Deep Fried Kokanee Salmon Recipe

There’s something magical about fish that crackles when you bite into it. While smoked or baked kokanee has its place, sometimes you just want something crispy, salty, and satisfying—especially after a long day on the lake. Deep fried kokanee salmon delivers just that. It’s fast, flavorful, and hard not to love. Whether you’re feeding a crew, looking to win over someone who’s “iffy” on fish, or just craving a golden-fried treat, this recipe might become your new post-fishing favorite.

Why Deep Fry Kokanee

If I could only have fish one way, as much as I love smoked salmon, I’d have to go with fried. I haven’t ever had fried fish that wasn’t delicious. That crispy breading just goes fantastic with fish. Kokanee, and most other salmon, tends to already be more oily, so why deep fry kokanee? Even though kokanee is oily, its a pretty lean fish. Its the easiest salmon species to have dry out on you when you’re cooking.

If you deep fry your kokanee salmon right, it retains the moisture and comes out incredible. This is also a great recipe for kids. I told my 3 year old they were fishy nuggets, and then I told him they were for grownups and he couldn’t have any, and then he ate a whole plate full. Another reason to deep fry kokanee- if you catch a lot of kokanee, a little variation helps. If you like salmon, you’ll love this recipe.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Obviously you’re going to need some kokanee fillets. I like to do this with larger sized kokanee. Anything in the 14″ range or bigger will work great. I have caught some really fat smaller kokanee, in the 10-12″ range, and you can get some fairly thick fillets off even some of those smaller ones, so feel free to give those a try as well. From there, I’ll remove the pin bones from the kokanee, either by cutting them out or pulling them out with tweezers.

You’ll then want to remove the skin. I have seen videos of people doing that with boiling water. Kokanee is too small for that. Just get your fillet knife and cut it off. From there, because I have kids, i cut them into nugget sized pieces.

I like to then put that into a little container that has a lid. I like to shake the egg wash and seasoning up to mix it all in nicely.

Egg wash and seasoning

The main ingredients for the egg wash and seasoning are obviously going to include an egg. From there, I add lemon pepper, old bay seasoning, and garlic powder. Did you know old bay doesn’t have any garlic? Add it. It helps. I don’t add any additional salt at this stage because there’s already salt in the lemon pepper and in the old bay. Also, too much salt can cause the eggs to break down more than you want.

Breading

For the breading, I like to use one part flour, one part bread crumbs, and one spoonful of corn starch. I then season that mixture with salt, pepper, and a little old bay seasoning. The corn starch is something I’ve started adding recently to my frying, and it helps.

How To Fry Kokanee: The Step-By-Step Process

After you’ve filleted and prepped the fish, you add the egg and seasoning and let it sit for a few hours, or at least over night. The longer sits, the move flavor gets into the meat. Fish can go bad fairly quickly though, so don’t let it sit for more than 48 hours. I usually will fillet the fish the night I catch them, get them in the egg wash and seasoning, then bread them the next day.

Which takes us to the next step- breading. Bread the kokanee in your mixture. I don’t like to layer my breading on kokanee. I like to go one pass, from the egg wash to the breading, and from there, I put it on a plate. I like to let them sit on the plate for a couple of minutes to moisten the breading. This helps it stick to the fish better when you go to fry it, and you’ll end up with less burned flour and breading in your oil.

For frying, like most things, you’ll want your oil to reach 350 degrees. Put your fish in the oil and cook them until the fish starts to float. That usually only takes about 2-3 minutes. From there, take it out and put it on a wire rack to let the oil drip off. If they’re in a fry basket, you can just lift that fry basket out of the oil. Salt the fish shortly after they leave the oil. The salt will stick to your fish much better if you do it right after it leaves the oil. From there, I usually put them on a plate with a paper towel, and dig in.

Pro Tips and Troubleshooting

Some mistakes I’ve bade before- I once let my breaded fillets rest in the fry basket for a few minutes to moisten before putting it all in the fryer. I was trying to dirty one less dish. What ended up happening- the breading moistened, and then stuck to the fry basket when I put it in the oil. Because of that, the fish didn’t float to the top when they were done, and that fry basket was a pain to clean. Dirty the extra dish and let it rest on a plate or tray.

The next tip- different types of bread crumbs have different textures. If you want it to be extra crunchy, go with a panko style bread crumb. If you want a lighter breading, go with a basic original bread crumb.

I’ve tried breading kokanee with cornmeal and flour before, but I didn’t like the cornmeal as much as breadcrumbs. I like the cornmeal more on white fish, like bass and catfish.

Best Sauces and Dips for Fried Kokanee

There are some obvious choices that work with most fried fish. I’m looking at you, tartar sauce. My very favorite for this recipe though is a good siracha mayo, or a siracha aioli if you’re feeling fancy. I’ve also done an old bay and lemon mayo, and that was good, but I love the flavor and heat of the siracha with the salmon. It’s a really great combo.

Sides That Go Great With Fried Kokanee

Usually, if you’re deep frying kokanee, you’re going to do other sides that go into the grease as well. Fries and tater tots are great for kids, but I really like to pair onion rings with fish. The flavors go really well together.

Another thing you might consider trying- take a couple pieces of your deep fried kokanee salmon and make some kokanee sushi out of it. Kokanee is generally hard to make part of sushi, but we made a kokanee salmon sushi recipe with fried kokanee, inspired by a tempura shrimp roll we had, and it was phenomenal. This is also a good option for the next day, if you have any leftovers after you’ve had your fish fry.

Final Thoughts

Deep frying kokanee is more than just a cooking method—it’s a celebration of your catch. The crispy texture and savory flavor make it an instant hit, whether you’re serving up baskets at the cabin, turning it into tacos, or saving a few fillets for next-day sushi rolls. With a little prep and the right oil temp, you can take your kokanee from lake to plate in a way that’s crowd-pleasing, easy to master, and endlessly adaptable. Don’t be surprised if it becomes the most requested dish after your next fishing trip!

About the Author

Lance Merrell is the creator of kokanee.fish, where he shares practical, trail-tested advice on kokanee fishing, gear, and cooking techniques that work in the real world—not just the test kitchen. He’s spent years refining how to take kokanee from lake to table in the most flavorful ways possible. From the smokehouse to the deep fryer, Lance’s recipes focus on making your catch the highlight of the meal—without overcomplicating it. When he’s not chasing schools of kokanee or testing new tackle, you’ll find him experimenting with downrigger tweaks or developing new 3D-printed gear for DIY-minded anglers.