What Does Walleye Taste Like? Find Out The Surprising Answer

Walleyes are considered to be an excellent type of fish to eat. However, many are still curious about what does walleye taste like. Some people recounted it as having the taste of chicken meat.

While others claim that walleye meat is plain and a bit bland. Whatever the case is, I will reveal the answers to your puzzling question through this article. Walleyes are freshwater fishes that are easy to clean and has a lot of meat in them.

These are perfect for various types of preparation, especially as fillets. As you read through this article, each of your inquiries about walleyes will be addressed. Plus, I will also be sharing some amazing preparation tips for walleyes that you can use.

The question of what walleye taste like often comes up as it is one of the freshwater fishes that is cleaned easily, meaty, and can be used in various recipes.

While others may say that walleye has a bland taste and others claim that it taste like chicken, as per my personal take on it, walleye meat has a hint of sweetness, mild flavor, and is succulent.

Compared to other freshwaters fishes like bass, its white meat has a less murky taste. More than that, the walleye meat has a superb texture which makes it easy to use in different dishes.

Since the walleye is a very meaty fish, you can opt to fillet it then grill or pan fry it which is almost everybody’s favorite.

Walleyes are originally from North America and on average can reach the weight of around twenty pounds and lengths of around thirty-one inches. Female walleyes are known to be bigger compared to males.

It is easily confused for a pikeperch but there are distinctive differences between the two. Walleyes have rounder bellies and golden scales. Concurrently, the pikeperch looks silver from the belly and greenish on the dorsal fin area.

Not only does the walleye taste delicious, it is also not short of being full of nutrients. It is said to contain different kinds of nutrients that the body requires. To name a few, walleyes contain calories, proteins, Omega, and fat.

When fishing for walleyes, it is most advantageous to wait until the sun goes down or before sunrise since they are known as nocturnal feeders. Moreover, the perfect way to catch them is by using live baits.

To know more about walleyes, watch this short video

To ensure that you get the amplest meal out of your walleye, proper storage needs to be observed. Maintaining its freshness and optimum quality is the key to make sure all the nutrients are kept.

A whole walleye should be refrigerated and store for around five days to a week at most. For fillet pieces, on the other hand, use it within two to three days from time of storage. When it comes to preparation, there is a wide range of ways to cook walleye or a delicious meal.

Some of the easiest and simplest ways are as follows:

Fried walleye is one of the easiest ways to cook it. Start with mixing your dry ingredients which include pepper, salt, flour, and garlic powder. Coat your walleye fillet pieces with your dry mixture.

To achieve that crisp texture, dip your fillet pieces into a bowl of beaten eggs followed by cracker crumbs. Fry your fillet pieces for three to four minutes on each side and serve.

Another clever way of preparing walleye is by grilling. For this, place your walleye pieces skin side down on your grill. Coat your walleye pieces with a mixture of melted butter, garlic, salt, seasoning blend. Grill your walleye pieces for seven minutes each side. 

For a healthier take on things, you can opt for a baked walleye. Pour melted butter over your baking dish then place you walleye pieces skin side down. Afterwards, sprinkle basil and lemon pepper over your walleye pieces.

Finally, place it in the preheated oven at 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Let it bake for five to seven minutes.

For a slightly different take on walleyes, you can also try making them into fish cakes. Using finely chopped or grinned walleye meat, combine it with zucchini, carrots, garlic, onions, and eggs.

For seasoning, add dry mustard, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Mix them as evenly as possible. Start forming your walleye cakes with the thickness of about a quarter of an inch. For crispiness, combine bread crumbs, cornflake crumbs, and flour then evenly coat your walleye cakes with it.

Finally, fry your walleye cakes over medium heat for eight minutes each side.

This may be a unique way of preparing walleyes, but it is definitely delicious and a must-try. This is simply cooking your walleye meat without any heat involved but just with citrus juice. Juice limes, grapefruit, and orange and mix it with chopped shallots and jalapeno into one bowl.

Let your walleye chunks soak in this mixture for about four hours inside your refrigerator to avoid spoilage. To have a more constructive idea of how this is done, watch this short clip

Ultimately, determining whether a fish tastes good or otherwise depends more on its texture and ways of preparation. Either way, you inevitably have the freedom to explore ways that will suit your taste buds when it comes to freshwater fishes like walleye.

With that said, I hope you will have an abundant catch and enjoy your walleye meals.