This crispy air fryer fish has a delicious lemon parmesan breading that cooks to crispy perfection in minutes. A healthier alternative to deep fried fish that is a total crowd pleaser!
The air fryer is such a great way to lighten up your favorite deep fried foods. From air fryer chicken wings to air fryer chicken nuggets, they get nice and crispy with a fraction of the oil!
This air fryer fish was a real hit at our house thanks to the crispy lemon parmesan breading. It's simple to prepare, and cooks through in minutes! Serve it up with perfect fluffy rice and a kale caesar salad for an easy weeknight meal.
Reasons you're going to ♡ this recipe
- the breading adds a ton of flavor using simple ingredients
- you can use a variety of white fish
- it cooks through in under 10 minutes and gets nice and crispy
Recipe video
See exactly how to make crispy air fryer fish by watching the video below! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Ingredient notes
- fish- we experimented with a variety of fish for this recipe and preferred cod the most; depending on the thickness of your fillets, you will need to adjust the cook time, and we recommend investing in a digital thermometer to easily check for doneness. If using frozen fish, thaw fully, then pat dry with paper towels before beginning.
- flour- the all purpose flour helps the egg stick to the surface of the fish; gluten-free and almond flour would likely work, but have not been tested. Drop us a comment below if you try!
- Panko- Japanese seasoned breadcrumbs that should be found in the same grocery aisle as regular breadcrumbs; due to the large crumb they get ultra crispy in the air fryer and are key in this recipe for the crispy texture.
- parmesan- we recommend using freshly grated parmesan over the powdered variety for the best flavor
- lemon- the zest of the lemon adds bright citrus flavor without the sourness that can sometimes come from the juice; use a microplane to get ultra thin zest. You may want to purchase organic lemons, and wash them really well before zesting.
Step by step directions
1. Prepare breading- In three shallow bowls, add: (1) all purpose flour, (2) beaten eggs, (3) Panko, parmesan, lemon zest, salt, onion powder and garlic powder. Stir the Panko mixture until completely combined.
2. Bread the fish- Make sure your fish is fully thawed, and pat each fillet dry using paper towels. Use tongs or your fingers to dredge the fish in the flour, shaking off excess, then dipping into the beaten eggs. Allow any excess egg to run off before placing the fish in the Panko mixture. Press gently so it sticks, then flip and allow the entire fillet to be coated. Transfer to a clean plate or cutting board and repeat with remaining fillets.
3. Cook- Heat your air fryer to 400°F and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Add the fish to the basket or tray of your air fryer, ensuring the fillets do not overlap. Cook until the fish reaches 145°F in the thickest portion; 6-8 minutes.
TIP- do not flip your fish. Fish fillets can be very delicate, and flipping them runs the risk they could break.
4. Enjoy- Serve air fryer fish with tartar sauce and lemon wedges, sprinkle with parsley if desired.
FAQ
We tested with a variety of types of fish and preferred the flavor of cod with this recipe. Other varieties include tilapia, haddock, catfish, sole, and snapper. Be sure to select a fish that is certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council.
I don't personally love storing fish for more than 2 days in the fridge, and try to only cook what I need. With that being said, you can store this for up to 4 days after cooking (1), reheating for 4-5 min at 350°F in the air fryer.
If you have frozen fish sticks or fish that is meant to be cooked from frozen in the oven, it will cook well in the air fryer. For this recipe, we recommend that you start with thawed fish as you want it to be dry for the breading to stick.
Recipe tips
- start with thawed fish- for the breading to stick, you need to start with thawed fish. Pat it dry with paper towels before you dredge it in the flour.
- do not thaw too early- for the best flavor, thaw the fish just before cooking it. Frozen fish usually thaws pretty quickly when the bag is immersed in a bowl of cool water.
- pre-heat the air fryer- to ensure your air fryer fish cooks to crispy perfection, you want it to pre-heat for at least 5 minutes before adding it to the basket or tray.
- check the temperature- since fish fillets vary widely in size, your best bet to determine if your fish is cooked through is to check with an instant read thermometer in the thickest part. When the temperature reaches 145°F, remove the fish from the air fryer. Sometimes individual fillets are cooked through quicker than others.
- don't overcrowd- make sure your fillets are not all squeezed together, and not stacked on top of each other. This allows space for air flow, essential to get the breading nice and crispy.
Basket versus oven air fryers
This recipe was tested in both basket-style and oven-style air fryers and cook times were remarkably similar in each:
- Basket Style (Cosori XL air fryer)- took 6-8 minutes
- Oven Style (Instant Pot Vortex air fryer oven)- took 8 minutes * make sure to use the lower rack position when available as the upper rack cooks too hot for this recipe.
Storage + reheating
Air fryer fish is best served fresh, and personally I do not enjoy fish that has been stored for longer than 2 days. With that being said, it is perfectly safe to store in the fridge for 3-4 days (1).
- Cool completely, then store in an air tight container (I recommend separating fish with parchment so the breading stays intact).
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in the air fryer at 350°F for 4-5 minutes, until heated through and breading gets crispy again.
More easy air fryer recipes
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Crispy Air Fryer Fish (lemon parmesan breading!)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour note 1
- 1 egg beaten
- ⅓ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ⅓ c Parmesan cheese shredded; note 2
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 lemon zested on a microplane
- 4 fillets cod 3-5 oz each; up to 1 inch thick; see note 3
Instructions
- Fish- start with fully thawed fish, and pat dry with a paper towel to remove moisture from the surface of the fish.
- Prepare breading- In three shallow bowls, add: (1) all purpose flour, (2) beaten eggs, (3) Panko, parmesan, lemon zest, salt, onion powder and garlic powder. Stir the Panko mixture until completely combined.
- Bread the fish- Make sure your fish is fully thawed, and pat each fillet dry using paper towels. Use tongs or your fingers to dredge the fish in the flour, shaking off excess, then dipping into the beaten eggs. Allow any excess egg to run off before placing the fish in the Panko mixture. Press gently so it sticks, then flip and allow the entire fillet to be coated. Transfer to a clean plate or cutting board and repeat with remaining fillets.
- Cook- Heat your air fryer to 400°F and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Add the fish to the basket or tray (*note 5) of your air fryer, ensuring the fillets do not overlap. Cook until the fish reaches 145°F in the thickest portion; 6-8 minutes.
- Enjoy- Serve with tartar sauce and lemon wedges, sprinkle with parsley if desired.
Tips:
- Cool completely, then store in an air tight container (I recommend separating fish with parchment so the breading stays intact).
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in the air fryer at 350°F for 4-5 minutes, until heated through and breading gets crispy again.
Video
Nutrition Information
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JH says
Perfect! I used tilapia, cooked for 6 minutes, and served it with rice and tartar sauce. Next time I'll use this recipe for fish tacos. Thank you!
Denise Bustard says
Hi JH! That's so great to hear. I bet they'd be so good in fish tacos!
Robin Cauthen says
Followed the recipe exactly, which I don't usually do. Absolutely delicious! Will definitely make again.
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Robin, thank you so much for taking the time to come back to leave a rating and review! So glad to hear that you enjoyed it!