How many kilojoules are in fish and chips?
A classic takeaway serve of one battered fish (about 170 g, roughly 1,700 kJ) with a medium chips (about 3,000 kJ) comes to around 4,700 kJ (1,123 Cal). The fish is not the problem: a grilled fillet is about 520 kJ per 100 g against roughly 1,000 kJ per 100 g once it is battered and deep-fried. The batter, the oil and the size of the chips carry most of the number - so grilling the fish and sharing a smaller chips can halve the order without giving up the Friday feed.
Key numbers
- Battered fish ~1,000 kJ/100 g · grilled ~520 kJ/100 g
- One battered fish (170 g) ~1,700 kJ · grilled ~880 kJ
- Medium chips ~3,000 kJ · the biggest single lever
- Battered fish + medium chips ~4,700 kJ (1,123 Cal)
- Grill it and go small: ~2,700 kJ for the same feed
Fish by how it's cooked
| Item | Per 100 g | Serve | Energy | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battered fish, takeaway, deep-fried | ~1,000 kJ/100 g | 170 g | 1,700 kJ | 406 Cal |
| Crumbed fish, takeaway | ~950 kJ/100 g | 170 g | 1,615 kJ | 386 Cal |
| Grilled fish, no batter | ~520 kJ/100 g | 170 g | 884 kJ | 211 Cal |
| Crumbed calamari rings, fried | ~1,050 kJ/100 g | 150 g | 1,575 kJ | 376 Cal |
How the order adds up
| What you order | Energy | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Battered fish + small chips (150 g) | 3,500 kJ | 836 Cal |
| Battered fish + medium chips (250 g) | 4,700 kJ | 1,123 Cal |
| Battered fish + large chips (350 g) | 5,900 kJ | 1,410 Cal |
| Grilled fish + medium chips | 3,884 kJ | 928 Cal |
| Grilled fish + small chips + salad | 2,834 kJ | 677 Cal |
| Add a potato scallop | +790 kJ | +189 Cal |
| Add a fried dim sim | +735 kJ | +176 Cal |
Reading the Friday feed without ruining it
- The batter, not the fish, is the number. The fillet underneath is lean - about 520 kJ/100 g grilled. Battered and deep-fried it roughly doubles, because the crust soaks up oil. Ask for grilled and you keep the fish and drop ~800 kJ a piece.
- The chips are the real lever. A large chips to a small saves ~2,400 kJ on its own - more than any change to the fish. Order one chips to share instead of one each.
- The sides sneak up. A potato scallop (~790 kJ), a dim sim (~735 kJ) and a few calamari rings quietly add another meal's worth on top of the fish and chips.
- Lemon and vinegar are free. Both add flavour and almost no energy; tartare and aioli are where a "small" order grows (~600-850 kJ a tub).
- It's a Friday feed, not a crime. Knowing the number just lets you pick the size and the cook you actually want, and move on.
Stop guessing the number
OzCal logs a fish-and-chips order in about five seconds: snap it, scan the barcode or search it - or just say what you ordered. Kilojoules the way the label shows them, on 86,112 verified Australian foods.
Common questions
How many kilojoules in fish and chips?
One battered fish (about 170 g, ~1,700 kJ) with a medium chips (~3,000 kJ) is around 4,700 kJ (1,123 Cal). Grill the fish and go small on the chips and it's closer to 2,700 kJ.
Is grilled fish lower than battered?
Yes - a grilled fillet is about 520 kJ/100 g against ~1,000 kJ/100 g battered and deep-fried, so grilling a 170 g piece saves about 800 kJ. The batter and the oil carry the energy, not the fish.
How many kilojoules in a piece of battered fish?
About 1,000 kJ per 100 g, so a typical 170 g piece is roughly 1,700 kJ (406 Cal). Flake, hoki and barramundi differ only a little.
What's the biggest way to cut the number?
The chip size. A large to a small chips saves about 2,400 kJ - more than switching the fish to grilled. Do both and you halve the order.
How many kilojoules in a potato scallop or dim sim?
A fried potato scallop (potato cake) is about 790 kJ each and a fried dim sim about 735 kJ, so the sides are worth counting alongside the fish and chips.
Keep reading
Citing this page. OzCal (2026). "Kilojoules in Fish and Chips: Battered vs Grilled | OzCal". Retrieved from https://ozcal.com.au/kilojoules/fish-and-chips. Last updated 2026-09-30. Figures are per the serve stated in each row, converted at 1 Cal = 4.184 kJ.