The oven-baked breaded sole fillets are tasty and light fish cutlets, crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside.
I use a homemade breading: healthy and simple, delicious and light based on whole wheat bread crumbs.
Don’t forget to account for the breading in the total carbohydrate count of your meal.
Sole is a lean fish and thus suitable for a low-calorie diet.
I used frozen sole fillets, boneless, making them suitable even for the little ones.
Oven-baked but also in an air fryer.
Versatile!
You can follow the same procedure using other types of boneless and skinless fish fillets.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2People
- Cooking methods: Electric Oven, Air Fryer
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 10.5 oz sole fillets (thawed)
- as needed bread crumbs (or whole wheat bread crumbs)
- 1 tbsp cheese (grated: Grana or Parmesan)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch mixed peppercorns (with grinder)
- as needed chopped parsley
- as needed lemon juice
- 1 dash extra virgin olive oil (raw)
Suggested Tools
- Baking tray 10×11 inches
- Parchment paper
Preparation
I used thawed frozen sole fillets.
For the breading to adhere, they must be thawed, so place them in the fridge the night before.Rinse the sole fillets under running water.
Pat dry with paper towels, they should be well dry.Take the sole fillets out of the fridge at least half an hour before cooking.
In a plate, mix together:
– bread crumbs or whole wheat bread crumbs;
– grated cheese;
– salt;
– pepper;
– chopped parsley;
and mix.Line a baking tray – wide, the breaded sole fillets should not be overlapped – with a piece of parchment paper.
Drizzle the sole fillets with lemon juice, drain and coat on both sides: press them in the breading to make it adhere well.
Place the breaded sole fillets on the baking tray in a single layer, avoiding overlapping.
Preheat the oven.
Bake in a fan oven at 350°F for 15 minutes until golden and crispy to your liking.For a crunchier and more golden breading: take out a couple of minutes early, spray or drizzle with a dash of extra virgin olive oil and finish baking.
Plate up.
Grind a little more pepper, add chopped parsley and drizzle with a dash of extra virgin olive oil.Your oven-baked light breaded sole fillets are ready.
Enjoy your meal!
Preservation, Tips, and Variations
You can follow the same procedure using other types of boneless and skinless fish fillets.
You can use gluten-free bread crumbs for a gluten-free version.
You can omit the cheese.
You can flavor the breading with herbs and spices to taste.
For an even more fragrant breading, you can add grated lemon zest.
Breaded sole fillets when cooked can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for one day.
Reheat for a few minutes in a hot oven to restore crispiness.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Why rinse the sole fillets?
Rinsing frozen sole fillets helps remove the surface ice coating, preventing the fish from releasing too much water during cooking.
Store-bought breading vs. homemade breading
Store-bought breading contains potato starch, is pre-fried, and is rich in fats, salts, and calories.
For breading my sole fillets, I used a homemade breading: simple, light, and healthy based on whole wheat bread crumbs and made it adhere with lemon juice.
No oil during cooking, I add a dash just after baking.Can I cook the breaded sole fillets in an air fryer?
Yes.
Follow the instructions – program, temperature, and time – indicated in your appliance’s user manual.
Check the cooking degree from time to time.
In general, with the air fryer, cooking times are reduced:
– in a fan oven at 350°F for 15 minutes;
– in an air fryer at 320°F for 12 minutes.
