If you love smelt, then this is THE recipe for you. This fried smelt is fresh, light, and crispy, with a clean seafood flavor. Paired with an easy and bright lemon-caper aioli, these fried fish are quick, easy, and absolutely delicious to make at home. If you don’t love smelt because you have never tried it or because small fish isn’t your thing, this recipe might just make it ‘your thing’.
Smelt is a family of small fish typically between 6-8 inches in length. Born in fresh water, then returning to the sea, smelt can be found in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as well as in freshwater rivers and lakes.
Similar to anchovies and sardines, these little fish are nutrient-rich, packed with omega-3s, and are a great source of protein. In terms of flavor, they are relatively mild compared to anchovies. So why don’t you see these little fish on more menus? Some people consider them only as bait fish, and some don’t see the value in them, but if you are someone like me, you just see them as delicious.
Surprisingly, I bought the bag of smelt from my local grocery chain in the frozen fish section. Always check there first. The next resort would be to give your local fish markets a call; sometimes, they will have them frozen. If you are in a fishing heavy town, they may even have them fresh.
Yes, I know it might sound annoying to clean out the bellies of every fish, but the innards are bitter and will make them taste very unpleasant. It is possible to buy them pre-cleaned, or if your fish market sells them, they may be able to gut them for you.
Honestly I haven’t had to do this since the smelt that I bought were already gutted and ready to cook. However I do have experience gutting small fish and for the most part it is pretty much the same
No we aren’t making aioli from scratch. Truth be told even I have issues emulsifying the egg. This quick and easy aioli is acidic, briny, and the perfect accompaniment to these crispy fried fish.
There are two methods for cooking these smelt fish. The first, and recommended method, is to pan-fry them. The second is the easier method, which involves using the air fryer. Below are both methods along with the positives and negatives for each approach.
If you are looking for the best flavor and a crispy exterior, then pan-frying is the way to go. Cooking these little buggers in olive oil imparts SO MUCH FLAVOR. Additionally, you can immediately salt them when you remove them from the pan. However, be aware that this method is also messy—watch out for popping oil—and requires you to stand over the pan and babysit.
Prep the Smelt – If the smelt aren’t pre-cleaned and gutted please refer to the smelt passage above. Thoroughly dry the fish with a paper towel and generously salt. Working a few fish at a time, dredge the smelt in flour knocking off any excess flour. Don’t pre-dredge the fish. The longer the fish sit with flour the more they will absorb it and you won’t get a crispy crust.
Fry the Fish – Place 1/4″ inch of olive oil in a pan and heat over medium heat. Once hot, carefully once by one place them in the pan. Be careful to not overcrowd the pan. Depending on the size of your pan you may have to cook them in 2-3 batches. Cook for 3-4 minutes each side or until lightly golden in color.
Finish- Remove the fried smelt from the oil and immediately salt. When ready to eat serve with some lemon wedges and the lemon caper aioli.
I wasn’t an air fryer believer until a few months ago, but man, is this machine useful! It is the easier cooking method and doesn’t require constant babysitting. You still need to flip them, but in terms of mess and the amount of oil, it’s far less. Cooking the smelt this way doesn’t impart the delicious olive oil flavor, and the breading doesn’t get as bubbly and crispy. Nevertheless, it is a great alternative if you dislike pan-frying.”
I get it, we don’t always have to time to babysit the pan, or the desire to cook with a decent amount of oil. If this is you then I suggest you go with the air fryer. Not only is it easier, less mess, and probably less calories (from getting rid of the excess oil), but they taste almost just as good as an frying.
Prep the Smelt – If the smelt aren’t pre-cleaned and gutted please refer to the smelt passage above. Thoroughly dry the fish with a paper towel and generously salt. Working a few fish at a time, dredge the smelt in flour knocking off any excess flour. Don’t pre-dredge the fish. The longer the fish sit with flour the more they will absorb it and you won’t get a crispy crust.
Air Fry the Fish – Preheat the air fryer to 390F degrees (this takes about 3 minutes). Place the smelt in a single layer in the air fryer. Also important here to not over crowd the basket. Not only will it take longer to cook, not brown evenly, but they will stick together.
Spray generously with the spray oil before popping the basket back in and cooking for 3-4 minutes. Flip the fish and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the smelt are lightly golden in color. If you notice that there is still dry flour on the fish after the first flip, give it another spray.
Finish- When ready to eat serve with some lemon wedges and the lemon caper aioli.
Unfortunately, there is no storing or reheating this recipe. These light and crispy fried smelt are meant to be enjoyed immediately.
Want another fresh fish recipe? Try my Grilled Portuguese Sardines!
Listen i grew up with salmon, tuna and cod. That was the extent of fish for my family. But ive slowly come around to anchovies, sardines and such. So i figured id give these a shot and wow was i surprised! Delicately fried, crispy and FLAVORFUL without being the dreaded “fishy”. A+