Guy Fieri's Fish Taco Recipe Uses a Unique Method for Extra-crispy Breading

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission.

It’s hard to flip on Food Network these days without seeing Guy Fieri. He’s got to be one of the busiest people in television. Between his travel show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and his competition shows Guy’s Tournament of Champions and Guy’s Grocery Games, it seems like we constantly end up watch marathons of Fieri’s shows, whether we meant to or not. But did you know that once upon a time, Fieri was actually the winner of Next Food Network Star, and had his own cooking show? We recently caught a clip from his show Guy’s Big Bite, and the crispy fish tacos he made looked so delicious, we knew we had to check out the recipe. And it turns out, Fieri uses a unique method that results in the crispiest fried fish around.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=z26UFb3jGlg%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Courtesy of William Morrow Cookbooks.

Fieri calls these his “Koi Fish Tacos,” but worry not — they’re made with cod, not decorative goldfish scooped up from someone’s garden pond. Fieri creates his tacos in a fairly standard way — they’re made with crispy fish, cabbage, pico de gallo, and a tequila lime aioli. But what really caught our eye was his method of breading the fish.

Courtesy of Kikkoman.

We’re used to a classic flour, eggs, breadcrumb breading method. But Fieri does something different. He marinates his fish pieces, then dredges them in tempura flour instead of plain wheat flour. Then, instead of dunking them in beaten eggs, they go into prepared tempura batter. Last but not least, they’re rolled in panko breadcrumbs, then fried.

Courtesy of Kikkoman.

If that doesn’t give you pieces of fish with a truly crunchy, crispy bite, what will? And while they’re delicious stuffed inside tacos, these are a great alternative to fish sticks, too.

However, there is something to be said about the balance between the crispy fish, the cool crunch of the shredded cabbage, the fresh pico de gallo, and the tangy, creamy tequila lime aoili. It makes the perfect bite…the perfect Big Bite, if you will.

Before you go, check out our gallery: