Fish schnitzel

Fish schnitzel is a fillet of white fish, usually tilapia or cod, coated in flour, egg and crumbs and fried for a few minutes until golden. It is parve, cooks faster than any other schnitzel, and as fish fingers it is how many Israeli children start eating fish.

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Dairy freeParveAllergens:GlutenEggsFish

Updated

Fish schnitzelIllustration
Time45 minCook 15 min
Amount4 portions0.8 kg
Per portion503 kcal43.7 g protein · a 190 g portion
Cost of the pot₪73for the pot, about ₪18 a bowl

The story of Fish schnitzel

Coated, fried fish is an old food all over Europe and the Mediterranean. In Jewish cooking it is a Shabbat custom: Sephardi and Portuguese Jews who settled in London were known for the fried fish they made on Friday and ate cold on Shabbat, and in mid 20th century Britain frozen fish fingers became a children's classic.

In Israel fish schnitzel is built around tilapia, the fish raised in ponds and in the Sea of Galilee and known there as St Peter's fish, and around frozen cod and hake. It is served in kindergartens and schools, at dairy or parve dinners, and on days when people want fish with no bones and no strong smell. The small strips are called fish fingers.

What makes Fish schnitzel itself

Fish cooks much faster than chicken and flakes easily, so fish schnitzel asks for a gentle hand and speed. The fillet is dried well, salted just before coating and covered in a mix of crumbs and panko that gives crunch without a thick shell. Two to three minutes a side at 175 °C are enough, turned with a wide spatula. It is parve, but kosher custom does not serve fish and meat together on one plate.

Fish schnitzel for any number of people

Change the number of people and the portion size, and every ingredient updates in grams, with the cost, calories and protein per portion.

Portion size
Units
0.8kg of food
3Pot to use, litres
₪73Cost of the pot
₪18per portion
503kcal per portion
43.7g protein per portion
IngredientAmountCost
The fish
Tilapia or cod fillet, skinless, in 100 to 120 g pieces700 g · 6 pcs₪63
Lemon, zest for seasoning and wedges for serving100 g · 1 pcs₪1.3
Salt, half for the fish and half for the eggs5 g₪0.0
White pepper1 g₪0.3
Sweet paprika2 g₪0.2
The coating
Plain flour50 g₪0.3
Eggs110 g · 2 pcs₪2.7
Breadcrumbs80 g₪1.1
Panko crumbs80 g₪3.6
Frying
Canola oil for frying, the amount absorbed (about 400 ml in the pan)50 g₪0.8
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Shelf prices at a large Israeli chain and specialty shops, October 2026. Nutrition from the ingredients in grams, before cooking.

How many calories in Fish schnitzel? Nutrition facts and calorie calculator

Change the amount of any ingredient, drop one, or pick a lighter version, and the numbers per serving update at once: calories, fat, carbs, protein, sodium and fibre.

Fish schnitzel has 265 calories per 100 g. A 190 g serving made with our recipe has 503 calories: 43.7 g protein, 16.8 g fat and 40.4 g carbohydrates.

Lighter

Ingredients, for the whole recipe

  • 6 pcs161 kcal per serving
  • 1 pcs7 kcal per serving
  • 5 g0 kcal per serving
  • 1 g1 kcal per serving
  • 2 g1 kcal per serving
  • 50 g46 kcal per serving
  • 2 pcs39 kcal per serving
  • 80 g72 kcal per serving
  • 80 g74 kcal per serving
  • 50 ml102 kcal per serving

What each add-on adds to Fish schnitzel

Values for the amount in the row, from the national food database.

Add-onCaloriesProtein, gFat, g
One large egg837.35.5
A tablespoon of oil122013.8

How to make Fish schnitzel

In cook mode the screen stays on, tap a step when it is done, and the timers run next to each step.
  1. Thaw frozen fish overnight in the fridge. Pat every piece very dry between paper towels, and cut off the thin tail end of the fillet separately so the pieces are of similar thickness.
  2. Set up three plates: flour with the paprika, eggs beaten with half the salt and the lemon zest, and the crumbs mixed with the panko.
  3. Only now season the fish with salt and white pepper on both sides.
  4. Dip each piece into the flour and shake, into the egg and let it drip, then into the crumbs, pressing lightly. Lay on a tray and chill for 10 minutes.
  5. Heat about 400 ml oil in a wide pan, about 1 cm deep, to 175 °C.
  6. Fry 3 pieces per batch, 2 to 3 minutes a side, until golden. Turn once with a wide spatula, not with tongs.
  7. Check the thickest piece: the flesh is white and opaque and flakes apart, and a thermometer reads 63 °C.
  8. Move to a rack for a minute and serve at once with lemon wedges.

The science of Fish schnitzel

Kitchen science

Why fish flakes and chicken does not

Fish muscle is built of layers of short fibres separated by thin sheets of collagen. Fish collagen melts at a far lower temperature than that of land animals, so the fish falls into flakes as soon as it is cooked. That is why it is fried briefly, turned once with a wide spatula and not moved around.

Kitchen science

Why dry and salt at the last moment

A fish fillet holds more water than chicken breast. Salt draws water from the cells to the surface, and if the fish is salted early it sits in a small puddle, the flour turns to paste and the coating falls off. Drying well and salting just before the flour keep a clean, tacky layer for the egg to grip.

Kitchen science

Temperature and colour

At 175 °C the water in the coating turns to steam at once, and the steam pressure limits how much oil gets in. The crumbs undergo the Maillard reaction and turn golden in 2 to 3 minutes, just as the fish reaches 63 °C. In hotter oil the coating darkens before the centre is done.

Kitchen science

Why lemon goes with fish

The smell of fish comes mainly from compounds called amines. An acid, such as lemon juice, binds to them and turns them into salts that do not evaporate, so the smell and taste become gentler. Lemon zest in the egg adds aroma without wetting the coating.

Kitchen science

Why a rack and not a plate

Fish releases a lot of steam even after frying. On a plate or paper the steam condenses back to water and softens the coating, and as the schnitzel cools it draws surface oil inside. A rack lets the steam escape and keeps the coating crisp.

Fish schnitzel in every kitchen

Fish fingers

Strips 2 by 8 cm, a minute and a half a side. For children skip the pepper and serve with ketchup or tahini.

Baked fish schnitzel

Mix 30 ml oil into the crumbs and bake on a rack at 220 °C for 12 to 14 minutes, without turning.

Salmon schnitzel

Salmon slices 1.5 cm thick. Salmon is oily, so it stays juicy; fry 3 minutes a side over slightly lower heat.

Moroccan spiced

Cumin, paprika and ground coriander in the flour, chopped parsley in the crumbs. Serve with tahini and lemon.

Panko and sesame

Panko only with a spoon of sesame, a coarse, very crisp Japanese style coating, with soy sauce and lemon.

For Pesach

Potato starch instead of flour, and matzo meal instead of crumbs and panko.

Common Fish schnitzel problems and how to fix them

The fish schnitzel falls apart in the pan

It was turned more than once, handled with tongs, or the fish was too thin. Fry 3 pieces at a time, turn once with a wide spatula, and buy thick fillets.

The coating falls off the fish

The fish was wet or salted too early. Dry well, season just before the flour, and chill for 10 minutes before frying.

The fish schnitzel came out greasy

The oil was too cool or the pan was crowded. Fry at 175 °C, 3 pieces per batch, and drain on a rack.

The fish is dry inside

It was fried too long, usually because the thin end was fried with the thick part. Cut pieces of even thickness and take them out when the flesh flakes, at 63 °C.

A strong fish smell in the house

The fish was not fresh, was thawed at room temperature, or the oil had been used before. Thaw in the fridge, fry in clean oil and serve with lemon.

Storing, freezing and reheating

2 days

In the fridge

2 months, coated and unfried

In the freezer

2+4

To cool

Bring it from 60 to 21 °C within two hours and down to 5 °C within four more. Split a big pot into shallow boxes.

75 °C

Reheating

In a hot 200 °C oven on a rack for 6 to 7 minutes, or in an air fryer at 180 °C for 4 minutes. Fry frozen fish schnitzel straight from the freezer, one extra minute a side.

Nutrition of Fish schnitzel

From our recipe, per bowl and per 100 g, next to the national food database.

ServingkcalProtein, gFat, gCarbs, gFibre, g
Our recipe, a 190 g portion50343.716.840.43.1
Our recipe, 100 g26523.08.821.31.6

What the ingredients of Fish schnitzel cost

What each ingredient costs in one pot, and where to buy it.

IngredientPriceIn this potWhere to buy
Tilapia or cod fillet, skinless, in 100 to 120 g pieces₪90 per kg₪63Supermarket
Panko crumbs₪44 per kg₪3.6Supermarket
Eggs₪1.4 each₪2.7Supermarket
Lemon, zest for seasoning and wedges for serving₪1.4 each₪1.3Greengrocer
Breadcrumbs₪14 per kg₪1.1Supermarket
Canola oil for frying, the amount absorbed (about 400 ml in the pan)₪15 per litre₪0.7Supermarket
Plain flour₪5.9 per kg₪0.3Supermarket
White pepper₪250 per kg₪0.2Supermarket
Sweet paprika₪86 per kg₪0.2Supermarket
Salt, half for the fish and half for the eggs₪2.1 per kg₪0Supermarket

Shelf prices at a large Israeli chain and specialty shops, October 2026, VAT included. Vegetable prices change with the season.

Fish schnitzel and its culture

Fish schnitzel is a kindergarten and school lunch, a midweek dinner, and a dish that suits a home that eats dairy in the evening. Many parents serve fish fingers to get children eating fish, because the crisp coating looks like an ordinary schnitzel and the pieces have no bones.

In Jewish communities abroad fried fish is part of the Shabbat table, and at events it is a parve dish that also suits a dairy meal. On party trays it is served apart from the chicken schnitzels, with lemon and tahini, because kosher custom keeps fish and meat out of the same dish.

Make Fish schnitzel a meal

Shabbat

Ready Shabbat food

Soup, hamin, mains and sides, with a quantity calculator and prices.

Plan Shabbat
Hosting

Hosting trays

9 trays to go with the soup, with a planner by number of guests.

Tray planner
Events

Catering

A whole menu in grams per guest, with a reheating table.

Menus

What to serve with Fish schnitzel

Serve with lemon wedges, tahini or lemon mayonnaise, mashed potato or chips and a chopped salad. For children: fish fingers with rice and sweetcorn.

Fish schnitzel in large quantities: events, offices and communities

How much of everything by number of guests, at a 190 g portion. For trays, catering and community kitchens.

Guestskg of food3 kg traysCost of ingredients
254.82₪456
509.54₪912
100197₪1,825
2003813₪3,649
5009532₪9,123

Every ingredient for any number of guests is in the calculator above: type the number of people.

Order Fish schnitzel

A ready pot for Shabbat, an event or the office, ordered ahead.

  • Cooked to order, for Shabbat, an event or the office.
  • Tell us how many people and when, and we send a quote.
  • Delivery in Tel Aviv from ₪35, free over ₪750.
Ask for a quote for Fish schnitzel

Order Fish schnitzel for a large event

Large orders in Israel and abroad: events, offices, synagogues, communities and institutions.

  • In Israel: cooked in Tel Aviv and delivered to events in the area, and to large events anywhere in the country on a quote.
  • Abroad: for communities, events and restaurants. Tell us where, how many and when, and we come back with a quote and options.
  • Institutional quantities and a shopping list for any number of guests, in the calculator above.
Ask for a large-order quote

Frequently asked questions

Which fish is best for schnitzel?

A lean white fish with a thick fillet: tilapia, cod, hake or sea bass. Salmon works too, but it is oilier and needs slightly lower heat.

How long do you fry fish schnitzel?

2 to 3 minutes a side in oil at 175 °C, for a fillet 1 to 1.5 cm thick. Fish fingers need a minute and a half a side.

How do I make fish schnitzel in the oven?

Coat as usual, mix 30 ml oil into the crumbs and bake on a rack at 220 °C for 12 to 14 minutes, without turning.

How do I make fish fingers for kids?

Cut the fillet into strips 2 by 8 cm, season with salt only, coat and fry a minute and a half a side. Serve with ketchup, tahini or rice.

Is fish schnitzel parve?

Yes. Fish and eggs are parve, so it can be served at a dairy meal. Kosher custom does not serve it together with meat on one plate.

Can I use frozen fish for schnitzel?

Yes. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, press gently and dry it well, because thawed fish releases a lot of water.

What do you serve with fish schnitzel?

Lemon, tahini or lemon mayonnaise, mashed potato or chips, and a chopped salad. At a dairy meal add a yogurt and dill sauce.

How many calories are in Fish schnitzel?

A 190 g portion of Fish schnitzel made with our recipe has about 503 calories and 43.7 g of protein. Per 100 g: 265 calories.

How much does it cost to make Fish schnitzel at home?

A tray or pot of 4 portions costs about ₪73 at Israeli shelf prices in October 2026, about ₪18 a portion. The calculator above works it out for any number of people.

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