Best Frozen Fish Fillets [Taste Test]

Let’s start with the bare minimum: The best frozen fish fillets don’t taste like a sponge. And they don’t taste like fish food. They taste like fish. Good, clean, flaky, fresh fish—that happens to be coated in something crispy and delicious. 

Frying fish is hard. And cleaning up after you fry fish is even harder. Luckily, a few brands out there (but mostly Gorton’s, surprise, surprise) make frozen fish fillets that require just heating and eating. And they’re available in a variety of breadings and batters. But they’re not all good. I cranked up the oven (okay, it was our in-office combo airfryer/toaster oven) and prepared nine different frozen fish fillets in order to find out which ones are worth your hard earned money and freezer space.

Best TV Dinner

These frozen fish fillets taste like when your parents go out and leave you at home with a babysitter whose cooking skills begin and end with turning on the oven. It’s one step above a fish stick but in a very satisfying way. The breading is very buttery and garlic powdery with a melange of herb flavors you can’t quite pinpoint. It has a nice crunch and the breading stays intact, which is more than I can say for most of the homemade fried fish I’ve attempted. These are the best frozen breaded fish fillets for a throwback meal of fried fried fish, steamed green beans, and gently warmed canned corn.

Credit: Merc / Albertsons

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

Best for Fish Sandwiches

These are the best frozen fish fillets for a homemade Filet-O-Fish. The fish is really savory and coated in a crispy battered crust that stays put. Put one on a bun slathered with tartar sauce, top it with some American cheese and pickle slices, and take a bite. It’s a frozen fish fillet you’ll keep coming back to if you’re a fish sandwich fanatic.

Credit: Merc / Target

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best Breaded

The top three best frozen fish fillets were pretty close in quality, so it comes down to style preference. Trader Joe’s takes the crown for best breaded frozen fish fillets. The sizable fillets are coated in a textured mix of seasoned breadcrumbs and the fish itself is still flaky—not spongy at all. I’d serve this for a weeknight dinner next to some mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli, with a little dollop of tartar sauce on the side.

Credit: Merc

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best Beer Battered

Have you ever had beer battered fish that actually tasted like beer? I hadn’t until I tried these frozen fish fillets. And I loved it. The battered crust is the hero here—even though it did flake away more than many of the other fillets on this list. This is the best frozen fish fillet for a classic fish and chips dinner. Shake some frozen french fries around the fillets, bake, and serve with malt vinegar and a pint of your best bitter (or your best IPA if you’re not into British-style brews). 

Credit: Merc / Target

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

The beer battered fillets might be the best frozen fish fillets for fish and chips, but these potato-coated pollock fillets are like fish and chips in one bite. The crust is extremely potato-y and very crunchy. This is a new category of fried fish that I haven’t had before. And it satisfies the quality of being something I would not attempt to make from scratch at home. It’s a dinnertime innovation and it’s ready for your enjoyment in just 20 minutes.

Credit: Merc / Vons

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Other frozen fish fillets we tried: Van de Kamp’s Crispy Battered Fillets, Gorton’s Parmesan Crusted Fish Fillets, Gorton’s Crunchy Breaded, Trader Joe’s Battered Halibut

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