12 Best Perch Recipes Including Baked And Fried

The Perch is always in demand perhaps because it is one of the greatest tasting freshwater fish in the world. It doesn’t smell fishy and has meat that is almost transparently pink.

When cooked, perch has a pleasantly sweet flavor and a superb mouth feel that you won’t find in many other species because of the fine flakes that softly crumble with each bite.

When cooked, the perch’s smooth, flaky texture is thought to result from the softness of the fish’s flesh. This freshwater fish has firm, juicy fillets that hold up well to a range of cooking temperatures.

This implies that other cooking techniques can still be used without compromising the fillets’ delicate and flaky texture.

Here are some of the best perch recipes that you can try, including baking, frying, and much more. 

1. Baked Parmesan Perch

After cooking the perch in a skillet, all that’s left to do is coat one side with margarine and then dip it into the crumb mixture. Place the perch in the pan, coated side up.

Fork-testing the fish after 10 minutes of baking with the lid off. Add parsley as a garnish.

For those looking to get the most delight with the fewest calories, perch is a good choice. Fish in general, including perch, has been found to be more satiating per calorie than lean beef or chicken.

2. Pan-Fried Perch

For all fish fans, this pan-fried perch is a delicious quick and healthy dinner. Quick to prepare and delicious with crisp veggies and fresh salads.

Any tiny freshwater panfish, such as bluegill and sunfish, perform well if you don’t have perch.

It is necessary to use flour or cornmeal; alternatively, breadcrumbs or panko may be used, but keep in mind that these ingredients tend to dominate the mild flavor of perch.

To ensure that the breadcrumbs stay when you utilize them, you must first dip them in an egg wash.

3. Thai Fish Curry

Almost any type of fish, including perch, can be used in this curry. A 20-minute dinner recipe for Thai fish curry that tastes like a pleasure is available.

A fragrant coconut curry sauce brimming with delectable Thai aromas is used to gently poach the fish.

The curry sauce made from coconut milk, ginger, garlic, and curry paste is rich and flavorful. The fish is kept delicate and tender by cooking it very slowly.

A fish curry can be frozen, but when defrosted and reheated, it won’t taste as wonderful. A better choice is to freeze any sauce that is left over, then defrost and reheat the sauce before adding new fish.

4. Brown Butter Perch

A straightforward yet highly tasty meal is brown butter perch. Perch fillets are cooked in brown butter with a light dusting of flour and served with a touch of lemon.

Serve with your preferred rice, a straightforward salad, or your preferred vegetable side dish.

It is quite simple to prepare and tastes delicious. The nuttiness of the brown butter and the lemon’s freshness are the ideal complements.

5. Bacon-Wrapped Perch

This mouthwatering grilled appetizer combines the tastes of perch and bacon with cherry tomatoes for a wonderful first dish.

You’ll be salivating over this recipe, which is ideal if you’re looking for fresh perch recipes. The cherry tomatoes offer the perfect amount of flavor, while the bacon keeps the perch moist.

Asparagus is an excellent side dish since it enjoys bacon much like the fish. It is light and a good contrast to the meatiness of the fish and can be boiled or steamed.

6. Perch Tacos

Making perch tacos is not much more difficult than making a hamburger or a mess of pancakes, but they are also far tastier.

This straightforward fish taco recipe demonstrates how easy it is to prepare this delectable Mexican staple.

It’s a dish that’s pleasingly healthful and packed with a variety of colorful vegetables, including red cabbage, homemade salsa, and guacamole.

7. Deep-Fried Perch

The greatest lightly breaded yellow perch fillets you’ve ever had may be made using this recipe for fried perch. golden, properly done, and seldom greasy when deep-fried.

This delectable fried fish may still be prepared without a deep fryer. Two to three inches of oil should be added to a deep, heavy skillet or pot. You need enough oil to completely cover the filets.

If your fish is small or medium in size, it should typically float to the top after it is finished. However, larger and heavier pieces might not always float.

When the batter is golden or golden brown, you can remove it from the heat and examine the color, textures, and temperature.

8. Lake Erie Perch Chowder

Although perch is the recommended fish for this chowder, any firm white fish will do. You can also use any sausage you like as long as it has been smoked.

Having smoked sausage is a terrific idea because the mild fish needs that flavor.

The dill truly gives the stew flavor, but if you don’t like it, you may substitute parsley. Put the sour cream in a bowl on the table so that guests can add it as they see fit.

9. Fish And Chips

This simple recipe for beer-battered fish and chips has an outer that is wonderfully crispy and an interior that is soft and flaky. For a truly outstanding lunch, serve it with crispy fries and homemade tartar sauce.

This recipe works with cod, pollock, haddock, catfish, perch, or mahi-mahi. In a traditional fish and chip meal, the fish is dipped or battered in a wet batter before being placed right away in the fryer.

This allows the batter to cook thick, puffy, and crispy on the outside before becoming slightly chewy, while the fish within remains flaky and moist.

10. Skillet Cajun Spiced Fish With Tomatoes

Olive oil is used to saute the onion and garlic in a deep skillet for a few minutes, until they are tender. Stirring often, add the tomatoes, peppers, and spices. Cook for two to three minutes, or until the tomatoes are tender.

Place the fish fillets in the sauce, cover the pan, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or until the fish flakes easily. Place the fish on a platter and cover with sauce to serve. Serve right away.

11. Chinese Steamed Perch

Steamed perch is primarily made of steamed veggies and has a mild flavor. One of the distinctive regional delicacies in Guangdong Province is steamed perch.

Perch, mandarin fish, yellow croaker, grass carp, etc. are suitable for steaming fish. These fish are less skeletal, have tender meat, a decent flavor, and a milder fishy smell.

All types of fish can be used to make steamed fish, which is a very nutrient-dense household food. Fish that has been steam-cooked is incredibly flavorful and will be the main focus.

12. Hungarian Fisherman’s Soup

If you ever visit Hungary, be sure to try the delectable Halászlé fish soup! One of the most well-liked Hungarian appetizers is it.

Due to Hungary’s lack of access to the sea but abundance of standing waters, it is created from freshwater fish.

Traditional carp is the major component of this Hungarian fisherman’s soup, and paprika is naturally added in large quantities to give the soup its vibrant red color. Halászlé is well known for its bright red hue. But alternative fish can also be used.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does Perch Taste Like?

Whether you go fishing for yourself or buy it on your way home for supper, perch is a highly popular fish. It is an excellent fish, frequently tasting nearly sweet.

Even though it has a little more flavor than tilapia, it is still regarded as having a softer or delicate flavor. It can be used in recipes in place of sea bass or tilapia, though you might need to tweak the ingredients and cooking time.

Perch has a flakier, thinner texture than trout, salmon, or sea bass. There isn’t a fishy aftertaste, despite the fact that it has a stronger flavor than certain white fish.

The fish that most closely resembles perch is walleye, which belongs to the same family (see more Walleye recipes here).

Is Perch Healthy?

Eating perch is nutritious since it is full of nutrients that are good for your body.

A typical serving of this fish provides 30% of your daily requirements for Vitamin B-12, Vitamin D, phosphorus, manganese, selenium, and other nutrients in addition to omega-3 fatty acids.

Perch has several advantages as food. This well-liked and widespread fish species also has nutritional value. Your immune system, heart, and energy levels can all be strengthened by the vitamins and minerals it contains.

Where Can You Catch Perch?

Perch can be found anywhere there is fresh water. Any place where plants can grow, such as weeds, dams, submerged items, islands, inlets, rocks, reeds, and bridges, are good places to look for natural constructions.

You should search for perch in locations where there are plants because they draw bait fish and sport fish.

Are There Different Types Of Perch?

There are two other prevalent perch species in the world in addition to the European perch. One of these is the native to North America yellow perch.

The other is the Balkhash perch, which is found in some of Kazakhstan’s great lakes and rivers.

In addition to those main categories, the planet is home to hundreds of subspecies.

What Is The Best Way To Cook Perch?

Perch is a fantastic fish for many various types of preparations because of its moderate flavor. The most typical method of preparing perch is to fry it. Breadcrumbs, eggs, and flour are required.

When the fish is frying, take care not to burn it. Perch can also be readily baked by coating it with a simple breading mixture and broiling it for a brief period of time at a high temperature.

Perch can be flavorfully enhanced by poaching without adding a lot of calories.

Summary

As you can see, there are lots of different ways that you can cook perch.

As well as being healthy, another great thing about this fish is that you can use it as a substitute for other white, flaky fish such as halibut, cod, and haddock which are called for in numerous different recipes. 

One thing to keep in mind though is that perch has quite a mild flavor when it comes to fish, so you should be careful not to drown out the flavors of it with too many seasonings.

On the other hand, those who are not particularly fond of fishy flavors will love this aspect of perch.