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This air fryer fish recipe for crunchy cod fillets will have everyone running to the table for dinner in no time at all! This quick Air Fryer Cod recipe means no more deep-frying fish!
Crispy Breaded Cod in the air fryer
It only takes simple ingredients like panko bread crumbs, easy spices, and fresh or frozen cod to come together and make one of the best air fryer dinners we’ve had in a long time! The coating comes out crispy and crunchy and the fish fillets are perfectly cooked and there’s no deep-fat frying required. This is totally an easy air fryer cod recipe!
And no deep frying means this is a healthy dinner everyone loves. This recipe is one of the best ways I’ve found to cook fresh fish on busy weeknights. Use crispy air fryer cod as fish and chips with french fries, serve it alongside a salad or use it for Taco Tuesday Fish Tacos!! Like most white fish it’s very versatile and lends itself easily to many different preparations.
Breaded Cod VS Battered Cod
Both are delicious! But you can’t typically put freshly battered cod in the air fryer because the batter just slides right off. If I could make this Beer Batter for Cod (or salmon!) I would absolutely do that!
Frozen battered foods can be cooked easily in the air fryer.
Breaded cod is another story! You can make “fried” crispy-coated flaky cod right in the air fryer basket. Nothing slides off, the crumbs stick and the breaded cod comes out of the air fryer perfectly cooked every time.
Breaded cod is another story! You can make bread cod right in the air fryer basket. Nothing slides off, the crumbs stick and the breaded cod comes out of the air fryer perfectly.
What do I need to Make Air Fryer Cod?
- Cod fillet OR Cod Loin Fillets-you can use fresh OR frozen cod. If you use frozen cod it needs to be thawed. And be sure to pat it dry so the eggs will stick to it.
- Eggs-for the first stage of the dredging process
- Panko Bread Crumbs
- Garlic Powder
- Salt
- Paprika
- Italian Seasonings
- Oil for spraying or brushing on the basket, not an aerosol spray like Pam
- optional lemon slice or lemon wedge for squeezing over the crispy cod
Tools Needed to make this Cod Recipe
- Basket Style Air Fryer
- paper towels
- pie pans or a couple of medium size bowls
- tongs or spatula
- digital instant-read thermometer
Cod Loins or Cod Fillets?
For this recipe, you can use either cut of the fish. The cod fillets are from the backbone down to the belly and have a tendency to be thick at one end and thin at the other. Cod loins are cuts of fish that are above the lateral line of the fish and go from the head toward the tail. The loins tend to be the same thickness all way through.
Can I use Bread Crumbs Or Seasoned bread Crumbs Instead of Panko?
I love to use Panko because the crumbs are big and fluffy, well for bread crumbs they’re fluffy. Plus you can season it any way you like and the flavor shines through. But if you get in a pinch you can use regular or even seasoned bread crumbs if you need to. You probably need fewer bread crumbs than panko because more of them fit in the measuring cups.
But if you get in a pinch you can use regular or even seasoned bread crumbs if you need to. You probably need fewer bread crumbs than panko because more of them fit in the measuring cups.
If you happen to have leftovers
If you happen to have leftovers
If you have leftover pieces of cod store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Allow them to cool before boxing them up so there’s less condensation inside the container. To reheat just pop them in the air fryer oven and let that hot air do its magic!
A gentle reminder, it won’t be as tasty as leftovers but it will still taste pretty good. Nothing tastes better than saving money by eating leftovers! Did you think I was going to say nothing tastes better than skinny feels?? because I felt like that’s what I was writing up until I wrote it out!!
What sauce can I use for dipping?
You can make any kind of sauce you like! Try:
Crunchy Air Fryer Cod
Crispy Crunchy Fried Cod that's NOT Deep Fried?? It can be done!! In the air fryer!!
Ingredients
- 1 pound pieces of cod fillet or cod loin, cut into 8 pieces
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp Italian herbs
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp oil
Instructions
- pat the cod dry with paper towels and set it aside
- crack the eggs into a pie pan and lightly beat them
- put the crumbs into another pie pan or shallow bowl and add the paprika, salt, garlic powder, and Italian herbs
- stir the panko mixture to combine
- preheat the air fryer to 400° for five minutes
- meanwhile, put one piece of cod in the egg and then roll in the bread crumbs pressing lightly to make sure the crumbs adhere
- place on a plate or baking sheet
- repeat with the remaining pieces, and discard any leftover eggs or crumbs
- when the air fryer is done preheating use a pastry brush and spread oil on the basket of the air fryer *OR* spritz lightly with oil
- place the cod pieces in the basket and then air fry on 400° for 15 minutes
- check on the after 10 minutes to see how they're looking, spritz with more oil as desired
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 323Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 180mgSodium 794mgCarbohydrates 21gFiber 2gSugar 2gProtein 43g
This nutrition information was calculated using a computer program, results may vary.
This came out SO crispy! Worked deliciously on a wrap for dinner!