Air Fryer Fish Fillet Recipe

I finally got an air fryer, and learning to use it has been a little bit of a learning curve. While I have no doubt, I'll master its use soon, I wanted to start out with a basic recipe that would taste great and get my kids on board with the latest box we got from Sitka Salmon Shares that was full of delicious black cod!

Can I Make an Air Fryer Fish Fillet Taste Good?

Would this recipe be the recipe that got my kids to eat fish? Would it taste as delicious as frying in oil? Could I get the fish to cook evenly? Surprisingly, the answer to all of these questions is "yes!" See what air fryer fish fillet recipe I used for this easy-peasy dinner idea.

Air Fryer Fish Fillet Recipe

First, I adapted this from the recipe book that came with my air fryer. (What air fryer did I use? I bought this Ninja model because it had the bigger basket, so I could fry more foods for my family of 8.)

I followed the directions and let the air fryer heat up for 3 minutes on the air fry mode. While that was happening, I took my large, thawed cod fillets and cut them into two pieces.

I prepared two bowls, one with a half a sleeve of finely crushed saltine crackers. (I used my Ninja mini blender to crush them.) The other bowl had 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a teaspoon of yellow mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon of garlic salt -- mixed up.

First, I pressed the fish into the oil mixture on both sides. Then, I pressed it into the cracker crumbs on both sides. I placed it on a plate and sprayed liberally with oil, like PAM. I put the fish into the air fryer and cooked for about 9 minutes in total -- 4.5 minutes per side -- or until my meat thermometer showed a temperature of 145 degrees at the thickest part of the fillet.

Did the kids like our air fryer fish fillet recipe?

This fish was amazing! Some of the kids dipped it in ketchup. I like a little Miracle Whip spread on mine. Others enjoy tarter sauce.

One thing that's great about any air fryer fish filler recipe is that it's cooked at such high heat. You save time, but the fish is extremely hot coming out of the air fryer. You can get it to the table, serve up the sides, and get everyone seated, and the fish is still piping hot and delicious.

What do I serve with my air fryer fish fillet recipe? My favorite side dish is a mixture of sauteed veggies, such as the apparatus from our garden or a nice lightly seasoned blend of summer squash and zucchini. Whatever you choose, the fish will setal the show!

Want to make this little kid-friendly? Make the pieces bite-sized, cut the cooking time down by 1-2 minutes, and you have little air fryer fish nuggets. These were a hit with my kids!

Want to know more about our Sitka Salmon Shares? See this post on how it works. You can also sign up for your share and get $25 off anything but the Taste of Fall Shares with code "Lille" through June 30th! Get an assortment of fish throughout the year to use in your own air fryer fish fillet meal!

(Affiliate link. Fish received from Sitka to try and share. Opinions are our own.)