Pan-Fried Sole Fillet

A crisp and crunchy bread-less “breaded” Pan-fried Sole Fillet. Dried onion, Parmesan and spices are all you need for a delicious golden crust. A super versatile quick and easy recipe that can put dinner on the table in no time!

Forget store-bought panko bread crumbs, they often contain a lot of processed ingredients. In an effort to make this fish dish super flavorful but still clean, I came up with this delicious alternative “breading”.

Also, fish is an excellent protein to include in your diet. It is full of omega-3 fatty acids, which are healthy fats. You can check out my fish and seafood recipes for more delicious and healthy meal ideas.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Sole Fillet – any fish fillet works here but sole fish is awesome because it’s so thin and needs only 1 minute per side to cook. The best alternative in my opinion is haddock fillet.
• Dried Onion – they are suuuuper flavorful and “just onions”. Perfectly clean and healthy.
• Parmesan – other hard cheese can work but is higher in fat and will melt. Parmesan is great because it can withstand a lot of heat and doesn’t easily burn.
• Spices – paprika, oregano, sea salt, and pepper are super flavorful and work wonderfully for fish but the sky is the limit. Add any spices you love to your onion parmesan mix.
• Eggs – eggs are necessary to serve as “glue” for the crust. I do not recommend replacing or omitting the eggs.

How to Cook Pan-Fried Sole Fillet

1. Take the sole fillets out of the fridge and pat them dry with a paper towel.
2. Preheat a large pan over medium heat.
3. Get two large flat bowls big enough to fit a fillet into it. Add 2 eggs to the first bowl and whisk until completely liquid and not snotty anymore.
4. Add 1/2 cup dried onion, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 tsp sweet paprika, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp sea salt and 1/2 tsp pepper to the second bowl and mix until well combined.
5. Submerge the entire sole fillet in the whisked eggs. Then transfer to the bowl with the crust ingredients and press lightly to ensure it is completely covered.
6. Add 1 tsp butter to the hot pan and place 2-3 sole fillets at a time, make sure to not overcrowd them. Pan-fry for only 1 minute on one side, then flip and fry for another minute on the other side.
7. Serve immediately and drizzle fresh lemon juice all over.

Choose a carb and a vegetable as side dish. My favorite side dishes for any type of fish are sweet potatoes and green beans. You can also serve it with a delicious salad.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does Sole Fish Taste Like?

Fresh Sole fish fillet is practically tasteless. It acquires whatever flavors you put on it. It’s the perfect fish to get creative with spices and crusts because in and of itself it doesn’t have a strong flavor.

Does Sole Smell Fishy?

As always, fish has to be very fresh to not smell and taste “fishy”. The older the fish (any fish), the fishier the smell and taste. Go to a fishmonger to get fresh or buy it frozen and defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then once defrosted pat dry with a kitchen towel and immediately cook. Do not let sit in its defrosted juices for hours on end.

What’s The Best Way To Cook Sole Fish Fillet?

Hands down pan frying! This fish fillet is cut so thinly because the whole fish is flat, that baking it dries it out. The best way to keep it moist is to pan fry for only 1 minute per side and serve immediately.

This recipe is inspired by Garden in the Kitchen’s Onion Parmesan Crusted Salmon.