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This pecan crusted flounder is a recipe that I’ve been making about once a week at our house. The crunchy, nutty crust topped with pastured butter really makes it a comfort food we all love.
Finely chopped nuts mimic the crunchy delicious texture of fried fish (without all the frying in rancid processed oil). The kids love fish baked this way … especially dipped in homemade ketchup!
Pecan Crusted Flounder vs. Fried Frish
I first tried this nut “breaded” fish at a favorite restaurant of ours that closed and loved it. I knew I had to find a way to make it at home.
After a few attempts I found that it wasn’t that hard to make and only required a few ingredients … and so a new family favorite was born! We especially enjoy this in the winter months when warm comfort food is especially delicious.
Pecan crusted flounder is my favorite version, but any whitefish works well. (For what to consider when buying fish see this post.) Just be sure to adjust cooking times and temperature to the thickness of the fillets as flounder tends to be on the thinner side.
Add a fresh green salad on the side or a sweet potato with roasted Brussels sprouts for a great meal, or use this herb-infused compound butter in place of plain melted butter to add another layer of delish!
Healthy Grain-Free Comfort Food
Ask any kid … texture matters as much as taste when it comes to food. Often a kid (or let’s face it, grown-ups too) who won’t eat plain baked fish will eat the heartier breaded version, especially when served with dipping sauce.
Here are some other favorite savory dishes that are kid-friendly and grain-free (and a few for the grown-ups as well). Add one of these to the family meal rotation for that comfort food fix:
Grain-Free Fish Sticks – Another kid-friendly fish recipe. A coconut flour-based breading makes these baked fish sticks grain and gluten free. Can also be used as breading on whole fillets.
Grain-Free Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard – Nuts again for the win! Almond flour and pastured eggs combine to make grain free, gluten free chicken nuggets that honestly taste better than the traditional version. Homemade honey mustard dipping sauce adds more healthy fats (and makes kids happy).
Easy Coconut Shrimp – Sweet, crunchy, decadent … and healthy. Serve with piña colada or mango dipping sauce (see recipe).
Cajun Gumbolaya – This savory grain-free gumbo/jambalaya reminds me of my Louisiana roots. Chicken, sausage, shrimp, cauliflower, okra, and of course plenty of rich flavor and Cajun seasoning make this real comfort food for our family.
Parsnip Fries with Harissa Mayo – Crispy golden parsnips fried in tallow and served with a exotic creamy dip … it’s comfort food for grown-ups! (or for kids if they’re adventurous!)
Find more grain-free recipes here and in The Wellness Mama Cookbook.
Pecan Crusted Flounder Recipe
Ingredients
For the Fish:
- 4 pieces fish (such as flounder, whiting, or cod)
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup walnuts (or pecans, ground into a meal in a food processor or blender)
- ¼ cup butter (or ghee, melted)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- salt
- black pepper
For the Salad:
- lettuce (or spinach)
- pumpkin seeds
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- ¼ cup pecans (optional)
- ¼ cup feta cheese (optional)
- balsamic vinegar (or salad dressing of choice, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and make sure fish is defrosted if using frozen.
- In a bowl, whisk eggs until smooth in a bowl.
- Put ground nuts on a large plate.
- Dredge each piece of fish in egg and then dip in the ground nuts. Nut mixture will not stick as well as flour and this is ok. You should have some leftover nut meal after lightly coating the fish.
- Carefully place each piece in a large baking dish.
- After all fish is in dish, top with any remaining ground nuts and pat down.
- Pour melted butter or ghee over fillets.
- Put fish into preheated oven and bake 15-20 minutes or until cooked through and starting to flake.
- While cooking, prepare salad by washing spinach and lettuce and topping with desired toppings: pumpkin seeds, nuts, feta cheese, olive oil, and homemade dressing of choice.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Like this recipe? Check out my new cookbook, or get all my recipes (over 500!) in a personalized weekly meal planner here!
What is your favorite way to prepare fish? Ever made a copycat version of a favorite recipe that turned out well? Please share!
I’d love to make the recipe but I can’t find the list of ingredients (the amount of carbs aren’t there either). As a lot of people already used the recipe, they must be somewhere??
Btw great site. Thanks for all your work.
Should be working now. We had a website glitch but got it fixed. Thanks for the heads up.
Made it tonite, so delicious! I added a little whole wheat flour to the pecan before blending and to hold the meal to the fish better.
I can’t have eggs – any other ideas for “dredging”?
This post should help: https://wellnessmama.com/37022/egg-substitute-for-baking/
Really enjoy this recipe, will make it again.
I love pesto crusted fish. Works with every kind of fish I’ve tried it with. Just rub down the fish with a healthy helping of pesto and bake. Works best at a lower temp so the pesto has more time to crisp without burning the fish. Gonna try this new recipe soon though! 🙂
Had this for dinner tonight. So yummy!
This sounds great! My roommate and I are always looking for ways to dress up fish.
I put the butter on top of the fish as it baked. Is that where it should go? It was great!
Yep, on top 🙂
Also requesting the recipe for homemade Ketchup!!
Check Katies’ recipes for condiments, the ketchup recipe is in there somewhere 🙂
OK so we made this last night. Agreed, GREAT dish for adults. My two kiddos were so-so with it, but I think I baked the fish (tilapia)a bit too long because I cut it up into smaller portions first and so it cooked faster on all sides. Definitely one I will be doing again. Thank you for posting. 🙂 Also, (maybe I have missed it?), but I can’t find a recipe for home made ketchup on here… would you mind posting it as I have a ketchup-mad three year old and this would be a no-brainer for us. Thank you in advance.
Tried this tonight, we love it!!!! Thank you
One comment though, where does the butter come into play I don’t think you mention it in the recipe. I mixed mine up with the eggs LOL!