Feb 19, 2025 · If your going to catch and eat fish, you’re going to need to know how to fillet a fish. The average American—whether they catch or buy fish for the table—wants to cook and eat a boneless fillet.

When a beginner angler learns how to fillet a fish there’s one over-riding rule to remember: there’s more than one way to skin a cat. How you fillet a fish is up to you and you alone, and the end result is the only thing that dictates whether you did the job “right” or not. So, the method we’ll cover here is just one way to go about it.

When learning how to fillet a fish, technique is important. The small things can make a difference in the ease of the process once they are learned. For example, in this next step try using the tip of the fillet knife. Insert it in a position parallel to and alongside the spine on either side.

Dec 11, 2024 · Filleting a fish involves removing bones and skin to get clean, boneless pieces. This skill is handy for any home cook who loves fresh fish. You don’t need fancy tools, just a sharp knife and some patience. In this guide, we’ll walk you through each step clearly. By the end, you’ll feel confident in filleting any fish.

To fillet a fish, lay it on its side on a flat surface. Unlike the cut described for preparing whole fish, filleting fish requires you to cut the fish behind its gills and pectoral fin, but only to the rib cage. Neither scaling nor removing the head is necessary.

This detailed, step-by-step tutorial will explain how to fillet a fish using one of the 3 filleting styles we teach on this site. The fish used in this tutorial is a red emperor but this same basic technique can be used to fillet a wide variety of fish species. We suggest you also watch a video that demonstrates this fish filleting style.

Oct 26, 2022 · If you want to be a master at making fish dishes, you must learn how to fillet a fish. It may seem intimidating at first, especially because the steps vary depending on the shape of the fish you’re handling. But once you get the hang of it, filleting flat, round, and larger fish with bulging rib cages is easy.

Dec 13, 2024 · I'd be lying if I said it's an absolutely necessary kitchen skill, but it's useful to know how to break down a fish (in this case, I'm showing how to work with fin fish—flat fish like flounder, sole, and halibut are different). First, buying the fish whole means you can better judge the quality of what you get.

Mar 13, 2025 · Here's a handy guide to preparing the perfect fish fillet. The right tool is especially important for tricky tasks like breaking down fish. A filleting knife is long, thin, and sweeping with a narrow tip perfect for dealing with bones and the small parts of a fish.