What Makes “Long John Silver’s Batter” Special?
Before we jump into the recipe, it helps to understand the characteristics people try to replicate:
Light, crispy texture — not thick or soggy, but airy and crisp.
Slender, even coating — the batter should cling without being too heavy.
Subtle savory flavor — a mild sweetness, seasoned saltiness, onion/garlic notes, paprika, etc.
Use of carbonation — many copycat versions use club soda or seltzer to introduce bubbles. (The carbonation helps with that extra lift).
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Balanced leavening — baking powder, baking soda often included to create fine air pockets.
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Cornstarch or partial cornmeal — helps crisp the coating and reduce gluten development.
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Proper technique and oil temperature — essential to getting it right (we’ll cover that below).
Different copycat sources have slightly varying ingredient lists and proportions. I’ll present one robust version and then point out key alternatives and tweaks.
Ingredients (for ~2 lb / ~1 kg fish or equivalent)
Here’s a solid copycat batter recipe that many people have had success with. You can adjust proportions if you do less or more fish.
Dry Ingredients
Item Quantity Purpose / Note
All-purpose flour 2 cups Base of the batter
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Cornstarch ¼ cup Adds crispness, lightens batter
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Sugar 2 tsp Adds slight caramelization, balanced flavor
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Salt 2 tsp Basic seasoning
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Baking powder ½ tsp Leavening to help crispness
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Baking soda ½ tsp Works with club soda / carbonation
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Onion salt (or onion powder + extra salt) ½ tsp Adds savory depth
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Paprika ½ tsp For gentle color and flavor
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Ground black pepper ¼ tsp Mild heat and balance
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Liquid / Wet Ingredient
Club soda (or cold sparkling water) — about 16 oz (≈ 475 ml)
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(Optional) Some versions add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice (1–1.5 Tbsp) for tang — some copycats include this for flavor lift.
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Fish / Other Items to Batter
~2 lb (≈ 900 grams) white fish fillets (cod, pollock, haddock, etc.), cut into ~3-oz (≈85 g) portions.
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Oil for frying (canola, vegetable, peanut) — enough for deep frying or immersion.
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Method & Technique
Here’s a step-by-step guide, including tips to mimic the restaurant style.
1. Prepare the Fish
Cut into uniform pieces, roughly 3 oz (≈85 g) each, so cooking is even.
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Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Excess moisture causes batter slipping or sogginess.
Optionally, some cooks lightly dust the fish pieces with a bit of flour or cornstarch before battering (this helps the batter adhere) — some copycats do this.
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2. Heat the Frying Oil
Preheat oil in a deep fryer, large pot, or Dutch oven to ~350 °F (≈ 175 °C).
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Make sure there's enough oil to fully immerse your fish pieces.
Monitor the temperature with a thermometer; maintaining ~350 °F is critical.
3. Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients: flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, onion salt, paprika, and black pepper. Mix well until uniformly blended.
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Some copycats reserve part of the dry mixture for dredging (i.e., before the wet batter) — e.g. in Food.com’s “Battered Fish (Copycat)” recipe, they mention a dredging mixture.
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4. Add the Club Soda (Wet Stage)
Right before frying, slowly pour in the cold club soda to the dry mix, whisking gently as it foams.
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The mixture should bubble and foam — that carbonation is a key part of the crisp.
Don’t overmix — you want to retain as much CO₂ (bubbles) as possible.
Adjust consistency if needed: batter should be fluid but not watery. If too thick, add a little extra club soda; if too thin, sift in a small amount of flour + cornstarch.
5. Batter & Fry the Fish
Dip each fish piece into the batter, coating evenly. Let excess drip off.
A helpful technique known as “dip‑and‑lift” is used by many copycats: lower the fish into oil, then lift it up and down a few times before letting it settle — this helps the outer batter begin to set and reduces sliding off.
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Carefully lower the battered fish into the hot oil. Don’t overcrowd — leave space so pieces don’t stick to each other or cool the oil too much.
Fry for about 2–3 minutes, or until the batter is golden brown and the fish floats up.
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Remove gently with a slotted spoon or fryer basket, and drain on a wire rack or paper towels.
Return oil temperature to ~350 °F before frying the next batch.
6. Serve Immediately
Serve the fried fish hot, while crust is still crisp.
Accompany with tartar sauce, lemon wedges, coleslaw, fries, etc.
Don’t let it sit too long, because the crisp coating will lose its texture.
Full Printable Copycat “Long John Silver’s” Batter Recipe
Here’s the consolidated version you can refer to:
Copycat Long John Silver’s Batter
Makes enough for ~2 lb fish
Total time: ~20 minutes (plus frying)
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp onion salt (or onion powder + extra salt)
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp ground black pepper
16 oz club soda (cold)
~2 lb white fish (cod, pollock, haddock, etc.), cut into 3‑oz pieces
Oil for frying (canola, vegetable, peanut)
Instructions
Prep oil: heat your frying oil to ~350 °F (175 °C).
Mix dry: In a bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, onion salt, paprika, pepper.
Add club soda: Slowly pour cold club soda while whisking gently. Batter will foam — don’t overmix. Adjust consistency if needed.
Batter fish: Dip fish pieces into batter (you may optionally lightly dredge fish first). Let excess drip.
Dip & lift: Lower each battered fish into oil; you can lift it in and out a few times to help set the crust.
Fry: Fry ~2–3 minutes until golden and floating.
Remove & drain: Place on wire rack or paper towels to drain.
Repeat: Fry remaining fish in batches, maintaining oil temperature.
Serve: Serve hot with sides and sauces.
Variations, Tweaks & Alternative Versions
Because this is a copycat, many cooks vary parts. Here are some popular alternatives and tweaks:
Variation Changes / Comments
Beer or ginger ale instead of club soda Some recipes (e.g. Sweet Pea’s) use ginger ale instead of club soda.
Sweet Pea's Kitchen
Some older copycats use water or even beer.
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Include cornmeal Some versions mix in cornmeal (or yellow cornmeal) to add texture and “corny” crispiness. Sweet Pea’s version includes cornmeal.
Sweet Pea's Kitchen
Add extra seasoning / spices Garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, turmeric, celery salt, Accent seasoning appear in some “deeper” copycats. E.g. the “Spice Guru” version uses masa harina, turmeric, fennel, tarragon, etc.
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Reserve dredging flour Some recipes reserve a portion of the dry mix for dredging (coat fish lightly with dry mix before wet batter) for better adhesion.
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Use self-rising flour In some old recipes, people suggest using self-rising flour and adjusting or omitting baking powder/soda.
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Adjust carbonation / batter thickness Some cooks use slightly less club soda and leave leftover “dry” batter to thicken or adjust per batch.
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Vinegar or acid addition A small splash of vinegar or lemon juice (1–1.5 Tbsp) is sometimes added for tang and slight acidity.
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Tips, Tricks & Troubleshooting
To get as close to the “real LJS feel” as possible, these tips are critical:
Use very cold club soda. Chill it beforehand — cold carbonation holds better.
Add the club soda last, just before frying. The bubbles dissipate over time.
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Don’t overmix the batter — mix just until combined; leave some bubbles.
Maintain oil temperature (~350 °F / 175 °C). If oil is too hot, batter browns before fish cooks; too cool and batter soaks up oil.
Dip‑and‑lift technique: lowering the fish partially then lifting helps set initial crust to prevent slippage.
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Fry in batches so oil temperature recovers between batches.
Let batter drip slightly before placing in oil — too much excess leads to big globs.
Use a wire rack to drain, not stacking on towels (keeps crispness).
Serve immediately; crispness degrades over time.
If top browns too fast, lower heat or tent with foil.
Test with small piece first to check seasoning, cooking time, and texture.
Expanded Example (Longer Version with More Notes)
Here’s a narrative-style version, walking you through in more detail:
You begin by selecting a white, mild-fleshed fish — cod, pollock, or haddock are ideal. Cut into uniform ~3-oz portions so they cook evenly. Pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels — moisture is the enemy of crispiness.
Set up your frying station: a deep pot or fryer with enough oil to immerse the pieces, and a thermometer. Preheat the oil slowly to ~350 °F (175 °C).
While the oil warms, whisk together your dry mix. Combine 2 cups of all-purpose flour, ¼ cup cornstarch, 2 tsp sugar, 2 tsp salt, ½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp onion salt, ½ tsp paprika, and ¼ tsp ground black pepper. Make sure it’s thoroughly blended, with no lumps.
Now, just before you’re ready to fry your first batch (so carbonation is freshest), slowly pour in 16 oz of very cold club soda (or sparkling water). Whisk gently as it foams. Don’t overdo it — you want the foam and bubbles to remain. If the batter seems too thick, add a bit more soda; if too thin, sift in a small bit more flour + cornstarch until it reaches a somewhat thick but pourable consistency.
Take one fish piece and dip it into the batter, letting excess drip off. If you like, you may lightly dust the fish with flour before the wet batter — this helps the batter stick, though it's optional (some copycats use this).
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Lower it gently into the hot oil. Many experienced cooks use a “dip & lift” motion: put the fish in, then raise it slightly, then lower again — this helps set the outer coating so it doesn’t slip off.
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Let the fish fry undisturbed for ~2–3 minutes, until golden and the fish floats. Carefully remove and drain on a wire rack.
Repeat with the remaining pieces, in batches, making sure the oil returns to ~350 °F between batches.
Serve the battered fish hot, with sides and sauces.
Example Copycat from CopyKat
One of the more detailed copycat recipe versions from CopyKat (Stephanie Manley) includes the following:
2 cups flour
¼ cup cornstarch
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp onion salt
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp black pepper
16 oz club soda
2 lb white fish, cut into 3‑oz pieces
8 cups of vegetable oil for frying
CopyKat Recipes
Their instructions echo what’s above: preheat oil, mix dry ingredients, add soda, batter fish, fry 2–3 minutes until golden, and drain.
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They also emphasize that club soda—not beer—is the key to the crisp texture, and they caution against overmixing.
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Common Problems & How to Fix Them
Problem Cause Fix / Prevention
Batter sliding off fish Fish too wet, batter too thin, no initial set Pat fish dry, thicken batter slightly, use dip‑lift technique
Batter heavy / dense, not crisp Overmixing (losing carbonation), too much flour, old soda Mix gently, use fresh cold soda, correct proportions
Fish interior undercooked before exterior browns Oil too hot, fish too thick Lower temperature, reduce piece size, ensure correct oil temp
Batter soggy after sitting Steam trapped, coating softened Drain well, serve hot, don’t stack pieces
Inconsistent color Uneven oil temp, batch crowding Fry in small batches, maintain oil temp, rotate pots/trays
Top browns too fast Oven too hot, thin parts Tent with foil, reduce heat, partially shielded cooking
If you like, I can send you three variant versions (e.g. one with cornmeal, one with beer, one “lighter” version) or adapt this recipe to air fryer. Which would you prefer?
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