CopycatSpices
McDonald's Filet-O-Fish
A crispy, golden-fried fish fillet topped with tangy tartar sauce and a half slice of melty American cheese on a soft steamed bun. This homemade version of the iconic McDonald's Filet-O-Fish is flaky, crunchy, and way better than the drive-thru.
fast-food · mcdonalds · seafood · sandwich
🕑Prep15 min
🍳Cook10 min
⏱Total25 min
🍽Serves4
⭐DifficultyMedium
Ingredients
- 4 wild-caught cod or pollock fillets (about 3 ounces each)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cold club soda or sparkling water
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 4 soft white sandwich buns
- 2 slices American cheese, halved
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- Pinch of onion powder
Instructions
- 1.Make the tartar sauce. Combine the mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, white vinegar, and onion powder in a small bowl. Stir well and refrigerate until ready to use. This is deliberately simple — McDonald's tartar sauce isn't complicated.
- 2.Prepare the batter. Whisk together the flour, club soda, egg, and salt until smooth but still slightly lumpy. The club soda creates a light, crispy batter. Keep it cold — a cold batter fries up crispier.
- 3.Fry the fish. Heat oil to 375°F in a Dutch oven. Pat fish fillets dry, dip in batter, and fry for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on a wire rack.
- 4.Steam the buns. Place the buns in a steamer basket over simmering water for 1-2 minutes until soft and warm. If you don't have a steamer, wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave for 15 seconds.
- 5.Assemble the sandwiches. Spread tartar sauce on the bottom bun. Place the fried fish fillet on top, add half a slice of American cheese, and close with the top bun. The cheese goes on top of the fish so it melts slightly from the heat.
McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4 sandwiches
The Filet-O-Fish is the sleeper hit of the McDonald’s menu. It was invented in 1962 for Catholic customers who couldn’t eat meat on Fridays during Lent, and it’s been quietly beloved ever since. The formula is dead simple: a crispy fried fish fillet, tangy tartar sauce, half a slice of American cheese, and a steamed bun.
The homemade version uses real cod or pollock with a light club soda batter that fries up shatteringly crispy. The tartar sauce is four ingredients. The whole thing takes about 20 minutes from start to finish.
Why Make It at Home?
A Filet-O-Fish costs around $5.49 and contains a pretty thin fillet. This recipe gives you a generous, thick piece of real fish for about $3.00 per sandwich. You also get to use actual cod instead of mystery fish product, and your batter will be fresh and crispy — not sitting in a warming tray.
Tips & Variations
- Club soda is the secret to the batter. The carbonation creates tiny air pockets that make the coating light and crispy instead of heavy and doughy.
- Half a slice of cheese is correct. It sounds stingy, but the full slice overwhelms the fish. McDonald’s knows what they’re doing here.
- Steam the bun. This is the step most people skip, and it’s the difference between a fast-food sandwich and a regular fish sandwich. The steamed bun is pillowy soft and slightly moist.
- Use pollock for authenticity. McDonald’s actually uses pollock, not cod. Both work great, but pollock is cheaper and has a milder flavor.
