Campfire Pan-Seared Fish

This campfire pan-seared fish is made with fish seared in butter and oil cooked over a fire (or on a camp stove). Make this on your next camping trip!

Does your camping trip also happen to be a fishing trip?

Or would you like to extend your range of campfire recipes to include fish? I once might have considered that a bit ambitious — and there can be a bit of a learning curve. But the results are worth it!

I'll walk you through how to make campfire pan-seared fish, along with some common concerns and best tips.

Also, if you prefer to use a camp stove so that it's easier to monitor the temperature, that's no problem! Check the recipe card notes.

What Type of Fish Should I Use?

You can apply this technique to various types of fish, but know that some will be easier to work with than others.

Oily fish, like salmon, tend to release from the pan easily and hold together well, while white fish can be more delicate.

See the recipe card notes to get an idea of how to handle each kind — and if you're not familiar with pan-searing fish, do give it a try at home first!

Can I Make This Gluten-Free?

Normally (when you're making this at home) I'd say it's fine to skip the flour, but when you're doing it over the campfire the flour does help to keep the fish from falling apart.

That being so, gluten-free all-purpose flour should work just fine as an alternative!

Keep Store-Bought Fish Cold While Camping

If you're on a fishing trip, you're likely prepared with ice to keep your fish cold. But what if you're bringing store-bought fish? Here are some tips:

For frozen fish:

• If it came packaged in vacuum-sealed bags, remove it from the vacuum-sealed bags before thawing.
• Place the (still frozen) fish in a food storage container (I use these) and into a very cold cooler.
• Plan to make this one of your first meals at camp. How soon you need to cook it will depend on the ambient temperature and the temperature of your cooler.
• If your fish is still frozen when you're ready to cook, give it a quick 10-minute ice water bath. Make sure to pat the fish very dry after.

If you purchased refrigerated fish, you should still keep it in a very cold cooler and use it in one of your first meals at camp.

We use an Igloo BMX cooler.

What to Serve with Campfire Pan-Seared Fish

This fish would pair well with our basil pesto pasta salad, a canned green bean salad, or a raw brussels sprouts salad.

If you're camping with friends, ask one of them to bring a side dish. We recently made this fish, and friends of ours brought along some asparagus and pre-made stuffed mushrooms to cook on the fire alongside the fish.

To keep things simple, I also love serving this with a store-bought bagged salad.

How to Make Campfire Pan-Seared Fish

To begin, add oil to the pan. (A Lodge 12-inch skillet works well.) Preheat the pan over indirect campfire heat until the oil starts to shimmer.

Meanwhile, make sure that your fish is patted quite dry (for best searing results), and dust the fillets with flour, salt, pepper, and herbs.

You'll probably need to cook the fish in smaller batches so that there's enough room to flip it.

If your fillets have skins, place them skin-side down in the pan and cook until they're golden on the bottom. Cook time can vary based on thickness.

If the fish release from the pan easily, it's time to flip them. A thin metal spatula works best for this.

Divide the butter over the fillets after flipping them.

Let the fish cook for a few more minutes, until golden on both sides.

Move the cooked fillets to a plate and keep them warm while you repeat the process with the remaining fillets.

Garnish with lemon wedges, and serve while hot!