Fried Tilapia Po Boy Recipes

Steps:

• Coat an air fryer basket with cooking spray. Rinse fish fillets and pat dry with paper towels.
• Combine flour, black pepper, salt, and garlic powder in a shallow dish. Whisk egg and water together in a second shallow dish. Combine bread crumbs and cornmeal in a third shallow dish.
• Dip each fish fillet until fully coated in the flour mixture, then in the egg mixture, and finally in the bread crumb mixture. Spray fillets with cooking spray and place in the prepared air fryer basket in a single layer, cooking in batches if necessary.
• Cook in the air fryer at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) until breaded coating is browned and fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, 6 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, salt, and dried chipotle pepper in a medium bowl. Add coleslaw mix and cilantro; toss to coat.
• Serve fish fillets in hoagie rolls. Top with chipotle slaw and queso fresco and serve with lime wedges.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Heat the oil in a large, deep heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with paper towels.
• For the fried fish po' boys: If using skin-on fish fillets, remove the skin, then cut into 4 equal pieces. Season each side of the 4 fillets with 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning. Whisk together the eggs, milk and 2 teaspoons of the Creole seasoning in a large shallow bowl, baking dish or cake pan. Whisk together the flour and the remaining 1 tablespoon of the Creole seasoning in a second large shallow bowl, baking dish or cake pan.
• Dip 2 fillets in the egg mixture and carefully shake off any excess. Dip the fillets in the flour mixture and shake off any excess. Fry the fillets, flipping halfway through, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes depending on the thickness of your fish. Transfer the fish to the second prepared baking sheet and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve. Bring the oil back to 350 degrees F, then repeat with the remaining 2 fillets.
• For the Cajun French fries: Cut the potatoes into 1 1/2-inch sticks and transfer to a large bowl of cold water. Stir until the water is cloudy. Drain the potatoes, transfer to one of the prepared baking sheets, top with paper towels, press down to blot and let sit until the potatoes are dry, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Working in batches, gently add some potatoes to the hot oil, carefully shaking the skillet if needed to make sure the potatoes are completely covered with the oil. Fry until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer the fries with a spider to the same baking sheet. Bring the oil back to 350 degrees F between batches.
• Increase the temperature of the oil to 400 degrees F. Working in batches, add the fries and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the same baking sheet, sprinkle the Creole seasoning over top and toss with tongs.
• To assemble the po' boys: Evenly spread 1/4 cup mayonnaise on each baguette half. Place 1 cup lettuce, 1/4 cup pickles, half of the tomatoes, 2 fried fish fillets and hot sauce on the bottom half. Add some fries if desired, then add the top half. Repeat with the remaining baguette, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, fried fish fillets and hot sauce.
• For the Creole mayo: Stir together the mayonnaise, Creole seasoning and hot sauce in a small bowl. Serve with the po' boys and Cajun French fries.