How it eats
- Flavor: mild. Clean, sweet, and delicately briny, with a buttery quality that comes from the fish's natural oils without ever tasting fishy.
- Texture: The raw flesh is firm, white, and slightly translucent, and once cooked it turns flaky yet stays moist and holds together well on a plate.
- Cleaning: Rinse the fish in cold water, then fillet along the backbone from behind the gills to the tail, keeping the skin on for grilling or frying since the skin crisps nicely. Remove the narrow red bloodline along the centerline and feel for a few small pin bones near the belly, pulling them out with tweezers. A 1.5 lb pompano yields about 7 to 9 oz of skin-on fillets.
- Best ways to cook it: Pan-seared, Grilled, Fried, Baked
From the beach to the kitchen
Bleed the fish the moment you land it by slitting the throat and letting it run in a surf bucket, then pack it on ice right away. Keep the fish on ice from the beach to the cooler and into the fridge, and only bring home fish you are sure are legal to keep.
Size and bag limits for pompano are on the Pompano page.
What goes best with pompano
- Butter: A knob of butter finishes seared pompano fillets with a rich, glossy glaze that matches the fish's natural buttery flavor.
- Lemon: Lemon juice and lemon slices are practically required for pompano, brightening the rich, sweet flesh.
- Cornmeal: Yellow cornmeal dredging is the standard Southern fry crust for skin-on pompano fillets.
- Old Bay: Old Bay is the classic South Carolina pier seasoning for pompano and brings out its briny sweetness.
- Garlic: Minced garlic in butter or olive oil is the standard partner for this sweet, mild fillet.
- Parsley: Flat leaf parsley sprinkled over seared fillets adds color and a clean, grassy note.
- Paprika: Smoked or sweet paprika colors the crust on blackened or pan-seared pompano and adds gentle warmth.
- Olive oil: A light brush of olive oil keeps the skin crisp on the grill and carries lemon and herbs without overwhelming the mild flesh.
Have something else in mind? Pick your ingredients and compare every fish.
Recipes
Classic Myrtle Beach Cornmeal Fried Pompano
Fried | 25 min | Serves 2
Ingredients
- 1 lb pompano fillets, skin on
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 cups peanut or canola oil for frying
- for serving lemon wedges
Steps
- Pat the fillets dry with paper towels and cut into 3 inch pieces.
- Pour buttermilk into a shallow bowl.
- Mix cornmeal, flour, Old Bay, salt, and pepper in a second bowl.
- Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a heavy skillet to 365 F.
- Dip each piece in buttermilk, then dredge in the cornmeal mix, pressing to coat.
- Fry in batches 2 to 3 minutes per side until deep golden and the flesh flakes.
- Drain on a wire rack over a sheet pan, not paper towels.
- Serve immediately with lemon wedges and hot sauce on the side.
Tip: Let the breaded fillets rest 5 minutes before frying so the cornmeal crust sticks through the hot oil.
Pan Seared Pompano with Garlic Butter and Lemon
Pan-seared | 20 min | Serves 2
Ingredients
- 1 lb pompano fillets, skin on
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 lemon lemon, juiced
- for serving lemon, sliced
- 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Steps
- Pull the fillets from the fridge 10 minutes ahead and pat them very dry, then season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a stainless skillet over medium high until just smoking.
- Lay the fillets in the pan skin side down and press lightly for 30 seconds to flatten the skin.
- Cook skin side down 3 to 4 minutes until the skin is crisp and releases easily.
- Flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes more on the flesh side, then reduce heat to low.
- Add the butter and garlic to the pan and baste the fillets for 30 seconds.
- Squeeze in the lemon juice off the heat and scatter parsley over the top.
- Plate the fillets and spoon the browned butter over each one.
Tip: Score the skin with two shallow cuts before cooking so it crisps flat instead of curling in the pan.
Blackened Pompano with Paprika and Old Bay
Blackened | 20 min | Serves 2
Ingredients
- 1 lb pompano fillets, skin on
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp butter, melted
- for serving lemon wedges
Steps
- Mix paprika, Old Bay, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Brush both sides of the fillets with melted butter.
- Coat the fillets generously on both sides with the spice mix and let sit 5 minutes.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat until a drop of water skitters across the surface.
- Lay the fillets in the dry pan skin side up and cook 2 minutes to sear the flesh side.
- Flip carefully and cook 2 to 3 minutes more skin side down, pressing for the first 20 seconds.
- Transfer to a warm plate and tent with foil for 2 minutes to let the crust set.
- Serve with lemon wedges and a cold beer.
Tip: Crack a window and turn on the kitchen fan before blackening; the spice rub will smoke hard over a screaming hot pan.
Grilled Whole Pompano with Lemon and Parsley
Grilled | 30 min | Serves 2
Ingredients
- 1 fish about 1.5 lb whole pompano, gutted and scaled
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 lemon lemon, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
Steps
- Rinse the fish inside and out, then pat dry with paper towels.
- Rub the whole fish with olive oil and season the cavity and outside with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Stuff the cavity with the lemon slices, smashed garlic, and half the parsley.
- Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for medium high heat and oil the grates well.
- Lay the fish on the grill and cook 5 to 6 minutes per side without moving it, until the skin lifts cleanly.
- Move the fish to a platter, tent with foil, and rest 3 minutes.
- Sprinkle the remaining parsley over the top and bring to the table whole.
- Fillet at the table and spoon the pan juices from the platter over each serving.
Tip: Score both sides with two diagonal cuts down to the bone so the heat reaches the thickest part of the meat evenly.
Baked Pompano with Tomato, Capers, and White Wine
Baked | 35 min | Serves 2
Ingredients
- 1 lb pompano fillets, skin on
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium tomato, diced
- 1 tbsp capers, drained
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup white wine, dry
- 1/2 lemon lemon, juiced
- 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Steps
- Heat the oven to 400 F and lightly oil a small baking dish.
- Lay the fillets skin side down in the dish and season with salt and pepper.
- Scatter the tomato, capers, and garlic over and around the fillets.
- Drizzle with olive oil and the white wine, then squeeze the lemon juice over the top.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake 12 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake 4 to 5 minutes more until the tomatoes soften and the fish flakes at the thickest point.
- Spoon the pan juices over the fillets and scatter parsley on top.
- Serve straight from the dish with crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
Tip: Pull the fillets at 140 F on an instant read thermometer; they finish cooking in the carryover heat and stay juicy.
All recipes | Season, lures and limits for pompano
