Easy Air Fryer Fish
Published 6/4/2023 • Updated 3/9/2024
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This crispy air fryer fish makes for an easy weeknight dinner. The fish cooks to absolute perfection in less than 15 minutes, coming out super tender, juicy, and flaky on the inside and deliciously crispy on the outside. Bonus – with this healthy air fryer fish recipe, there is no deep frying involved.
Hello from your favorite midwestern gals who have been eating fish fry since they were born! The beauty of this homemade fish fry recipe is that it cooks the most delicious, crispy white fish (we used cod!) with little to no effort and without deep-frying!
Not only is cooking fish in the air fryer healthier than deep frying it, but it also cooks faster and makes for easy cleanup. It’s a great choice for feeding the whole family without breaking a sweat. Plus, air fryers create a crunchy texture around the fish that would be hard to achieve with any other cooking method.
Simply dredge your flish filets in egg and then into a spiced breadcrumb mixture. Then, air fry at 8 minutes. Flip and cook for 4 more minutes.
PS: try our grilled fish for a quick and fresh fish recipe!
Ingredients You’ll Need for Air Fryer Fish
- Cod: you can use either fresh or frozen cod filets; it’s up to you!
- Eggs: eggs act as a binding agent so that the breadcrumbs adhere to the fish.
- Bread crumbs: we kept it simple with plain breadcrumbs, but Italian or g/f work too.
- All-purpose flour: flour is what gets the fish nice and crispy.
- Old Bay seasoning: a classic seafood seasoning, Old Bay adds a delightful kick of flavor.
- Salt: salt is necessary to bring out all the great natural flavors of the fish
- Olive oil: olive oil provides crispiness and prevents the fish from sticking to the air fryer.
What other fish can you use for air frier fish?
Have another white fish you’d like to use! You’re in luck. This recipe works with most white fish. You’ll just need to keep an eye on the time depending on the thickness of your filets.
- Tilapia
- Whitefish
- Haddock
- Walleye
Can you make this recipe gluten free?
Instead of regular breadcrumbs, you can use gluten-free breadcrumbs. Then, make sure you use an all-purpose gluten free flour in place of normal white flour. That should do the trick for making this g/f.
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Top Tips for this Easy Air Fryer Fish Recipe
- Cut cod into equal size strips: Cutting your fish into the same size will ensure they will all take about the same amount of time to cook.
- Have fun with flavors: If you don’t have Old Bay seasoning, try something new, like smoked paprika, garlic powder, or even a combination of herbs.
- Don’t overcrowd: Make sure your air fryer basket isn’t overcrowded so that the fish will cook evenly.
- Coat fish in oil before frying: If there are dry, powdery sections of the fish after air frying, be sure to add more oil.
Homemade
Tartar Sauce
This healthy dill pickle dip doubles as a sauce and is a favorite in our house. Eat it with chips or serve it on top of a salmon filet.
How to Store Leftover Air Fryer Fish
Store any leftover air fryer fish in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
To reheat: the trick to getting leftover crispy fish crispy again is to cook it in the air fryer (NOT the microwave). Air fry for 3 to 4 minutes until crispy and warmed through. Be careful not to overcook as it can dry out the fish.
Serving Suggestions
There are plenty of ways to savor this delicious air fryer fish like in fish tacos! Serve it with tartar sauce or a light and refreshing coleslaw. We also like pairing it with sides such as these:
Roasted Veggies
Salads
Grains & Starches
Easy Air Fryer Fish
Ingredients
- 1 lb. fresh or frozen cod, ~2 filets
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup plain bread crumbs
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon old bay seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF, and if using frozen cod, be sure to thaw it.
- Prepare the fish by blotting the cod with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Cut the fish into 4 strips or pieces that will fit in your air fryer. Set aside.
- Add the eggs to a mixing bowl and whisk together. In a separate bowl, combine the bread crumbs, flour, old bay seasoning, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Dredge the fish filets through the egg mixture. Allow excess egg to drip from the fish. Dredge the fish through the breadcrumb mixture. Use your hands to firmly pat or press the breadcrumb mixture into the fish filet.
- Dredge the fish through the egg and breadcrumb mixture a second time. Repeat until all the fish filets have been coated twice.
- Coat the air fryer basket with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and then transfer the fish filets to the air fryer. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the fish.
- Cook the fish for 8 minutes and then gently flip the fish. It’s ok if the fish falls apart a little bit. Cook the fish for an additional 4 minutes or until the fish is golden brown.
- Remove from the air fryer and enjoy with our homemade tartar sauce and a fresh squeeze of lemon.
Tips & Notes
- Any white fish can be used instead of cod.
- Panko breadcrumbs can be used instead of breadcrumbs.
- Be sure the fish is coated in oil before frying. If there are dry, powdery sections of the fish after air frying, be sure to add more oil.
- Other oil can be used instead of olive oil.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Photography: photos taken in this post are by Ashley McGlaughlin from The Edible Perspective.
