What Side Dishes To Serve
There are some really easy side dishes you can serve with your main dish cooked in the Air Fryer. In some cases, you can even cook them together in the air fryer to make it even faster.
Some of our favorite side dishes to serve include air fryer cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and corn on the cob. We love these crispy smashed potatoes and cottage fries because they go with just about anything. Other quick options are to make a side garden salad or some macaroni and cheese.
Why Is It Called Beer Battered
The obvious reason is that the batter has beer in it! In fact, most beer batter has as much beer in it as flour. This adds a lovely taste to the fish. But more importantly, also adds carbon dioxide, foaming agents, and alcohol to the batter, which creates a super light and crunchy delicious breading.
How To Cook Air Fryer Frozen Fish Fillets
Frozen fish fillets are better air fried than a regular oven because the hot circulating air makes the fish fillets crispy without having to oil them. Add some tarter sauce and a few slices of lemon and voila! Its perfect with the bright lemon juice and dip. And if you want to make it a meal, air fry some french fries after for a perfect fish and chips air fryer dinner! All time, temp and details are in the recipe box below.
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Can You Cook Frozen Breaded Fish In An Air Fryer
Batter and breading are different things that both add an extra layer to the fish. A batter is generally made using some sort of flour, such as all-purpose flour, rice flour, or cornstarch, with a liquid or binding agent such as eggs or baking powder.
Breading, on the other hand, refers to multiple layers on the fish, starting with flour to make sure the fishs surface is dry and rough. The next layer is a liquid binder, such as eggs or some kind of dairy product, that will adhere to it properly.
The final layer consists of something that would give the fish some texture, including breadcrumbs, crackers, or breakfast cereal.
Like frozen battered fish, frozen breaded fish can also be easily cooked in an air fryer. Heres what you need to do:
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F.
- Line the frozen breaded fish on the air fryer basket in a single layer.
- If your frozen fish already contains a significant amount of oil, you can skip spraying it with some more. If not, use a little cooking spray according to your requirement.
- Put the tray on the top rack of the air fryer and let the fish cook for a total of 12 minutes at 350°F.
- At about halfway through, flip the fillets so that they get evenly crisp on both sides and put the tray back on the top rack.
- When the timer goes off, check the fishs internal temperature using a thermometer. If it is 145°F, the fish is ready and perfectly cooked.
- Serve it with your choice of sides and some yummy tartar sauce.
Should You Thaw The Frozen Fish Fillets Before Air Frying
No, you dont have to. Besides, if theyre thawed they will be hard to handle. Its best to air fry them directly from frozen. But for what ever reason if they ended up being thawed, air fry them for about 8 minutes then check on them. Add additional 2 minutes or more of air frying until they are cooked through and crispy to your preference.
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Air Fryer Fish And Fries
We started all of this by making a bunch of different air fryer fish recipes. Yes we love it with simple salt and pepper with no breading, but fried is so much better.
Paired with crispy french fries its the best meal ever. Use bagged and frozen or follow our homemade air fryer fish nuggets recipe instead.
If you love air fryer recipes too, here are some resources to start with:
Air Fryer Frozen Battered Fish
The air fryer is great for quickly cooking frozen battered fish to perfection. The batter cooks to be crispy and the fish deliciously hot.
For the best outcome, pick your favorite brand of frozen battered fish. The type of batter does not hugely matter, but my favorite is either a beer batter or tempura. Also, the fish itself will heavily impact the final flavor. For example, I typically use battered fish that uses white fish fillets rather than salmon.
The air fryer does a great job quickly cooking the battered fish and is usually faster than the traditional oven. I recommend lightly coating the fish with some oil using a cooking spray.
I aim for roughly one piece of fish per person, which will have this recipe serve four people. However, you may need to adjust quantities if people are big eaters or you have small pieces of fish.
You can make battered fish from scratch, but you will find it will not cook very well in the air fryer and will likely make a mess. Crumbed fish will likely work better as the coating wont be runny.
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How To Air Fryer Frozen Fish Fillets
This recipe assumes youre using frozen already breaded fish fillets. They have a coating on them that you will be getting crisp in the air fryer. You would cook a fish filet with no breading slightly differently because theres no breading to crisp.
Place the fish in the air fryer basket. There is no need to thaw the fish and there is no need to pre-heat the air fryer or spray the basket.
Cook the fish at 390° F for 10 minutes. Be sure to flip them over once during cooking to ensure even cooking. When theyre done, transfer them to a place and spritz with a little lemon juice before serving.
Microwave Oven + Oven Broiler
- 1. Arrange fish fillets in a single layer on a microwave-safe dish and cook on HIGH for 1 minute.
- 2. While microwaving, move oven rack to MIDDLE of oven.
- 3. Turn oven on Broil setting . Preheat oven for only 1 minute.
- 4. CAUTION: HOT! Transfer fish fillets onto metal baking pan and broil according to the below.
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Air Fryer Breaded Fish Fillets
Before I get started on the Air Fryer Breaded Fish Fillets recipe, I want to point out that you CAN make this recipe WITHOUT an air fryer! There are many ways to cook Gortons Fish Sticks including the oven or microwave!
We purchased an Air Fryer awhile back and I can say that cooking frozen foods in the Air Fryer is delicious! We are hooked on this cooking process.
So lets get started on the Air Fryer Breaded Fish Sticks and then I will share some delicious, kid friendly dipping sauces.
Air Fryer Frozen Fish Fillets
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Air Fryer Frozen Fish Fillets are a delicious and easy way to make a quick dish straight from the freezer. Just add your favorite sides and maybe a side of tartar sauce and you’re all set!
I love making things straight from frozen in the air fryer. In fact, we have a great list of some of the Best Air Fryer Frozen Foods.
I love to make this as a quick lunch or dinner. They are perfect with a side of homemade french fries or even some sweet potato fries.
Check out just how easy it is to make these air fryer fish fillets from frozen. Not only is this great recipe quick and easy, but there is no need for a deep fryer with extra oil and calories.
If you’re in a hurry, head down to the printable recipe card below. If you’re not in a hurry, keep reading for our favorite tips and tricks.
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What To Serve With Fish Fillets
There are a lot of things that you can serve with the fish fillets. These include long-grain rice, boiled potatoes, oven-baked wedges, garlic mushrooms, French fries, cheese, and so on. Some of the sauces that you can also add with fish fillets including BBQ sauce, Ketchup, honey mustard, Tartar sauce, etc.
How Long Does Frozen Fish Take In Air Fryer
It takes only 12 minutes to cook frozen fish fillets in the air fryer. Fillets in 10 Minutes or Less: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper.
Add the egg yolks to the dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Stir in the melted butter. Bake for 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
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Can You Microwave Frozen Battered Or Breaded Fish
Yes, you can microwave frozen battered or breaded fish if you cannot find alternative ways of cooking it however, it may affect its texture and crispiness.
Frozen battered or breaded fish is typically pre-cooked to some extent, so it shouldnt be a problem using the microwave to fully cook them.
All you have to do is line a microwave-safe plate with parchment paper and arrange the frozen fish fillets on top, making sure there is enough space between each fillet.
Next, heat the frozen fish on a high setting for a couple of minutes, depending on how powerful your microwave is. Make sure to flip the fish halfway so that it gets evenly cooked from both sides.
Take it out once it is done and let it cool, making sure the internal temperature of the fish is 165°F before serving.
While microwaving frozen battered or breaded fish is a fast and convenient way of cooking with an easy clean-up process, you will have to make peace with the loss of texture that comes with it.
You wont get the crispiness like in other cooking methods such as frying and baking.
Also, they wont look nearly as good as their fried and baked counterparts, and there is a considerable margin of error with the technique.
How Long Does It Take To Cook Fries In Air Fryer
Toss the fries with the oil in a medium bowl, then sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Working in batches if necessary, put the fries in an even layer in the air fryer basket with no overlapping and cook, turning them halfway through, until golden brown and crisp, 14 to 16 minutes.
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How Long To Cook Frozen Fish Fillets In Air Fryer
The air fryer frozen fish cook time varies between different frozen fish types. This is because you have the frozen haddock which is very thick, to medium frozen tilapia to skinny looking frozen cod.
It is similar to cooking our air fryer frozen chicken breasts. If you air fry a small one it will take the least time, compared to cooking a medium or large chicken breast.
Can I Cook Frozen Fish Sticks In An Air Fryer
Prepare your air fryer for 400 degrees. The frozen fish sticks need to be put into the air fryer. Its important that they dont overcrowd as that will cause them to cook slower. Cook the fish sticks for 10 minutes, flipping them halfway through to ensure even cooking. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
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Tips For Making Air Fryer Frozen Fish Fillets:
I typically use Gortons Fish Fillets when making these in the Air Fryer. These fillets tend to be perfect for this because they also come in a resealable bag, which means you can just heat what you need and save the rest for later.
A good 95% of all my cooking is done fresh however, just like everyone else sometimes that frozen food comes to the rescue.
The only thing you need for this is frozen fish fillets and grapeseed oil spray. If you prefer you can add lemon as well to give it a little squeeze of lemon before serving.
Remember that these do not have to be thawed, just place them frozen into the air fryer.
Once you have the basket of the air fryer or ninja foodi sprayed with a coat of grapeseed oil spray, then just add the fillets you need to fit in the basket.
I like to give them another coat of spray too after putting them in. That helps the outside get nice and crispy.
After that its 390*F for 10 minutes, there is no need to preheat either.
Once that 10 minutes is up, you have some great fish fillets to top over a salad or pair with your favorite vegetables. Its just the best quick dinner!
Enjoy!
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How Do You Cook Frozen Beer Battered Fish
Conventional Oven UNCOOKED. KEEP FROZEN UNTIL READY TO COOK. Preheat oven to 425F. Arrange on metal baking pan. Bake 17-19 minutes total*. For extra crunch or cooking more than 4 fillets, add 3 minutes to the cooking time. *FULLY COOK FISH TO AN INTERNAL TEMPERATURE OF 165F OR HIGHER BEFORE SERVING.
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How To Make Air Fryer Frozen Fish Fillets
To make frozen fish fillets in the Air Fryer start with preheating the Air Fryer for 390 for 5 minutes.
Take your frozen cod fillets out of the freezer. Put the dried seasoning in a small bowl and whisk.
Half the lemon, squeeze about a teaspoon of lemon juice on to fish then sprinkle with seasonings.
Cut half of the lemon into thin slices and put a slice on each fillet.
Use an Air Fryer grill pan with a nonstick coating. Lay the frozen fillets on the grill pan, be careful to not overlap.
Close the grill basket and set it to 390 for 12 minutes, then check to see if the fillets are done.
As Air Fryer can vary, timing will vary as well depending on how thick each piece is and how done you like your fish fillets.
If your fish is not done then add 2 minutes and check again.
Take the fish out of the fryer and sprinkle with fresh or dried parsley and serve immediately.
How Do You Cook Frozen Breaded Fish In An Air Fryer
Instructions
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Are Frozen Fish Sticks Healthy
Since frozen fish sticks have already been fried and come precooked, they do contain oil. However, they do still contain healthy attributes.
Here is why frozen fish sticks are still a good option:
- A lot of brands now contain no artificial flavors or preservatives
- They contain real frozen minced fish
- You can even buy whole fillet fish sticks that are not minced with a new Gortons fish sticks variety, which are great in the air fryer
- Youre air frying them, so no more oil is needed than the oil already in them
Expert Tips For Success
- You can use fresh or frozen fish fillets that have been thawed completely for this recipe
- Instead of my seasoning, Cajun or Old Bay seasoning is also delicious, or use a mix of your own favorite spices
- The fillets should be similar in size and thickness for the best result
- It is done when it can easily be flaked with a fork. I recommend using an Instant Thermometer and cooking the fish until it reaches 145 degrees F internally
- Thinner fish fillets will cook faster, thicker fillets like cod will take a minute or two longer
- A squeeze of fresh lemon over the air fried fish makes it extra delicious
- If your air fryer basket is not non-stick spray it with oil spray before placing the fish in it
- You can also use special air fryer parchment paper to make the clean up easier
- Dont overcrowd the basket! Depending on your Air Fryer you have to work in batches. If the basket is too full the fish wont cook evenly and wont crisp up because of the steam
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the Air Fryer at 350 degrees F for a few minutes until heated through
- To make a gluten-free version use almond flour instead of all-purpose flour and switch out the panko breadcrumbs for crushed cornflakes
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Air Frying Frozen Battered Fish Vs Other Methods
Deep frying and baking are two of the most common cooking methods for frozen battered fish.
However, cooking frozen fish in the oven often leaves it very dry and lacking in moisture, and while deep-fried fish is absolutely delicious and difficult to compete with, it has some real downsides.
Deep frying adds unnecessary calories to the fish and sometimes detracts from its original flavor, depending on your choice of the frying oil.
Air frying frozen fish is the best of both worlds since it leaves the fish tasting delicious and moist while retaining all of its essential nutrients. Not to mention, it doesnt leave a big mess to clean as with deep-frying.
You can deep-fry frozen battered fish to a perfect golden-brown crisp by ensuring the correct oil temperature and the total time it is fried for. Use a cooking thermometer to measure the temperature of the oil, which should be 350°F.
Fry it for 5-7 minutes until it has a crisp coating and is cooked through. Make sure to reheat the oil before adding in any additional fish fillets.
Once done, transfer the fish onto a cooling rack and use a few paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
To bake frozen battered fish in a conventional oven, you need to preheat it to 425°F and place the frozen fish on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Let it cook for 20-22 minutes until it is crisp. Make sure to flip the fish halfway for the best results.
