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Homemade Filet-O-Fish (BAKED!!)

By:Nagi
172 Comments
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Homemade McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish burger! An epic fish burger that tastes remarkably similar to the real deal with the added bonus that it’s bigger, you know what goes in it, and it’s healthier ’cause it’s BAKED!! (Though you can totally fry it)

Two Homemade Filet-O-Fish (BAKED!) stacked on top of each other with a side of fries

Homemade Filet O Fish Burger

Skip the Drive Through of Shame. It’s incredibly quick and easy to make Filet-O-Fish at home, and you don’t even need to fry!

Plus, you can make bigger ones at home. Ever notice how small the Maccers Filet-O-Fish are? Those teeny fish burgers barely scrape the bottom of my stomach.

At least we can make proper meal-size ones at home!

A homemade fish burger with a crunchy crumb that tastes just like McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish!

Homemade Filet-O-Fish (BAKED!) cut open to short the inside

Baked Crumbed Fish Patties

I’ve been making faux oven-fried things most of my adult life, and for most of that time was disappointed by how the crumb came out all splotchy with white & burnt bits no matter how brutally I doused with oil spray.

So this is how I make all things crumbed in the oven: toast the breadcrumbs + one seasoned dredge batter with stronger glueing powers + oil spray = guaranteed golden, crunchy baked crumbed anything (baked crumbed fish, in this case). 🙂

I just recently shared a baked crumbed Chicken Tenders recipe using this same method where I wrote more about the logic so if you’re so inclined, pop over there for a read. It’s all driven by love of fried food vs waist and bottom expansion. The bonus is clean hands – no marshmallow fingers!

Preparation steps for Homemade Filet-O-Fish (BAKED!)

Yes, your fish will come out warped. They won’t be perfectly square and flat, like the boxed ones in the frozen section of the supermarket. We’re using fresh fish here, so warpage is the price we pay for true fish flavour and texture.

I’m totally cool with that!

Copycat McDonald’s Tartare Sauce

A quick inspection of the Filet-O-Fish ingredients followed by a taste test (yes, I did the Drive Through of Shame for this recipe!) is all it took to ascertain that the Tartare Sauce is pretty standard. Mayo, pickles / gherkins, capers, lemon juice, salt, sugar, parsley.

It’s just my basic Tartare Sauce recipe, minus dill plus a touch extra sugar (surprise, surprise 😂).

Tartare sauce for homemade Filet-O-Fish in a white bowl

I make my homemade Filet-O-Fish burger using brioche buns because they are the closest to the super soft, super sweet buns used by McDonald’s. Though…. not as sweet and not quite as soft… but close enough!

And as for the cheese, in the spirit of copy-catting, I used this smoked processed cheese that I found at Coles (Aussie supermarket) with the signature Maccers orange hue but strangely lacking in smoked flavour. 🤔 So it’s perfect!

But any processed cheese will do. Or you could be a real rebel and use real cheese. 😳 – Nagi x

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Watch how to make it

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Two Homemade Filet-O-Fish (BAKED!) stacked on top of each other with a side of fries

Homemade Filet-O-Fish Burger (BAKED!)

Author: Nagi
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 35 mins
Main
4.98 from 46 votes
Servings4
Tap or hover to scale
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Recipe video above. Tastes remarkably similar to McDonald's with the added bonus that it's bigger, it's healthier and you know exactly what goes in it! Toasting the breadcrumbs guarantees beautiful golden, truly crunchy fish fillets even though these are baked. Fry option - follow the dredge / crumbing / fry steps in this Schnitzel recipe.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups panko breadcrumbs (Note 1)
  • 400 - 500 g / 0.8 - 1 lb white fish fillets , flat / thin (I used Ling, Note 2)
  • 4 soft buns , brioche recommended (Note 3)
  • 4 slices processed cheese (Note 4)
  • Oil spray (I use olive oil)

Dredge Batter (Note 5):

  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard (or other mustard)
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Black pepper

Tartare Sauce:

  • 1 cup / 220g mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp dill pickle / gherkin/ cornichon , very finely chopped
  • 1 tsp fresh parsley , chopped*
  • 1 tsp capers , drained and finely chopped*
  • 1.5 tbsp lemon juice , fresh (or cider vinegar)
  • 1 tsp white sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

Tartare Sauce:

  • Mix ingredients in a bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes+.

Toast Breadcrumbs:

  • Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
  • Spread breadcrumbs on a tray. Spray with oil directly down, not from side.
  • Bake for 3 - 5 minutes until golden. Immediately transfer to bowl.
  • Brush tray clean, spray with oil.

Crumbing / baking:

  • Cut fish fillets into square-ish shapes slightly larger than the buns (they shrink when cooked). 
  • Mix Batter ingredients in a bowl.
  • Carefully coat fish in batter (handle with care, fish fillets can be delicate).
  • Place in breadcrumbs. Use other hand to cover top and sides with breadcrumbs, pressing to adhere. Transfer to tray. Repeat with remaining fish.
  • Bake 12 - 15 minutes until fish is cooked through. Immediately top with cheese - allow residual heat to make it semi melt (do not oven melt processed cheese, you get a plasticy film!).

Assemble:

  • Cut buns in half, microwave for 20 seconds to warm through (microwave = stays soft).
  • Top with fish and cheese, dollop with tartare sauce. Devour!

Recipe Notes:

1. Panko are Japanese breadcrumbs which are larger than standard breadcrumbs. Nowadays they are available in all major supermarkets, usually in the Asian section, and cost just a fraction more than ordinary breadcrumbs. It is well worth using because the breadcrumb pieces are bigger so they create a far better "crunch" than standard breadcrumbs.
I know 2 cups sounds like a lot but you need it. Also if you skimp on the breadcrumbs, crumbing the last fish gets messy!
2. Fish -This recipe will work with any white fish fillets but the best to replicate the square, flat fish patties in Filet-O-Fish is to get flat, thin fish fillets that can be cut into square-ish pieces. I use Ling, Maccers uses Pollock. I don't get too hung up on perfect square shapes because the fish shape warps when it bakes because we're using real fish here. That's just real life, my friends! 
Note: the fish will shrink and increase in height once baked by about 20%. Crumb off cuts and pop them on the tray, good for nibbles.
3. Buns - The super soft Maccers buns have a LOT of sugar in them. The closest in flavour and texture are brioche buns. Soft hamburger buns are also suitable, if you can find a suitable size (I only seem to see giant ones, too big to make fillets that fit though you could totally double up)
4. Processed Cheese - just like Maccers! I used a smoked processed cheese from Coles (Aus supermarket, Coles brand) which is the orangey Maccers colour and doesn't even taste smoked.
5. Dredge Batter - created especially for "oven-fried" crumbed recipes, I use it for all my baked crumbed recipes like these Crunchy Chicken Tenders, though for this recipe the batter is slightly thinner because fish is more delicate than chicken. It's got more flavour than just using egg & flour as well as oil, compensating for not deep frying in oil (because let's face it, frying makes everything taste better). It's also thicker and a stronger glue for the breadcrumbs.
6. GENERAL NOTES:
* Tartare Sauce - Makes more tartare than probably required but it's a tragedy if there's no enough so I err on the side of caution. Keeps for ages in fridge.
* Fry option - follow dredge / crumb / fry steps in this Schnitzel recipe (video included)
* More background about this toasting / unusual single Dredge Batter / oven-fried technique in this Crunchy Baked Chicken Tenders recipe. It's all driven by love of fried food / attempt to control waist expansion.
7. Nutrition per serving, assuming 1/2 cup of tartare sauce is used across all 4 burgers.
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Filet-O-Fish Burger (BAKED!)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 656 Calories from Fat 324
% Daily Value*
Fat 36g55%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Cholesterol 125mg42%
Sodium 1545mg67%
Potassium 458mg13%
Carbohydrates 47g16%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 34g68%
Vitamin A 275IU6%
Vitamin C 2.7mg3%
Calcium 365mg37%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 656cal (33%)Carbohydrates: 47g (16%)Protein: 34g (68%)Fat: 36g (55%)Saturated Fat: 9g (56%)Cholesterol: 125mg (42%)Sodium: 1545mg (67%)Potassium: 458mg (13%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 6g (7%)Vitamin A: 275IU (6%)Vitamin C: 2.7mg (3%)Calcium: 365mg (37%)Iron: 4mg (22%)
Keywords: Filet O Fish, Fish Burger
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How am I supposed to work when this golden furry head keeps butting in to see what I’m doing??

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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172 Comments

  1. Rebecca Zbuchalski says

    5 stars
    I was wondering if Barramundi would be a good fish to use for this recipe?

    I love your recipes, the Emergency Fish is a staple for me!

    Reply

  2. Oscar says

    5 stars
    This was a hit. I used a bag of Frozen hoki fillets, and doubled the pickles in the tartare. Brioche buns are a little sweet, next time I think I’ll use regular hamburger buns. Anyone know if toasting the panko is absolutely necessary?

    Reply

  3. Debbie says

    5 stars
    2nd time making and more fabulous than I remembered. WARNING: made the tartare sauce earlier, taste tested and thought “it could use more pickle and capers”. Sitting in the fridge really intensifies the flavors. It was great, but I had to cut with a little more mayonnaise. Got my shopping list ready for tomorrow cause your eggplant parmesan is next.

    Reply

  4. Janet Smith says

    5 stars
    I love this recipe! it is super easy to make and tastes delicious! There are so many of Nagi’s recipes that I love and this is one of them. It is a regular in our house.

    Reply

  6. Janice says

    Hi! I would like to know if there is any other way to replace the mustard or is it alright to omit it from the recipe? I don’t want to go out of my way to buy a bottle of it just for a recipe haha..

    Reply

  7. Nimah says

    Can’t wait to make this! When you mention oven temperature in your recipes is it fan forced or normal? If normal, do I decrease temperature by 20c as mine is fan forced?

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      Hi Nimah, where it matters, I’ll specify the two temps required. If I have only one listed, then it’s the same for all oven types. N x

      Reply

  9. Brian says

    5 stars
    Made this tonight, with basa and normal tasty cheese. It actually made us full after two. Will definitely be making these burgers again. So delicious.

    Reply

  10. shilps says

    Hi Nagi, Im a great fan of your recipes. The filet o fish turned out lovely but the breadcrumbs did not brown as much as yours even after 10 mins

    Reply

  13. GINA says

    Can I not use this dredge batter followed by breadcrumbs step for frying too (Instead of the schnitzel flour-egg-breadcrumb formula)?

    Reply

  14. Geraldine says

    5 stars
    Super easy to make and delicious! Brought back my teens years when this was my ‘go to’ menu item! My husband, who is not a fan of fish, love this and even stated this is a keeper! The tarter sauce was perfect and I made mine a bit more chunky-loved the crunch of the pickle. Yes, I went all out and purchased processed cheese lol and served with lattice cut oven fries! A great Saturday supper complete with Netflix! Thanks again Nagi!

    Reply

  15. Amira says

    5 stars
    I’m pregnant and have been craving a fish sandwich … I also didn’t want the extra calories or mystery fish you might be served at fast food joints… THIS WAS PERFECT! I used cod (which was delicious but very flaky) and a pretzel bun. Otherwise the recipe was easy to follow and seriously so good that my husband is asking for it again, the next day 😉

    Reply
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