Quick and Easy Fried Bluegill Recipe
This fried bluegill (sunfish) recipe quickly answers the question of "can you eat bluegill?" creating a delicate, meltingly tender fried whole fish with crispy skin after just 5 minutes in a Dutch oven.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 8 to 10 bluegill, gutted and scaled
- 1 Tablespoon Sazon Goya seasoning
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- canola oil for frying
Instructions
- Catch some bluegill.
- Take the fish out of the fridge and rinse it under cold water.
- In a small bowl, combine the Sazon Goya seasoning, cumin, and oregano and set aside.
- Use game shears to remove the gills and double check to make sure you removed all of the scales, paying close attention to the scales on the belly, the head, and near the fins. You can also use the game shears to cut off all of the sharp fins if you so desire. Just be sure to leave the tail on. Eating a fried crispy fish tail is like eating a salty potato chip!
- Pat both sides of the fish dry with a couple of paper towels. Transfer the fish to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to score the fish 3 or 4 times on both sides, making the slices at an angle. This opens up the fish to the hot oil and makes it cook faster.
- Rub both sides of the fish with the mixture of Sazon Goya seasoning, cumin, and dried oregano and set aside for about 10 minutes while you heat up the oil and get ready to fry the fish.
- Add the canola oil to the Dutch oven until it is approximately 2 inches deep. Heat oil until it reaches 350 degrees F. Pre-heating the oil for this fried bluegill recipe is extremely important to prevent sticking and to keep your fish beautiful for the table.
- Carefully place the seasoned fish into the Dutch oven in one motion. Do not move the fish after placement! After about 2 minutes, flip and fry on the other side for about 3 more minutes until crispy and golden. Carefully transfer the cooked fish to a rimmed baking sheet lined with paper towels and let it rest for two minutes.
- Serve the fried bluegill with sliced watermelon and corn on the cob with lots of butter and enjoy!
