Easy Air Fryer Fish-Two Ways!

I want to start by saying that I love fried fish and that air frying fish is definitely not a substitute for your Friday fish fry. However, air frying fish can be a great way to get a perfectly cooked, moist piece of fish. My fish fail has always been bland and overcooked fish. Who needs to heat up the whole oven for fish when you can pop a piece in the air fryer? Today I want to talk about how I prep fish for the air fryer in a couple of ways. 

Not too many people in my house enjoy fish unless its fried or comes in stick form. I for one, do not like my fish in stick form, so I have developed a few methods of cooking fish for myself in a minimal amount of time. I've even had a kid or two ask for a bite. Fish is a lean protein that's a great addition to a healthy diet. 

I do like to thaw out my fish before air frying to ensure that internal temperatures reach a safe level. You certainly can air fry from frozen, but you might need to adjust the time and temperature. It's easy to overcook in an air fryer too! I have used salmon with the skin on or off and various filets of cod, tilapia and pollock. I look for the bags of single pack salmon on sale so I can defrost one at a time when I'm just cooking for myself.  It's important to dry your fish before cooking. It helps for a couple of reasons: the fish itself will crisp up better (think broiling) and if you're putting a topping on, it will stick better instead of just falling off. 

Let's start with something simple! 

Light Dill Air Fryer Fish

• Defrost and pat dry your fish. If you have fish with skin, put the skin side down in your air fryer. I suggest using an air fryer parchment paper or lightly oil the skin side so it doesn't stick to your air fryer basket
• Sprinkle fish filets with dried dill weed and your favorite seasoning salt (or just plain salt) and spritz with oil diffuser. Make sure the edges of the fish have oil-they can crisp or curl up before the fish is done. 
• I like my filets cooked like this sort of crisp, so I air fry on 400-425 for 5-10 minutes for thin filets (less than a half inch thick). If your filets are thicker, try turning the temp down and cooking for longer. If you're using salmon or cod steaks that are very thick, lower your rack and use 375-400 for longer, checking for doneness with a meat thermometer. 
• Squeeze lemon juice over the finished fish and serve with tartar sauce if you prefer!

Parmesan Dill Air Fryer Fish

• Defrost and pat dry your fish. Make sure you oil the side that's down and make sure the top side is really dry or this topping will not stay on!
• Mix equal parts ranch and real mayo for the coating. Make as much as you need to thoroughly coat the top side of your fish (no need to do both sides).
• Sprinkle topping with dill, parmesan cheese and panko bread crumbs. When air frying, it's super important to spray your panko with olive oil or the panko blows around in the air fryer! You may choose to season your fish with salt at any step (for this one, I salt it when it comes out!)
• Cooking will vary with the thickness of the fish and your air fryer, but the idea is to get your fish cooked and the panko golden brown. You might find it helpful to lower the rack to prevent the panko from burning. I still suggest at least 400 degrees for a perfect golden brown crunch.

I actually got the idea for this topping from my mom a few years back. I was NOT sold on mixing the ranch with the mayo, but it really did give the fish a lot of flavor and enhanced the dill. Mayo on fish (and chicken too) really locks in the flavor. Mixing panko with parmesan adds a salty crust. I know it does add fat and calories, so it's up to you how much you want to put on your fish. I've been making my fish like this forever now and it really does go well with any kind of fish filet. When I use this topping, I don't even need tartar sauce!

Thanks for reading the Home Ericanomics blog! I wrote this blog for a friend who was looking for ways to air fry fish! If there's anything you'd like me to write about or test out, please let me know on social media or in the comments!