This Parmesan Crusted Baked Walleye is the absolute BEST way to cook up this tasty freshwater fish! This recipe features parmesan cheese, panko breadcrumbs, and various spices coated around fresh walleye fillets. It's super easy and quick to bake in the oven!
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💬 Featured Comment
"This fish is so good! Quick and easy dinner that the whole family loved after ice fishing." Thanks for the kind words, Susan!
Growing up, I was an avid fisherman (Dan here). We had a family cabin in northern Wisconsin, where we spent the days fishing and the nights around the bonfire pit. My favorite fish to catch and eat up there was anything in the perch family - either perch or walleye!
In North America, walleye is widely regarded as a favorite fish to catch and eat. That's because they're fun to catch and also taste great. Walleye meat is described as very tender, mild-flavored, and not very "fishy".
There's nothing more satisfying than catching a walleye and then cooking it to perfection to enjoy and eat! Whether you're catching your own walleye or getting them from the grocery store, this baked walleye recipe will turn that fillet into a fine-cooked meal!
Looking for other fish meals to try? Check out our Air Fryer Walleye, Ensenada Fish Tacos, and Honey Mustard Fried Walleye for more delicious fish recipes!
How to Make Parmesan-Crusted Walleye
Step one: prepare
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking tray with foil and spray with non-stick cooking oil or butter. If your fish is frozen, thaw it completely.
Step two: set up your breading station
Crack an egg onto a shallow bowl and whisk it. Then, grate parmesan cheese into a separate bowl with the remaining dry ingredients and stir.
Step three: prepare your walleye fillets
Cut the skin off your walleye fillets if needed. Use a filet knife or the sharpest nonserrated knife you have! Then, pat the fillets with a paper towel on both sides so that they're dry.
Step four: coat the fish
Dip one fillet into the egg to completely coat it with egg. Then, dip it into the bowl with the dry ingredients to coat it with the dry ingredients. Next, place the fillet on the baking sheet. Repeat with the other fillet. Then, sprinkle any remaining dry ingredients on top of the fish.
Step five: bake your walleye fillets!
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. The fish should be white and flakey on the inside and golden brown on the outside when it's done. Remove from oven, top with lemon juice, and enjoy!
prefer to watch how to make this baked walleye?
helpful tips (aka how to be an expert walleye cook)
- Cutting off the skin is easier the sharper the knife you have. Also, it is best with a nonserrated knife. If you use a serrated knife it's tough to slice back and forth because of how slippery the fish is. If you need a fillet knife you can get one on Amazon here!
- When using frozen, let the walleye thaw completely before cooking. Otherwise, the batter won't stick and moisture will release when cooked. This will create steam that will make the breading soggy and not crisp.
- Pat the fish dry, like really dry! This breading does not stick if you don't so it's super important to pat the fish dry. I should note that walleye is a pretty tender fish so maybe don't push too hard why patting it dry.
- If you're dairy-free, you can use vegan parmesan for just as delicious results! Vegan parmesan is one of the few vegan cheese substitutes that actually tastes good and that's coming from someone who has tried at least 10 different ones!
- If you're gluten-free, use gluten-free bread crumbs. Allergy-friendly products have come a long way and gluten-free bread crumbs make a great crusted walleye!
Ingredients and Substitutions
All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted.
Walleye Fillets: Other white fish can be used in place of walleye. For example, cod, halibut, and mahi mahi are all fish that would taste great with this recipe. White fish is a great vessel because it has a less "fishy" taste making it kid-friendly and picky-eater-approved.
Panko Breadcrumbs: Seasoned, plain, or even gluten-free panko bread crumbs work great! You can use croutons as a substitute but you'll have to grind them up so they're small enough to evenly coat the fish.
Parmesan Cheese: Parmesan cheese can be omitted, but if you choose to do this then double the amount of panko breadcrumbs.
Egg: We've tested this recipe with both mayo and eggs and a combination (because, why not?). Mayo can be used as a substitute for eggs if you prefer parmesan-crusted fish with mayo but the baked texture is less crispy.
Spices: The spices we use for this recipe are onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Steak seasoning will also work in a pinch.
Facts and Common Questions
Do you have to remove the skin on the walleye before cooking?
You do not have the remove the skin off the walleye before cooking. However, this oven-baked walleye recipe specifically breads the walleye fillet on both sides so it's crispy all the way around. If you prefer to leave the skin on you can just add breading to the flesh side of the fish!
Why do you pat fish dry before cooking?
Patting fish filets dry before cooking will help keep the breading from getting soggy. If the fish is too wet on the outside, the breading that coats the fish will absorb that water and become soggy.
How do you know when walleye is cooked?
Walleye should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, according to the FDA at the time of this post. You can tell it's done when the skin is white and flakey when you cut into it.
storage tips
Fridge: This oven-baked parmesan walleye can be saved in the fridge for 2-3 days. To reheat, microwave for 1.5 minutes. To reheat in the oven, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for five minutes.
Freezer: This fish can be frozen after it's been cooked. To reheat, thaw overnight and then use one of the reheating methods listed above.
what to serve with walleye
Try these great side dishes to go along with this baked walleye panko recipe!
- Honey Sriracha Brussels Sprouts
- Cheese Potato Bread
- Green Beans and Bacon
- Crispy Parboiled Roasted Potatoes
Did you try this and love it? Leave us a review, we would love to hear from you!
Recipe
Parmesan Crusted Baked Walleye
Ingredients
- 1 lb walleye ((2 fillets))
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup parmesan (finely grated)
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 lemon
Before you start!
If you make this recipe, please take a moment to leave us a review. We love to hear from you!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking tray with foil and spray with non-stick cooking oil or butter. If your fish is frozen, thaw it completely.
- Crack an egg onto a shallow bowl and whisk it. Then, grate parmesan cheese into a separate bowl with remaining dry ingredients and stir.
- Cut the skin off your walleye fillet's if needed. Then, pat the fillets with a paper towel on both sides so that they're dry.
- Dip one fillet into the egg to completely coat it with egg. Then, dip it into the bowl with the dry ingredients to coat it with the dry ingredients. Next, place the fillet on the baking sheet. Repeat with other fillet. Then, sprinkle any remaining dry ingredients on top of the fish.
- Bake in oven for 15 minutes. The fish should be white and flakey on the inside and golden brown on the outside when it's done. Remove from oven, top with lemon juice, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Cutting the skin off of fish is easier the sharper the knife you have. Also, it is best with a nonserrated knife. If you use a serrated knife it's tough to slice back and forth because of how slippery the fish is.
- Patting fish filets dry before cooking will help keep the breading from getting soggy. If the fish is too wet on the outside, the breading that coats the fish will absorb that water and become soggy.
Looking for more information?
Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
amazing
Thank you! We're happy to hear that you enjoyed it.
This is so tasty and so easy to make! Whole family loved it!
This fish is so good! Quick and easy dinner that the whole family loved after ice fishing.
This was so easy and very tasty! Family loved it! Thank you for this delicious recipe.
The Walleye was very good. I liked the breading. It is a recipe that I would make again without having to look at the recipe.
Thanks for trying it out, glad you liked it!
Turns out perfect every time! We like a little more spice, so we also add Cajun Two Step seasoning!
Glad to hear, thanks so much! That's a great idea to add Cajun seasoning, we love that flavor!
Great recipe, walleye is one of our favorite fish. This very easy recipe was a perfect compliment to that style of fish great job!
Thanks so much for the kind words. We're glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Delicious!! My husband said this was the best walleye he ever had. Thanks for the recipe!!
Ya!! So glad to hear it!
This recipe was quick and easy. I added some dried parsley after cooking to give it a bit of color and doubled the garlic powder as I didn't have any onion powder. We thoroughly enjoyed it!
Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it!
This is so good and easy! Thanks!
Timing and recipe works amazing with cod as well. Wonderful Friday Fish Fry at home!!!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Great recipe! We put our own spin on it and added 1/3 cup of finely chopped pistachios…it turned out amazing! Thanx for the recipe!
That sounds delicious!!
very easy and quick.
needs more spice in the breading.
Good texture, very crunchy
Thanks for making it - glad you enjoyed it! I love more spice too but our midwest family and friends don't so much 😂
I’ve made this twice, with and without the egg. Delicious recipe.
so happy to hear this!
super simple and delicious!!
This recipe is delicious! We are watching our carbs so I used Porq Italian Herb Panko Crumbs instead of regular Panko. I also broiled the fish for a few minutes at the end of the cooking time to brown-up the crumbs. Served it with a side of garden green beans. This will be our go-to recipe for walleye in the future!
Thats awesome! Love those panko crumbs!
Very light and delicious. Can’t wait to use this recipe with cod.
Thank you for the recipe!
Ya,so happy to hear this!
This is a great recipe. Making it a second time today.
We love that!!