot cabinet for God knows how long.

Filet O Fish Ingredients

Filet-O-Fish burgers have two main components going on in it. The tartare sauce and the fish fillet. Together it makes the burger the best tasting burger that everyone simply adores.

I am sharing the ingredients needed for simple and easy homemade fresh tartare sauce recipe and recipe to baked fish fillet below.

Homemade Tartare Sauce

• 1 cup mayonnaise – definitely pick the full fat good quality ones. It’s makes a world of difference. Trust me low fat mayo will not do justice here.
• A tablespoon gherkins/cornichons, chopped fine
• One teaspoon capers, finely chopped
• 1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• One teaspoon parsley, finely chopped
• A teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoon milk (optional)

Homemade Baked Filet O Fish

• 1 (12 oz) cod fillet, cut into 3 equal sized square fillets
• Canola Oil – for spray/brush
• Wet Crumb-
• 1 egg
• A tablespoon full fat mayonnaise
• A tablespoon flour
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Dry Crumb-
• 1 ½ cups Panko Breadcrumbs
• For Burger-
• 3 brioche burger buns(if you can’t get brioche buns, use ordinary burger buns)
• 3 yellow American cheese

How To Make Baked Filet-O-Fish Burger (with Step-By-Step Pictorial)?

First thing to prep is the tartare sauce. It has to be chilled before you serve it with the burger. Tartare sauce tastes great once chilled.

How To Make Tartare Sauce?

In a bowl whisk together full fat mayonnaise, gherkins/cornichons, capers, parsley, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper.

Keep the bowl covered in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes or until chilled.

How To Bake Fish Fillet?

Prep Work:

Pre heat oven at 350 degree Farenheit.

Make the wet crumb by mixing in a bowl egg, mayonnaise, flour, paprika, garlic powder, pepper and salt. Whisk well into lump free mix. Keep aside.

In a plate spread panko breadcrumbs and keep aside.

Note – if you want to even golden brown panko crust on the fish fillet, you can roast panko bread crumbs first in a baking tray at 350 Fahrenheit for about 3 minutes. Roasting will turn white crumbs into golden brown crumbs, resulting in evenly browned baked fillets.

Crumb Coating:

Cut cod fillet into square fillet of size slightly bigger than your buns. Remember fillets will shrink after cooking.

Dip a fillet in wet crumb first on both sides to ensure it coats the fillets evenly. Remove it from the bowl using tongs and gently shake off the excess crumb coating.

Place the coated fillet on panko bread crumbs. Using your fingers, pick up dry breadcrumbs from the sides of the plate and sprinkle it on the top of fillet first to avoid sticky/cakey fingers. Then gently press the breadcrumbs on the fillets of both sides.

Remove and place it on baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Repeat the above step for all the remaining fillets.

Bake Fillets:

Arrange fillets with 1 inch gap between them.

Spray oil generously on all the fillets.

Bake in pre heated oven at 350 degree Fahrenheit for 12 to 14 minutes or until fish is cooked and crumb begins to brown.

Important Note – Since I did not toast panko breadcrumbs before baking the crumb coating will not be golden brown on all sides. To get golden brown crumb crust, toast the panko bread crumbs in oven before applying it on fish fillet.

Just before removing fish from the oven, place ½ a slice of cheese on top of each fillet and let it remain in oven for a minute or two until cheese slice begins to melt.

Note– I did not add cheese at this stage. I added cheese to the burger while assembling. Because for some weird reason my kids don’t like melted cheese!

Remove the tray from oven and let it cool down slightly before you remove the fish from the tray.

Assemble Filet O Fish:

Cut burger buns into half using sharp serrated knife.

Place a fish fillet on the bottom half of the burger. Spread 1 tablespoon of chilled tartare sauce on top, cover with top half of the bun. Serve immediately.

Top Tips To Make The Best Homemade Copycat McDonald’s Filet O Fish Burgers

• Fish – You can use any white flat fish to make Filet-O-Fish. Fish that has less fishy taste is what you want to choose. Buy large fish fillets so you can cut them into square-ish fillets so your copycat will look like the original. Cod or haddock are best. Tilapia, pollock or basa fish fillets can also be used.

• Tartare Sauce – Your sauce will taste as good as your ingredients. Definitely use good quality full fat mayonnaise to make the sauce. Also make sauce before you start baking the fish fillets and chill in fridge. They taste great chilled. Note – I added milk to tartare sauce. You won’t be using the whole bowl of tartare sauce, and will have leftovers. Skip adding milk if you plan to store for few days.

• Burger Buns – if you can get your hands on brioche burger buns, you them. Else pick white hamburger buns or other burger buns. Note – place your burger buns in microwave for 10 seconds to turn into softer buns.

• Cheese – McDonald’s uses pasteurized processed American cheese on the Fielt-O-Fish. Yellow American cheese slices is what you need to make it look and taste like the original. Never use the cheaper cheese, it tastes terrible! Go for good quality cheese like Kraft American Deluxe.

• The real reason to use ½ slice of cheese on Fish burger is to avoid over powering the fish patty with cheese. Adding ½ slice is believed to allow you to enjoy the delicious taste of fish without overpowering with cheese.

• You can follow the same recipe and fry the fillets instead of baking. Use canola oil or vegetables oil for frying.

MORE FISH RECIPES:

Baked Tilapia Recipe

Tilapia Fish Tacos

Spicy Fish Curry

Banana Leaf Wrapped Fish

MORE COPYCAT RECIPES:

Bonefish Grill Copycat Bang Bang Shrimp

Chipotle’s Copycat Cilantro Lime Rice

Bonefish Grill Copycat Bang Bang Shrimp Sauce

Starbucks Copycat Pumpkin Spice Latte

KFC Copycat Chicken Nuggets

Panera Copycat Broccoli Cheddar Soup

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