This crispy air-fried cod is quick to make and so delicious! It’s the perfect healthy alternative to battered, deep-fried fish and can easily be made gluten-free. Serve with a light, homemade Greek yogurt tartar sauce and pair with fries for a classic ‘fish and chips’ dinner!
Why You Will Love this Recipe
I have a confession to make, and please don’t judge me when I say this… I have never had fish and chips until this recipe! Air fryer chicken wings or chicken nuggets are the go-to in our household, so there’s never been a reason to try fish! There is a time and a place for grilled cod. BUT, crispy cod? I’m a convert!
If you’re into quick, easy, crowd-pleasing meals that can double as perfect game-day appetizers, then you’re in the right place! With this recipe, you’ll see how easy it is to fry fish in an air fryer and achieve not only an amazing flavor but also a delightfully crispy texture, almost as though it’s deep fried!
You’re going to love this recipe because it’s a healthier but just-as-tasty take on fried fish. This recipe uses nothing but wholesome, healthy ingredients, and the air fryer does all the rest of the work! The golden brown crunch on the outside, and the tender, flaky inside– I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!
Ingredients Needed for Air Fryer Fried Cod
Now, if you’re ready to try frying fish in an air fryer, it’s time to round up everything you’ll need. These are the ingredients for both the fish and the tartar sauce. You might already have a lot of these at home, so let’s get started:
- Cod
- Flour (all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour of your choice)
- Bread crumbs (I recommend Panko and you can choose between regular or gluten-free)
- Eggs
- Non-fat plain Greek yogurt
- Lemons (for fresh lemon juice and lemon zest)
- Fresh dill
- Spices and seasonings- Sea salt, onion powder, mustard powder, paprika
How to Cook Air Fried Fish
Prepare
Turn on the air fryer to preheat and spray the mesh basket with cooking oil. Pat dry the cod. Place the flour onto a large rimmed plate. Beat the eggs well in a large bowl. Place the panko and other fish ingredients onto a large rimmed plate and mix it all together.
Assemble
Use one hand to place the fish in the flour to coat it, then place it straight into the egg mixture. Lastly, coat it in the panko mixture and then place it in the mesh basket of the air fryer. Repeat with all other pieces of fish. Spray the tops of the fish with cooking oil spray.
Cook
Cook the fish until golden brown, then flip and cook the other side until golden as well.
Make the Dip
While the fish cooks, mix together the dip ingredients thoroughly.
Serve
Enjoy your fish with the homemade dip and DEVOUR!
If you’re wondering what kinds of fish you can use instead of cod, you’ll be glad to hear there are lots of options. In terms of what fish is most similar to cod, the closest would be haddock, but mahi mahi and tilapia are great alternatives too.
Or you can even try hake, pollock, halibut, sea bass or catfish! These, like cod, are all white fish, which means they are less oily, low in calories and packed with protein.
For this recipe, your filets should be 3/4 inch in thickness and you should fry your fish in the air fryer for approximately 18-20 minutes. Keep an eye on the time and flip your fish filets at the halfway point. Depending on the thickness of the pieces of fish, it may take a bit longer or a bit less time.
Tips for making the best Air Fryer Fried Fish
- Don’t overcrowd – Be sure to leave a little bit of space in the air fryer between each piece of fish. This will ensure that everything cooks evenly.
- Flip halfway – Don’t forget to flip your fish after about 10 minutes to make sure that both sides of the fish get nice and golden!
- Get it extra crispy – After you’ve flipped your fish and cooked it on both sides, you can flip it once more just to crisp it up a little extra. I love doing this as it adds a bit of extra crunch!
What Goes Well with Fried Fish?
Now that you have some hot, crispy and delicious air fryer fish to gobble up with the tasty homemade sauce, it’s time to enjoy it! If you want to make it a meal, here are my recommendations:
Go with the classic fish and chips, it’s sure to be a family favorite! Just whip up some easy, air fryer potato wedges.
For a more sophisticated dinner, these roasted potatoes and asparagus will complement your fried cod wonderfully.
Keep it healthy and serve with summery apple coleslaw.
F
More Gluten Free Recipes
We have TONS of gluten free recipes on Food Faith Fitness! Explore them all in our gluten free Library!
Other Recipes You Might Like:
Air Fryer Roasted Asian Broccoli
Keto Paleo Baked Chicken Nuggets
20 Gluten Free Healthy Air Fryer Recipes
Ingredients
For the fish
- 1 Lb Cod, Sliced into 4 pieces about 3/4 inch thick
- Sea salt
- 2 Tbsp Gluten free all purpose flour (or regular All purpose flour)
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 Cup Gluten free panko (or regular panko if not GF)
- 1 tsp Onion powder
- 1 tsp Fresh dill, minced
- 1/2 tsp Dry mustard
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Lemon zest, packed
For the yogurt dip:
- 1/2 Cup Non-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp Fresh lemon juice, or to taste
- 1 tsp Fresh dill, minced
- Sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees, spraying the mesh basket with cooking spray.
- Pat the cod as dry as you can with a paper towel and season well with salt. Place the flour in a large, rimmed plate. Place the eggs into a large bowl, beating them well. Then, place the panko and all the rest of the fish ingredients onto a large rimmed plate and stir until mixed well.
- Using one hand, coat one of the cod pieces on the flour and then right into the egg mixture. Make sure the fish is coated in the egg, but not dripping. Then place it into the panko. Using your other (dry) hand, coat the fish in the panko all over evenly and place into the air fryer basket. Repeat with all the pieces, leaving a little bit of space between them in the basket. You may need to two batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Spray the tops with cooking spray (I used an olive oil spray) and cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Gently flip and cook another 8-10 minutes. Finally, if the underside of your fish has lost some crisp, you can flip it once more and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.
- While the fish cooks, stir all the dip ingredients together and season to taste with salt.
- Serve the fish with the dip immediately and DEVOUR!
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
FOR THIS RECIPE, I RECOMMEND:
WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS PER SERVING: FREESTYLE POINTS:2 POINTS+: 4. OLD POINTS: 4
(per 1/4 of the recipe)
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Thanks for the recipe.
You are welcome James!
I guess it’s time for me to add another small appliance to my kitchen! 😄 I see you were nice enough to provide a link to some recommendations. It takes me to a number of air fryers to choose from on Amazon. Is there one in particular you recommend or can you tell me which one you use?
Thank you! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Hi Amy, I am sure you will LOVE your air fryer, I use mine several times a week! These are my two favorites:
– Good entry level: https://amzn.to/3DokQCP
– A bit more pricey but overall quality: https://amzn.to/3Y9ETN9
And I put together a list of kitchen essentials in case useful: https://www.foodfaithfitness.com/kitchen-essentials/