by Holly
Air fryer fish and chips come out perfectly crispy and delicious without the mess of deep-frying!
Crispy, crunchy fish fillets are battered and air-fried along with homemade fries for a whole meal made easy in the air-fryer!
This favorite meal lightens up a deep-fried favorite into a great weeknight meal!
Our Fave Air-Fryer Fish
Less oil means less fat! Who says you have to give up your favorite foods while keeping your health in check?
Any kind of white fish (we love cod or halibut) can be used in this recipe. It comes out tender and flaky.
Ingredients & Variations
FISH
For this recipe, we chose fresh (or frozen) fillets of cod or halibut. Be sure they’ve fully thawed before coating so the batter sticks. Any white fish can be substituted.
BATTER
The fish is dipped in egg and then in pancake mix. Any pancake mix will work in this recipe. The fish is then dredged in seasoned breadcrumbs for a crispy coating.
POTATOES
Since they’re starchy, russet potatoes are great in this recipe. Just like when we make oven fries, these are soaked in water for a bit first to remove some of the starch on the outside and help them to crisp nicely.
Be sure the potatoes are really dry before adding oil so they crisp instead of steaming in the air fryer.
SEASONING
Got a favorite seasoning blend for the fish or potatoes? Add it to the breading or sprinkle it on the potatoes and fry away! Or, try our homemade seasoning mixes like taco, Greek, fajita, Cajun, or even powdered ranch dressing mix!
How to Cook Fish in Air Fryer
With the air fryer in the game, perfect fish and chips have never been easier to make!
- Prep fries, toss in oil and season. Add to air fryer.
- While fries are cooking mix breading mixtures for fish (per recipe below).
- Bread fish and add to air fryer. Cook until flaky.
- Add fries back to the air fryer and heat through.
The best way to cook fish in an air fryer is to make sure the fish fillets are uniformly sized and that the breading is pressed into each piece all the way around. Prepare the breading and press into the fish so it sticks so each piece fries into a crispy, crunchy morsel!
Storing and Reheating Fish and Chips
For leftovers, keep them all together in an airtight container or a zippered bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat and re-crisp fish and chips, place them in the air fryer for about 5 minutes on 350°F or until heated through (this will vary based on thickness). Don’t forget the tartar sauce!
We love air fryer fish and chips with coleslaw and baked corn on the cob!
Air Fryer Favorites
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders – seasoned & breaded
- Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Scallops – sweet & salty
- Air Fryer Steak – ready in 20 minutes!
- Air Fryer Pork Chops – ready in under an hour
- Air Fryer Whole Chicken – juicy & delicious
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings – only takes 30 minutes
- Air Fryer Salmon – use fresh or frozen fillets
- Air Fryer Egg Rolls – crispy & delicious
Did your family love these Air Fryer Fish & Chips? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Air Fryer Fish & Chips
Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings 4
Equipment
Ingredients
Chips
- 2 russet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
Fish
- 1 ½ pounds cod fillets or other white fish
- 1 cup pancake mix
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
- ½ teaspoon old bay seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt and pepper each
- ½ teaspoon paprika
Follow Spend with Pennies on Pinterest
Instructions
Chips
- Scrub potatoes and cut into ¼" fries.
- Place fries in a large bowl of cold water and soak for 30 minutes. Drain well and dab dry.
- Toss fries with oil and salt.
- Preheat the air fryer to 390°F.
- Place the potatoes in the basket and cook for 10 minutes. Shake the potatoes and cook an additional 6-8 minutes or until crisp. Remove from the air fryer and place on a plate.
Fish
- While fries are cooking, prepare fish. Place pancake mix in a shallow bowl.
- Combine buttermilk and egg in a second bowl and combine bread crumbs and seasonings in a third bowl.
- Dab fish dry with a paper towel. Dip in egg mixture and then into pancake mixture.
- Dip back into the egg mixture and then into the bread crumbs. Spray generously with cooking spray.
- Once the fries are removed, add fish to the air fryer and cook at 390°F for 12 minutes or until cooked through and flaky. Do not overcook.
- Add fries back to the air fryer and cook 1-2 minutes to heat through.
Recipe Notes
Fish cook time can vary based on thickness.
Thicker fries may need more time, thinner fries may need a bit less time. Appliances can vary but it is easy to check on the fries a couple of minutes early and add more time if needed.
To Make More Fries cook several smaller batches. Once ready to serve, add all fries to the air fryer basket and cook at 390°F for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.
Nutrition Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
This is a great recipe! It worked so well with fish that I used the same breading recipe to make a “fried” chicken the 2nd time and it also turned out really well. The 2nd time I mixed the seasonings with the pancake mix instead of the bread crumbs and I felt like they were a little more evenly distributed. I also forgot that this called for buttermilk and used regular milk as a substitute and it was fine. Thank you!
Glad to hear it worked out so well for you, Mallory! We will have to try this breading on chicken, thanks for the recommendation.
Soooo good! Will be my go to recipe for fish and chips now. Used cod. Thanks!!
You’re very welcome Kim!
I made the fish tonight using cod and so happy with the results. My family loved it. I used gluten free pancake mix and panko. I thought the process was pretty messy and the breading was super thick. I know gluten free stuff cooks up differently. I might mix the pancake mix and panko together next time and only dip in egg mixture once. Overall it was delicious !
I had to make some substitutes for what I didn’t have on hand;e.g, regular milk, bisquick and Cajun seasoning in lieu of buttermilk, pancake mix and old bay seasoning. The fish cooked up beautifully with a nice crunch, however, it lacked flavor. I used catfish filets that I had in the freezer. Cook wise, we were very pleased, flavor wise, disappointed. I will make it again, but need to work on seasoning.
Can I use bisquick and regular milk in lieu of pancake mix and buttermilk?
I’ve not tried the recipe with Bisquick and milk, so cannot say for sure. Let us know if you try it Linda!
Looks wonderful
This was good. I only had whiting fillets so they cooked up pretty quickly – closer to 8 mins. Fries were tasty too.
Looking forward to trying again with different fish.
So glad you loved it!
I tried this with barramundi and it was amazing! Far better than when I used cod!
Thank you for the tip Jennifer!
Great recipe air fryer fish and chips
This recipe sounds great, but like other recipes I’ve seen the cook temp is 390. My air fryer only has 375 and 400, nothing in between. I hate that I can’t zero in on 390 so I am not sure if this recipe is doable in my air fryer. :( Any suggestions would be wonderful. Thanks Holly.
I would suggest cooking the fries at 400, they’ll be just fine and nice and crispy. For the fish, I’d reduce the heat to 375 and add a little bit of time so the bread crumbs don’t burn. Let us know how it goes!