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The Ultimate Whitebait Recipe
The best way to Cook Whitebait!
9 Amazing Whitebait Recipes
If you love fresh whitebait, you’re in for a treat. Recently, we ran a competition looking for the best ways to cook and eat whitebait, and we’ve rounded up some of our favourite recipes from the entries. We’ve got crispy fritters, hearty patties, and seasoned bites that are perfect for a feed after a day on the water. With just a few ingredients and simple steps, you’ll have a delicious meal ready in no time. So grab your gear, whip up these recipes, and enjoy a good feed!
Jump to the recipes!
Whitebait Fritter Sandwich By Tony
Fluffy Whitebait Clouds by Michelle
Fresh Waikanae River Fritters By Penny
Chilli & Lime Whitebait By Jamie
The Bestest Whitebait Fritter Recipe By Kylee
Cousin Henry's Whitebait Sandwich By Erin
Tumeke Inanga Parati By Erihapeti
Whitebait Fritter Sandwich
By Tony
This simple and delicious whitebait fritter sandwich combines fresh whitebait with a buttery fried egg mixture, served between two slices of buttered bread with a squeeze of lemon for a zesty kick. Perfect for a quick, satisfying meal!
Ingredients:
- 50 grams fresh whitebait
- 1 egg
- Pinch of salt & pepper
- 2 slices of white bread
- Spreadable butter
- Squeeze lemon
Recipe:
- Spread butter on both slices of bread.
- In a bowl, whisk the egg, then add salt, pepper, and whitebait. Mix together.
- Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat and melt a little butter in the pan.
- Pour in the eggy whitebait mixture, cooking for 1 minute on each side until golden.
- Place the fritter on one buttered slice of bread, squeeze lemon juice over the fritter, and top with the second slice of bread.
- Eat with eyes shut and enjoy ☺️
Fluffy Whitebait Clouds
By Michelle
These light, fluffy fritters combine crispy whitebait with a mix of healthy veggies, making for a tasty, nutritious meal that’s quick to whip up and sure to be a crowd favourite.
Ingredients:
- Whitebait
- Flour
- Rock salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Herbs of your choice
- 6 egg whites
- Vegetables (choose any of the following): diced cooked potatoes or kumara, diced onion or spring onion, diced capsicum, spinach, corn, cherry tomatoes, frozen mixed veggies
Recipe:
Coat the Whitebait
Toss the whitebait in flour, adding rock salt, freshly ground black pepper, and your favourite herbs.
Fry the whitebait in a pan until cooked.
Remove from the pan but keep the oil and cooking residue.
Cook the Veges
In the same pan, add your choice of veggies. Cook the vegetables until they are tender.
Set aside to cool.
Prepare the Egg Whites
In a separate bowl, beat 6 egg whites until fluffy. Gently fold in the whitebait and cooked vegetables. If you want to add fresh ingredients like spinach or cherry tomatoes, now’s the time.
Cook the Fritters
Spoon the mixture back into the pan you used earlier. You can make the fritters pancake-sized or smaller, like pikelets.
Cook until golden and enjoy! These fritters won’t last long—everyone will be diving in, and it's a sneaky way to add some healthy veggies to the meal.
Fried Whitebait
By Coral
These crispy whitebait bites are coated in a flavourful mixture of flour, egg, and breadcrumbs, then fried to golden perfection. Paired with a zesty spicy mayo and a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime, they make for an irresistible appetiser or snack!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon salt (sea salt recommended)
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- Pepper to taste
- Chopped chives
- Chopped parsley
- Breadcrumbs (you can use stale bread processed into thick crumbs)
- Duck fat, beef fat, or coconut oil (for frying)
- Freshly squeezed lemon or lime
- Spicy mayo (mix sriracha, mayo, salt, pepper, parsley, and lemon juice)
Recipe:
Prepare the Mixtures
In a bowl, mix together 1 cup of flour and 1 tablespoon of salt.
In a separate bowl, crack an egg and mix it.
Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, pepper, chopped chives, and chopped parsley. Mix well.
In a third bowl, add breadcrumbs (stale bread processed into thick crumbs).
Cooking the Whitebait
In a cast iron pan, add duck fat, beef fat, or coconut oil and heat until hot.
Pat the whitebait dry. Toss in the flour mixture, then dip into the egg mixture, and finally coat with the breadcrumbs.
Fry in batches, stirring to prevent sticking, until golden brown (about 2-3 minutes per batch).
Drain the fried fish on paper towels or a wire rack. If making a large batch, keep them warm in the oven.
Serve
Serve hot with freshly squeezed lemon or lime and spicy mayo. Enjoy immediately for the best taste!
Whitebait Chips
By Aaron
These crispy, golden whitebait are lightly seasoned and fried to perfection, making for a quick, savoury snack or appetiser that's best enjoyed hot with a sprinkle of salt.
Ingredients:
- Fresh whitebait
- Flour
- Salt & pepper
- Cooking oil
Recipe:
- Drain the whitebait in a sieve
- Dredge the whitebait in flour and shake off the excess
- Season the whitebait with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a pan until hot, then fry the whitebait until just golden.
- Remove the whitebait from the pan and drain on handy towels.
- Sprinkle on a bit more salt and enjoy.
Fresh Waikanae River Fritters
By Penny
These delicious whitebait patties are light, fluffy, and packed with flavour, perfect when served with fresh bread, butter, and a squeeze of lemon.
Ingredients:
- 300g fresh whitebait
- 2 free-range eggs
- Salt & pepper (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon flour
Recipe:
Prepare the Batter
In a bowl, beat the eggs with a fork.
Add the flour, black pepper, and a little ground salt, mixing until combined.
Gently fold in the fresh whitebait using a fork.
Heat the Pan
In a frying pan, heat some butter and a little oil over medium heat.
Cook the Patties
Pour the whitebait batter into the pan, either forming individual patties or one large pan-sized patty.
Cook for a few minutes on each side until golden brown.
Stack the cooked patties to keep warm.
Serve
Serve the whitebait patties with fresh white bread, butter, and lemon wedges for squeezing over.
Chilli & Lime Whitebait
By Jamie
These crispy whitebaits are seasoned with a flavourful chilli and lime mix, delivering a perfect balance of spice and tang. Quick to prepare and deliciously satisfying, they make for an irresistible snack!
Ingredients:
- Fresh whitebait
- Salt & Pepper
- Chili
- Flour
- Cooking Oil
- Lime Juice
Recipe:
Prepare the Spice Mix
Using a mortar and pestle, crush together the salt, pepper, and chili to create a seasoning mix.
Prepare the Whitebait
Place the whitebait in a colander, rinse well, and pat dry.
Coat the whitebait in flour and shake off any excess.
Fry the Whitebait
Heat oil in a pot to approximately 190 degrees Celsius.
Once the oil is at the right temperature, carefully add the whitebait and cook for approximately 90 seconds until golden.
Drain and Season
Remove the whitebait from the oil and drain on paper towels.
Season the whitebait with the salt and chili mix, and garnish with a squeeze of lime juice.
Optional Chilli Mayo: If desired, mix equal parts sweet chilli sauce and mayo for a dipping sauce.
The Bestest Whitebait Fritter Recipe
By Kylee
This fun recipe celebrates fresh whitebait, combining just three key ingredients to create perfectly crispy fritters. With no fuss and no flour, these fritters are all about the simple whitebait!
Ingredients:
- Fresh whitebait
- 1 egg
- Salt & pepper
Recipe:
Step 1: Whitebait, the star of the show (duh!). Fresh and wriggly for that extra flavour.
Step 2: One egg – and I mean ONE! This isn’t an egg festival, people. Just enough to hug those little fishies together, like a cozy blanket of goodness.
Step 3: Salt n’ Pepper – Keep it simple. No other spices or fancy ingredients have any business in here.
And that’s IT! Don’t even think about adding flour…we’re not baking bread! Flours got no place here. And NO, this is NOT an omelette – so keep your eggy ambitions in check.
The goal? Fritter perfection. Crispy on the outside, whitebait-y bliss on the inside. 🤙😍
Cousin Henry's Whitebait Sandwich
By Erin
Packed with fresh whitebait and simple seasonings, these delicious patties are pan-fried to a squeeze of lemon and a cold beer.
Ingredients:
- 500 grams of wriggling cascade whitebait
- 2 large eggs
- Salt
Cracked black pepper - 10 slices of Tip Top toast bread
- Butter
- Lemons
- Optional: Aioli (for serving)
Recipe:
Prepare the Whitebait Mixture
In a bowl, whisk the eggs with a fork. Season with salt and cracked black pepper.
Fold in the whitebait and set aside.
Prepare the Bread
Lightly butter both sides of the 10 slices of Tip Top toast bread.
Quarter the lemons for squeezing later.
Heat the Pan
Fire up your gas ring or beach bonfire and heat a large cast iron frying pan.
Add a heart-attack size knob of salted butter to the pan.
Wait until the butter reaches the nut-brown stage (melted and smelling nutty).
Cook the Patties
Using a large kitchen spoon, scoop out your first patty and place it in the sizzling pan (aim for 5 patties total).
Once each patty is firm and perfectly coloured, flip it over.
Leave the pan on heat for another minute or two, then pull it off the heat.
Assemble and Serve
Lay out the buttered toast, load in the patties, (add store bout aioli from the haast garage if you're from Auckland) and squeeze lemon juice over them.
Top with another slice of toast and enjoy with a cold beer!
P.s I love fishing, and I think what you guys do is cool 😎
Tumeke Inanga Parati
By Erihapeti
These airy, high-rise inanga fritters are cooked to golden perfection and served with a touch of Japanese mayo and sea salt for an irresistible bite!
Ingredients:
- 3 egg whites
- 500 grams fresh Inanga (whitebait)
- Half a teaspoon of fish sauce
- One tablespoon of cornstarch
- Butter and oil to cook
- Japanese mayo to serve
Recipe:
Prepare the Egg Whites
In an oil-free, well-washed, and dried bowl, place three egg whites. Whip the egg whites into stiff peaks, then add a splash of fish sauce.
Add Dry Ingredients
Gently fold in sifted cornstarch, followed by the inanga (whitebait).
Cook the Fritters
In a cast iron pan, add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of rice bran oil (or any other low-flavour cooking oil).
Heat until the mixture starts to bubble.
Spoon a dollop of the inanga mixture into the pan. Cook until browned, then flip and repeat on the other side.
Tip: Do not press the fritters flat with a spatula! Keep them high-rise and fluffy.
Serve
Serve the fritters with Japanese mayo and a sprinkle of sea salt. Tumeke!
