Pan Fried King Fish Recipe with Caribbean Green Seasoning

King fish (or king mackerel) is a sturdy, delicious fish that tastes great when seasoned with Caribbean herbs and pan fried to perfection. It is a great protein to enjoy for lunch or as an easy fish dinner.

The fish fillets or steaks are so sturdy that you can fry them without even battering them. I prefer adding a light dusting of flour though. But you can certainly make this gluten free by leaving the flour out completely.

If you enjoy fried fish recipes, I have a few more on the blog including these fried red snapper and fried shark recipes.

This post contains affiliate links.

Ingredients for fried king fish

How to make this pan fried king fish recipe

Prepare the king fish fillets

If you’ve bought frozen king fish fillets, be sure to defrost them fully before preparing them. If you’ve bought the fillets fresh, then scrape off any blood you see on the bone. When you’re done, give the pieces a quick rinse.

Next, rub the fish with flour and juice from the lime. Massage them into the fillets for a minute or so to remove the freshness and any fishiness from the protein. Then, rinse off the fillets.

Season

I usually use salt, Caribbean green seasoning, turmeric and pepper to season the fish. The green seasoning here is made by grinding garlic, chadon beni or culantro leaves, pepper and sometimes a small piece of ginger. Of course, you can add any of your favorite herbs here or substitute culantro for the milder cilantro.

I use turmeric powder in many of my meals for its health benefits and enjoy adding a pinch of it here and there, like in this recipe. You can leave it out if you like.

Mix the seasonings into the fish. You can fry immediately or refrigerate for about 15 minutes so the seasoning soaks in. This is how to make king fish taste amazing. Those seasonings infuse into the flesh and add so much wonderful flavor.

Fry the fillets

When you are ready to fry the fillets, place a small pot on medium heat. Add a little vegetable oil to the pot and leave to heat up.

I’ve mentioned already that king fish fillets are sturdy so they hold their own shape without batter when frying. But, I like a crispy crust, so I usually rub a little flour mixed with black pepper all over the fillets.

When the oil is nice and hot, add the fillets. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on one side before flipping and cooking for another 4 to 5 minutes (total cook time is about 8-10 minutes).

When the king fish is cooked, its flesh goes from dark and translucent to white and flaky. Serve hot with dhal and rice or fried rice, macaroni pie, and stewed red beans.

More fish recipes

Caribbean pan fried king fish recipe

Pin this: