Air Fryer Fish – WellPlated.com (2024)

Easy Air Fryer Fish has a golden, crispy coating, a super quick cooking time, and is delish with tartar sauce or a squeeze of lemon. Use this recipe for cod or other white fish and get that Midwestern fish fry experience without the frying!

Why You’ll Love This Air Fryer Fish Fillet Recipe

• Quick and Easy for a Weeknight. Air fryer fish is similar to my Fish and Chips recipe—marinate the fillets, give them a quick dip in the coatings, and air fry to crispy perfection. Simple, no messy deep fryer required!
• The Platonic Ideal of an Air Fryer Recipe. Some air fryer recipes fall into a category I like to call you-can-but-that-doesn’t-mean-you-should. Air fryer cheesecake? Probably unnecessary. But like this fish in the air fryer recipe and Air Fryer Fried Chicken Breast take advantage of the best attributes of this small but mighty appliance—quick cooking time and an ability to make foods crispy without deep frying!
• Irresistible Taste and Texture. The taste comes thanks to a generous amount of Old Bay seasoning (also good on Air Fryer French Fries!) and white fish fillets. The texture is from a double dredge—first in flour, next in egg, and finally in Panko for the crispedy-crunchedy factor. Like Teriyaki Salmon, this is fish that will convert fish haters!

How to Make Air Fryer Fish

The Ingredients

• Low-Fat Buttermilk. Here’s the thing with buttermilk, friends: you rarely need a whole bottle for a recipe. The good news is that you can freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months. (Use it to make Buttermilk Pie!)
• Old Bay. Old Bay seasoning is THE classic seasoning for seafood, so it’s a natural choice for making fish in the air fryer.
• White Fish. I use cod fillets because they’re inexpensive and widely available, but pollock and halibut also work.
• Egg. Whisk this very well so there aren’t stringy, unbroken bits of egg white in there.
• Panko Breadcrumbs. For max crisp on the exterior!
• For Serving. Lemon wedges, tartar sauce, parsley, and anything else you like with crispy fish fillets.

The Directions

1. Make the Marinade. Whisk together the buttermilk and Old Bay.

2. Marinate the Fish. Combine the fillets and marinade in a zip-top bag and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

3. Coat in Flour. Make sure the fillets are evenly coated, tapping off the excess.

4. Coat in Egg. Let the excess drip off.

5. Dredge in Panko. Again, evenly coated and excess tapped off.

6. Air Fry the Fish Fillets. Place the fillets in a single layer in the basket and mist with cooking spray. Air fry fish at 390 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until it reaches 145 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. Serve air fryer fish with garnishes and ENJOY!

Storage Tips

• To Store. Air fryer fish is best enjoyed the day it’s made, but any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
• To Reheat. Let the fish come to room temperature, then place it on a baking sheet in the oven or in an air fryer at 350 degrees F for a few minutes, just until warmed through.

What to Serve with Air Fryer Fish

• Fries. For the fish-and-chips experience at home, pair air fryer fish with Homemade Fries, Air Fryer Potato Wedges, or Roasted Fingerling Potatoes.
• Vegetable Sides. Your air fryer will be occupied, so take advantage of the stovetop and make a quick recipe like Sautéed Green Beans or Sautéed Broccoli. Or try Roasted Asparagus in the oven.
• Salad. For a lighter pairing, serve this crispy fish with Chickpea Salad, Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad, or Healthy Coleslaw.
• Grains. Lemon Riceis fabulous with fish, as is Instant Pot Brown Rice.

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

• Pie Dish. I love using these for dredging!
• Fish Spatula. Excellent for handling and serving air fryer fish.
• Air Fryer. This one is nice because it doubles (triples?) as a regular toaster oven and indoor grill.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Mess-Free Dredging. To keep your fingers from getting coated with gunk, you can use tongs or chopsticks for transferring the fillets from one dredging station to the next and turning them in the coating.
• Use a Firm Fish. We love a flaky fish! But not for this crispy air fryer fish recipe. Tilapia or snapper will not hold together as well as cod, halibut, or haddock.
• Don’t Crowd the Basket. The golden rule of air frying! It’s better to work in batches than cram everything in at the same time and end up steaming your fish. To keep the fillets warm between batches, set the fish on a wire rack set on top of a baking sheet and place in a 250°F oven.
• Use an Instant Read Thermometer. This is the best way to know when fish is done. Check the thickest part of the fillets; they should reach 145 degrees F, which is the FDA-designated safe temperature for consumption. I usean instant read thermometer like this one.