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These Crispy Air Fryer Frozen Fish Fillets, cooked from store-bought breaded fish, are super easy to make in the air fryer so you save time making your meal.
One of the easiest things that I like to pull out of the freezer and make for dinner is fish fillets, and my kids love it too. While they aren’t quite as good for you when they’re breaded, containing about twice the calories, fish is still a healthy meal that pairs well with many side dishes.
The biggest debate is what store-bought fillets are the best. We’ve tried many different brands and find that Gorton’s and Trader Joes have good breaded fish. You might know of another brand that you stand by. Whatever you choose, it’ll work with this air fryer recipe. Try it on one of these crispy fish sandwiches.
Why You’ll Love It
- Quick and Convenient: Cooking frozen fish fillets in the air fryer is a time-saver. With the air fryer’s rapid hot air circulation, your frozen fillets cook to perfection in a fraction of the time compared to traditional methods. It’s a convenient option for those busy nights when you crave a speedy yet delicious meal.
- Crispy Exterior, Tender Interior: The air fryer’s unique cooking technique ensures that your fish fillets emerge with a wonderfully crispy exterior while maintaining a tender and flaky interior. Say goodbye to soggy frozen fish – the air fryer brings a delightful crunch to every bite.
- Minimal Oil, Maximum Flavor: Unlike traditional frying methods, the air fryer requires minimal oil to achieve that delightful crispiness. This means you can enjoy a healthier version of your favorite fish fillets without sacrificing flavor.
» You might also like these Easy Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon.
Ingredients You’ll Need
It’s no surprised that this frozen fish in the air fryer doesn’t need a lot of ingredients. Basically we’re just showing you our method for air fryer already breaded frozen fish fillets. So that’s all you really need! Since the fillets already have oil on them, you don’t even need any cooking spray.
- 4 pieces of breaded frozen fish – You can use any brand of fish you like. Trader Joes has great frozen fish that we like, as well as Gorton’s Beer Battered 100% fillets. The fish can be breaded or battered. It doesn’t matter.
- Lemon wedges – A spritz of lemon gives a bright acidity to the fish.
- Tartar sauce – if you like to eat your fish with tartar sauce or another sauce. This is optional.
Equipment Information
- Air fryer: I use this 4-quart basket-style air fryer. It’s large enough to fit a meal for 4-6. But some things need more space in the air fryer basket, so they cook evenly.
- Kitchen tongs: It’s very easy to remove food from your air fryer with kitchen tongs. I use these kitchen tongs that are silicon coated so they don’t scratch the interior.
Air Frying Tips and Suggestions
- No oil is necessary to cook fish fillets because they have already been flash deep fried in oil.
- Cook the fish from frozen. There is not need to thaw it first and if you do, it can lead to a soggy exterior.
- Put the fish in the basket in a single layer. You don’t want to overcrowd them or overlap them because they won’t get evenly crispy.
- This recipe assumes you are cooking average sized fish fillets from frozen. There is no need to preheat the air fryer. If you do, you can expect to reduce the cooking time by a few minutes. If you’re cooking more fillets in multiple batches, the second batch and onward will cook a little quicker.
- Remember that all air fryers cook differently and your fish fillets might be larger or smaller than mine. Adjust the cook time accordingly.
How to Cook Air Fryer Frozen Fish Fillets
This recipe assumes you’re using frozen already breaded fish fillets. They have a coating on them that you will be getting crisp in the air fryer. If you want to make your own breaded fish fillets use this recipe.
You would cook a fish filet with no breading slightly differently because there’s no breading to crisp.
Step 1: Add the Fish to the Basket
Place the fish in the air fryer basket. There is no need to thaw the fish and there is no need to pre-heat the air fryer or spray the basket.
The fish is pre-cooked in oil, that will be enough to keep the fillet from sticking to the air fryer basket.
Step 2: Cook
Cook the fish at 390° F(200° C) for 10 minutes. Be sure to flip them over once during cooking to ensure even cooking. When they’re done, transfer them to a place and spritz with a little lemon juice before serving.
Questions About the Recipe
Can you cook battered fish in an air fryer?
Yes, you can make battered fish or breaded fish in an air fryer. They will take the same amount of time to cook. However, if you are battering the fish yourself, you won’t be able to cook them in the air fryer because the batter will just fall into the grate. It needs to be flash fried first.
Can you cook frozen fish in the air fryer with no breading?
You can make frozen fish that has no breading in the air fryer, but you will want to cook it on a lower temperature because you’re not trying to crisp it up, rather you just want to heat it up slowly. You will also need to spray the basket or coat the fish with oil before adding to the basket, or it might stick. I usually put a piece of parchment paper in the bottom to avoid it sticking. Cook on 350° F for about 8 minutes, turning halfway.
More Fish and Seafood Recipe to Try
If you love this recipe then here are a few more fish recipes to try. The air fryer really is a great tool for cooking fish.
- Frozen Crab Cakes in the Air Fryer
- Easy Air Fryer Halibut
- Air Fryer Tuna Steaks
- Easy Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon
What Side Dishes to Serve?
You can serve some really easy side dishes with your main dish cooked in the Air Fryer. Sometimes, you can cook them together in the air fryer to make it even faster.
Some of our favorite side dish recipes to serve include:
- Air fryer cauliflower
- Air fryer baked potatoes
- Brussels sprouts
- Corn on the cob
- Crispy smashed potatoes
- Cottage fries
Here are 28 more air fryer side dishes to try
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
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Air Fryer Frozen Fish Fillet
Equipment
- Kitchen Tongs
Ingredients
- 2 4 oz frozen fish fillets
- lemon wedges optional
- tartar sauce optional
Instructions
- Place the frozen fish fillets in the air fryer basket. Make sure not to overlap. No cooking spray is needed.
- Air fry at 390°F(200° C) for 10 minutes, turning the fish over at the halfway point. Remove from the air fryer and spritz with lemon to serve.
Notes
- No oil is necessary to cook fish fillets because they have already been flash deep fried in oil.
- Cook the fish from frozen. There is not need to thaw it first and if you do, it can lead to a soggy exterior.
- Put the fish in the basket in a single layer. You don’t want to overcrowd them or overlap them because they won’t get evenly crispy. This recipe assumes you are cooking average sized fish fillets from frozen.
- There is no need to preheat the air fryer. If you do, you can expect to reduce the cooking time by a few minutes. If you’re cooking more fillets in multiple batches, the second batch and onward will cook a little quicker.
- Remember that all air fryers cook differently and your fish fillets might be larger or smaller than mine. Adjust the cook time accordingly.
All air fryers have different wattage and may cook at different rates. You may need to adjust the time or temp for the best results.
Nutrition
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Laura is a passionate foodie and owner of Air Fry Anytime She is dedicated to sharing delicious recipes and helpful tips for using air fryers at home. With years of experience in the kitchen and a love for healthy, flavorful cooking, Laura has become an expert at using air fryers to create amazing meals that are both nutritious and delicious.
Crispy and delicious
I find that I have to add a few minutes to the cooking time to get them as crispy as I like them.
This is my go-to when things get crazy! I know that my whole family will eat them. It’s great to know they will be done in 10 minutes.
I add some french fries to the basket and they I have my whole meal done together
Thanks for the cooking tips. I am learning alot about cooking with my air fryer.