A tasty, ultra-crispy Baked Walleye Recipe that's a great alternative to deep-fried fish and chips. It's a delicious meal that will be ready in minutes and the whole family will love!
Walleye is a popular lake fish in the midwest and a delicious part of my childhood. It's the perfect flaky white fish for this recipe, but feel free to substitute your favorite white fish fillets.
This crispy corn flake crusted fish recipe uses just a few simple ingredients to create an oven-fried fish that rivals even the best deep-fried fillets. The recipe is based on my mom's cornflake chicken recipe, converted with a few tweaks to work for fish fillets. It's perfectly nostalgic and your whole family will go crazy for it.
What you'll need to make this recipe:
Before we get to the step by step directions, a few notes about the ingredients:
Walleye fillets: substitute cod, hake, grouper or haddock in this recipe. Keep in mind walleye is a lake fish, so it will have a slightly milder flavor than the fish caught in sea water.
Seasonings: corn flakes bring a sweet-savory crunch to the party so our only spices are salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Substitute your favorite all-purpose seasoning.
Full ingredient list and measurements included in the printable recipe card below.
Step by step instructions:
1. Set up dredging station
Preheat oven to 400℉. Place your baking sheet (preferably dark-colored) into the oven to heat.
Combine flour, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a shallow dish. Beat the egg with a tablespoon of water in a shallow dish until well combined.
Combine crushed corn flakes, paprika, garlic powder and remaining salt and pepper in a third shallow dish. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of melted butter over the seasoned cornflakes and toss again.
2. Coat fish fillets
Dredge each fillet in seasoned flour, then dip in beaten egg, then coat in the seasoned cornflake crumbs, packing the crushed cornflakes onto the fillets.
3. Bake fish
Remove the heated baking sheet from the oven and melt two tablespoons of butter in the center of the pan where the 4 fillets will be baked. Place coated fish fillets on the prepared baking sheet over the melted butter.
Bake for 15-18 minutes or until fish reaches 145℉ and flakes easily. If desired, broil for the final minute or two to get a deeply golden brown top.
4. Garnish and serve
Serve with lemon wedges and homemade tartar sauce.
Looking for more crispy baked seafood recipes?
FAQ's and Serving Suggestions:
I used frozen (and thawed) walleye fillets in this recipe, so I know it comes out beautifully! Just thaw this fish in the refrigerator overnight and dry with paper towels before seasoning and dredging.
Walleye is a freshwater fish originating in the upper Midwest of the United States (in the great lakes region) and in Canada. It is a mild, sweet, white fish with a flaky texture and the fillets are generally fairly thick and even, making them ideal for so many fish recipes.
If you can't find walleye in your local grocery store's fish counter, freezer or seafood market, substitute cod, hake, grouper or haddock in this recipe. Keep in mind walleye is a lake fish, so it will have a slightly milder flavor than the fish caught in sea water.
Pair walleye fillets with a simple leafy arugula salad, Garlic Lemon Seasoned Green Beans, a loaded baked potato with cheddar cheese or Truffle Fries with Parmesan Cheese. I also love serving the Mediterranean Tossed Salad with this seafood dinner. Check out 21 Best Sides for Walleye next!
Any combination of seasonings that you use and enjoy should work in this recipe. A reliable seasoned salt mixture, Old Bay, seafood seasoning, lemon pepper or an herb garlic mixture would all add the right touch of savory flavor to this crispy fish dish.
Walleye should reach a final internal cook temperature of 145°F as measured with a food thermometer before serving.
To store, transfer walleye fingers or fillets to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, bake in 375°F oven until heated through.
Crispy Cornflake Crusted Baked Walleye
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
4 (6 ounce) walleye fillets
1 large egg
⅓ cup all purpose flour
2 cups corn flake cereal (about 1 ½ cups when crushed)
1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided
¾ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
- To begin, preheat oven to 400°F. Place your baking sheet (preferably dark-colored) into the oven to heat. Next, combine flour, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a shallow dish. Set aside. Then beat the egg with a tablespoon of water in a shallow dish until well combined. Set aside.
- Combine crushed corn flakes, paprika, garlic powder and remaining salt and pepper in a second shallow dish. Mix well. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of melted butter over the seasoned cornflakes and toss again.
- Dredge each fillet in seasoned flour, then dip in beaten egg, then coat in the seasoned cornflake crumbs, packing the crushed cornflakes onto the fillets.
- Remove the heated baking sheet from the oven and melt two tablespoons of butter in the center of the pan where the 4 fillets will be baked. Place fillets in a single layer over the melted butter.
- Return the sheet pan or shallow baking pan to the preheated oven. Bake for 15-18 minuets or until fish reaches 145°F and flakes easily. If desired, broil for the final minute or two to get a deeply golden brown top.
- Serve with lemon wedges for a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and homemade tartar sauce.
Notes
If you can't find walleye, substitute cod, hake, grouper or haddock in this recipe. Keep in mind walleye is a lake fish, so it will have a slightly milder flavor than the fish caught in sea water.
Use fresh or frozen (and thawed) walleye fillets in this recipe. If using frozen fish, just thaw fillets in the refrigerator overnight and dry with paper towels before seasoning and dredging.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Easy Recipes
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Brenda
Yum!! I followed your recipe (ingredients) when making dinner the other night, except I used Cornflake crumbs. I also substituted Lawry's seasoned salt for the salt and added onion powder to the seasoning. Adding melted butter to the crumb/seasoning mix is pure brilliance!! The breading crust did not fall off the fish while frying in my cast iron skillet. I am going to remember the melted butter tip when I make other breaded foods. Thank you for sharing a delicious recipe.
Christina Jolam
Love hearing this, Brenda! All of my brilliance is reserved for seafood recipes 😉 Appreciate you sharing your modifications - sounds like some great options! Thanks for coming back to leave such a helpful review!