Spanish Paprika Fish Recipe

By
Lisa & Tony Sierra
Lisa & Tony Sierra
Lisa and Tony Sierra are freelance writers and Spanish food experts who lead culinary tours of the country.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 05/10/22
Spanish paprika fish

Benjamin Brandt/Getty Images

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
368 Calories
8g Fat
16g Carbs
55g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 368
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 2g 8%
Cholesterol 191mg 64%
Sodium 894mg 39%
Total Carbohydrate 16g 6%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 55g
Vitamin C 8mg 38%
Calcium 170mg 13%
Iron 3mg 14%
Potassium 1103mg 23%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Spanish cooks often use hake or sea bream for frying because it is plentiful and available everywhere in Spain. However, any solid white fish or even salmon can be used for this recipe. Fry the fish, then prepare a simple sauce of Spanish paprika, vinegar, and lemon juice. The paprika in the sauce makes this a very colorful and aromatic dish, and a good main course, especially for Lent. This is a simple fish recipe, which is perfect for beginner cooks, and those who are new to Spanish cuisine. It requires only basic cooking equipment and ingredients.

Bacalao a la Tranca is a similar recipe but uses salt cod instead of fresh fish.

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Spread out flour on a dinner plate and mix in the salt, or pour flour and salt in a large plastic food storage bag. Add the fish and coat with the flour mixture.

  2. Pour olive oil to a depth of 1/8- to 1/4-inch in a medium to large, heavy-bottom frying pan and heat on medium. Test if the oil is hot enough to fry by adding a small cube of bread to oil. If it browns in 1 minute, oil is the right temperature (355 F). Brown the fish on both sides. Remove and set aside for later.

  3. While fish is browning, peel and slice garlic cloves. Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice into a cup. Finely chop parsley sprigs.

  4. Pour vinegar into a measuring cup and mix in the Spanish paprika. Pour a few tablespoons of olive oil into a clean frying pan. Heat on low. When the oil is warm, add the garlic slices, bay leaf, and paprika with vinegar and mix well. Pour in 1/2 the lemon juice and taste. Adjust salt and add more lemon juice according to your taste.

  5. Place the fried fish into the frying pan and cook with sauce on medium-low for about 10 minutes.

  6. Carefully remove fish from pan and plate. Spoon paprika sauce over top of fish. Garnish with chopped parsley on top. Serve with white rice or home-fried potatoes.