Love crispy battered fish? This Air Fryer Fried Fish recipe makes them perfect all the time!
We make fried fish in air fryer because it’s so quick and easy (under 20 minutes!), and it’s much healthier than frying!

Why Air Fryer Fried Fish?
How do you like to eat fish? I enjoy them steamed, grilled and especially fried!
Since fish is moist and flaky, having a crispy element just adds a nice texture and bite to it.
Whenever I’m in a restaurant ordering fish, I love getting Fish and Chips (like my favourite British spot in Toronto) and Fried Fish Tacos (like this awesome Mexican joint in Ocala)!
Making fried fish at home is usually bothersome because of all the oil you have to use.
Air Fryer changes all this!

Air fryer is so good for frying fish. The fish is moist and flaky, and it comes out crispy!
Plus, you can do it so quickly and not have to worry about oil splatters or monitoring the fish.
Now you can make this crispy battered fish in air fryer at home! And it’s so quick and simple!

Is Air Fried Fish Healthier?
You may be wondering, is it healthier to cook fried fish in air fryer?
Fish in general is healthy because of the protein, fats and nutrients.
Air Fryer fried fish is definitely healthier than deep fried fish because there is very little oil used, removing the extra fat and calories.

What You Need For Air Fryer Fried Fish
Equipment
- Air Fryer – I used the Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven TOA-60 for this recipe. Other brands will work but you might need to adjust timing/temperature.
Here are other popular brands:

Ingredients
- Fish Fillets – You want fillets so it’s deboned already and you can cut into strips. I used Basa fillets because they’re cheap and common. You can also use cod, tilapia, haddock, catfish, and other kinds of white fish.
- Mayonnaise – I LOVE using mayonnaise for breaded/battered air fryer recipes. Why? It makes an amazing binder! Usually you need oil and/or beaten eggs for batters and dredging but mayonnaise does both for you.
- Flour – I used All-Purpose Flour for my batter, but you can also use cornstarch (rice flour).
- Garlic Salt – I usually prefer garlic salt over regular salt to have that extra garlic taste, but you can definitely use regular salt or sea salt.
- Black Pepper
- Paprika – Gives it an extra heat.

How To Cook Battered Fish In Air Fryer
Air fryer fried fish is so easy to make!
Pat the fish dry. You can slice into strips to have more pieces, or just do one big air fried fish fillet.
I personally prefer them in smaller strips so they cook more evenly and you get a better batter-to-fish ratio.
For the dry mix, combine the flour (or breading), garlic salt, black pepper and paprika.

Coat the fish with mayonnaise.
Then dredge the fish on the dry mix.
Layer the fish on the air fryer basket.
Do not overlap and overcrowd so it cooks evenly.

How long do you cook battered fish fillets in an Airfryer?
Run the battered fish in air fryer for 12 minutes at 400F (205C).
You don’t need to oil the basket nor the fish because the mayonnaise has oil already.
This has been tested with the Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven TOA-60. If you use a different Air Fryer, be sure to consult the manual on proper timing.

Enjoy them on its own as a snack, side dish, appetizer or a main dish!
P.S. Make this Air Fryer French Fries to turn it into Fish and Chips!

Air Fryer Fried Fish Tips & Tricks
What can I use instead of mayonnaise?
If you don’t have or don’t want to use mayonnaise, you can replace mayonnaise with:
- Oil only – coat the fish with oil then dredge with flour mix.
- Egg and oil – beat the egg and dredge with the flour mix. Grease the air fryer basket with oil before air frying, or spray both sides of fish with cooking oil.

Can you make the air fryer fish breaded instead of battered?
YES! The beauty of this air fryer fried fish recipe is how flexible it can be.
To make it breaded, you can use panko bread crumbs or tempura crumbs to make it into air fryer breaded fish.
What if I want air fryer fish without breading or batter?
Simply skip the flour or breading in the recipe. It’ll be like oven or stove-top fish in air fryer.

Dishes To Serve With Air Fried Battered Fish
- Instant Pot Edamame Green Onion Rice
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Instant Pot Beef Biryani
- Indian Vegetable Curry – Avial
- Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
Fried Fish in Air Fryer Recipe
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Air Fryer Fried Fish
Easy air fryer fried fish is one of the best ways to eat fish! Make crispy and delicious fried fish in air fryer under 20 minutes that's perfect for snacks, appetizers and main dish!
Ingredients
- 2 pieces (285g) Basa fillets
- 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 55 grams Mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp Garlic Salt
- 1 tbsp Paprika
Instructions
- Pat fish dry and cut into 8 strips
- Mix flour, black pepper, garlic salt and paprika
- Coat fish with mayonnaise
- Coat fish with flour mix
- Place battered fish on air fryer basket without overlapping and overcrowding
- Cook battered fish in air fryer for 12 minutes at 400F (205C)
Notes
- If you prefer breaded than battered, use panko bread crumbs instead
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 270Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 2556mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 3gSugar: 1gProtein: 3g
Please note that nutrition information you see is provided and automatically calculated by Nutritionix. This may vary depending on the specific ingredients that you use. To ensure the most accurate information, I suggest entering your specific ingredients into a nutrition calculator.
Hope this Air Fryer Fried Fish recipe gives you an idea on how to make battered or breaded fish in air fryer!
It’s such a great way to make perfectly crispy fish all the time that’s healthier and without deep frying!