What Kind Of Fish Is Hardee's Fish Sandwich?

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When it comes to fast food, pescatarians have limited choices. Fish isn't always a great option on most fast-food menus focusing on burgers and chicken, so finding a good fish sandwich on the go is the exception rather than the rule. Hardee's doesn't feature a fish sandwich year-round but seasonally offers its Redhook beer-battered fish sandwich to eager fish lovers. 

The fillet, which comes as a singular sandwich or a combo meal, is a popular alternative to the burgers and biscuits that Hardee's and Carl's Jr. (the two are owned by the same company) loyalists have come to love. If you are a fish sandwich fan, you may wonder what kind of fish you're getting in a Hardee's fish sandwich. Alaskan pollock is the standard fish used, and there are several reasons.

Alaskan pollock is the most plentiful fish in the United States area of the Bering Sea, and the fish that's most used for fish sandwiches, fish sticks, and frozen fish fillets. One of the reasons is that due to its abundance, Alaska pollock is a sustainable fish. It boasts a mild flavor and firm texture that holds up well to frying and is an all-around versatile fish. If you're grabbing a Hardee's fish sandwich, you're not only eating a fish that isn't in danger of being overfished, you're getting a nutritional boost as well. Alaskan pollock is rich in protein, low in fat, and boasts the omega-3 fatty acids and B-12 most people expect from the healthier alternative of fish.

Hardee's, which first opened its doors in 1960 in Greenville, North Carolina, was known for charbroiling its burgers, a method few other burger joints were using at the time. The first Hardee's fish sandwich was introduced in 2013, but it wasn't in the form of a fried fillet. Rather, they followed the same cooking method they used for the burgers and broiled the fish fillets. The chain introduced the charbroiled fish sandwich as a healthier alternative to fried fish and as the first iteration of their fish sandwich that would evolve into the current beer-battered, fried fillet. At the time, the fish used was Atlantic cod rather than Alaskan pollock, which, although in the same genus, differ in flavor and texture.

The change from cod to Alaskan pollock has been a good sustainable choice, and the Redhook beer-battered fillet of today is nestled on a toasted potato bun and comes simply, with shredded iceberg lettuce and tartar sauce. The Redhook beer batter itself is made with Redhook Extra Special Bitter Ale, and the tartar sauce that complements the mild pollock is a combination of cabbage, carrots, relish, and spices. What's remained the same is the sandwich's Lenten presence. Each year around Lent, the seasonal sandwich is offered as an alternative to meat, and you'll see it pop up in March or April at your local Hardee's (or Carl's Jr.) for a limited time, only to return the following year.