Crispy Dorito Fish Nuggets (with a Jalapeño Mayo Sauce)

These crispy Dorito fish nuggets first appeared on my former blog, The Culinary Jumble. I have made some small amendments to the recipe. and the blog post (including name) and images have all been updated. 

Made with chunks of flaky cod, these little beauties make a fairly healthy family weekday meal and will please even the most fussiest of eaters. 

I’ve talked a fair bit about my love of all things air fried and recently, I was waxing lyrical about discovering you can even make cakes in an AirFryer. I cook all of my chips (fries) and even started cooking bacon in it, and it has truly made my life so much easier (not to mention healthier). But sometimes, I do get the oil out and fry something, like these sublimely crispy Dorito fish nuggets.

I am pretty sure you could cook air fry them, but as I knew they were for the blog, I didn’t want to allow for any catastrophes. They turned out so well: flaky fish, with a crispy spicy coating. I used sweet chilli pepper Doritos (that’s all I can find in Sweden), and they gave a little hit of spice, but if I’d had the choice, I would have gone for something with a little more depth. However, if spice is not really your thing, I think plain nacho cheese Doritos would be amazing. 

I also made a jalapeño mayonnaise sauce to go with them, and it was to die for. Of course, that is optional, and most certainly not necessary. The original recipe was gluten free, but you could use any flour you like (I used spelt).

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as me. Make sure to tag me @thespeltkitchen on Instagram if you make these (or any of my other recipes). I get such a kick out of seeing them!

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Crispy Dorito Fish Nuggets (with a Jalapeño Mayo Sauce)

Ingredients

Nuggets:

• 350g (12 oz) cod fillets
• 75g (3 cups) Doritos (see notes)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt & pepper (to taste)
• 100g (¾ cup) flour (see notes)
• 2 small eggs (or one very large)
• vegetable oil (for frying)

Sauce:

• 100ml (6 tablespoons) mayo
• Around 10 slices of picked jalapeños
• 1 tablespoon jalapeño juice
• ½ teaspoon chilli flakes (use more if you like things spicy)
• ½ teaspoon paprika

Instructions

Nuggets:

• Cut the cod into chunks. Set to one side.
• Crush the Doritos until fairly fine and place in a large bowl (or on a plate).
• In another bowl, mix the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper together.
• In a third bowl, beat the eggs together well.
• Place each piece of cod in the flour mixture, then the egg (making sure you shake off any excess) and lastly, the crushed Doritos. Repeat with every piece.
• Fry the nuggets in oil until they are golden brown on each side. Serve immediately.

Sauce:

• Finely chop the jalapeños and stir into the mayonnaise along with the jalapeño juice, chilli flakes and paprika.
• Add as much (or as little) juice as you like. If you want a thick, mayo like consistency, use less juice than specified. Leave in the fridge until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Notes

1. I have converted grams to cups/ounces using online converters. Although I have no reason to believe they are inaccurate, please be aware that as I have not made the recipe with these measurements, results cannot be totally guaranteed.

2. I have made these using gluten free flour and spelt. You could also use regular flour (or any other kind), without changing the results. I didn't measure my flour, but it was approximately 100g (just under one cup).

3. You can use any kind of tortilla chips. I forgot to measure mine, but believe it was around 75g (3 cups). It is better to have more, because you can always save them for another time.