How to cook the most delicious and crispy homemade air fryer fish and chips. The breaded fish and the chips cooks at the same time in the air fryer basket and even includes mushy peas.
If you are looking for an authentic fish and chips air fryer recipe that is free of panko breadcrumbs and uses traditional breading, then this is for you.
This air fryer fish and chips recipe has just been updated after originally showing you how to cook fish and chips in the air fryer back in 2015.
Fish And Chips In Air Fryer
Last summer, we had just arrived back in the UK after 13 years living in Portugal. It was a very stressful process moving especially with all the customs paperwork we had to go through and also getting our female cat and female boxer dog over here. Add to that finding somewhere to live and I am surprised I didn’t need medication for stress.
On our first night in our new rental in England, which happened to be a Friday night we had our first Friday night fish supper in many, many years.
The hubby enjoyed his fish and chips, whilst I had a portion of chips and scraps, and the kids had a bit of everything.
Whilst tucking in, I said to the hubby we must update our air fryer fish and chips by next summer, after sampling many different fish and chip shops along the way.
Well, after bingeing on fish and chips for just over a year, we are back today showing you how to make delicious homemade fish and chips in the air fryer.
Are You New To The Air Fryer?
Plus, as well as our extremely popular air fryer mini course which teaches you the air fryer basics in 5 days, we also have our air fryer bucket list. That is loaded with 30 FREE bucket list worthy air fryer recipes.
Click here or on the banner above and you will have access to both in an instant.
Can You Make Fish And Chips In An Air Fryer?
Yes, you can. You can cook many types of breaded fish in the air fryer. Including air fryer fishcakes, air fryer fish fingers, air fryer fish nuggets and many others.
Plus, you can cook the chips at the same time making the air fryer ideal for homemade fish and chips.
Is Air Fryer Good For Frying Fish?
Yes, it is, but only really for breaded fish not battered. Battered fish needs to be frozen for it to stick to the fish and to stop it all falling off into the air fryer basket.
Or you can of course cook our air fryer beer battered fish and chips which uses M&S frozen cod.
Are Fish And Chips Healthy?
I would say air fryer fish and chips is healthier, rather than healthy. That is because unlike at the British fish and chip shop you are air frying rather than deep frying which is reducing the calories.
Secondly, you are breading rather than battering, making it even lower in calories.
Though if you want an even healthier option with fish in the air fryer then I recommend you try our air fryer whole fish or our air fryer cod fillets.
What Is The Best Fish For Fish And Chips?
You can of course bread any fish fillets, but some are better than others.
The best fish for fish and chips is cod loin fillets. They are firm and carry less water and mean that your fish is less likely to break as it is been air fried.
In my teenage years working in English fish and chip shops there was only ever two options. Cod or haddock. If you had more money, you had cod and the cheaper alternative was the haddock, even though it was still tasty.
Beyond cod fish and chips and haddock fish and chips, the next favourites are fish and chips with halibut and flounder fish and chips.
Can Tilapia Be Used For Fish And Chips?
Yes, you can also use tilapia to make fish and chips. Though note tilapia is not authentic to what you would get at a British fish and chips shop.
Just like you would never have fish and chips with panko breadcrumbs.
Fish And Chips Ingredients
Fish – I recommend using a fish that is chunky enough to make breaded fish with and wont fall apart. The best fish for fish and chips is cod loin fillets which is what we are using.
Breading – You will need a breading production line (more on this below) with a beaten egg bowl, a breadcrumbs bowl, and a flour bowl.
Seasoning – I also recommend adding extra seasoning to your breadcrumbs bowl and your flour bowl. This adds extra flavour and otherwise this recipe for air fried fish and chips can be rather bland. I recommend parsley for your flour and then dill, parsley, and basil for your breadcrumbs. Then season your fish before breading with salt and pepper.
Optional – I also add some lemon juice to the egg mixture as this gives it extra flavour.
Then for the kitchen gadgets that we have used in this fish and chips air fryer recipe it has just been our Philips air fryer. We have this one and its wonderful for many types of air fryer recipes.
Plus, we recommend you head over to our air fryer recipes category as we have more than 500 tried and tested air fryer recipes and have been air frying for 10 years.
Breading Fish For The Air Fryer
This process for breading fish for the air fryer is the same for all our breaded fish and learn this system and then you can rinse and repeat with other recipes.
Also note, you can do batches of different recipes at the same time. For example, we did air fryer fish fingers, air fryer fish nuggets and a batch of air fryer fish and chips.
You start with three bowls:
- 1 for egg wash
- 1 for flour
- 1 for breadcrumbs
The number #1 chef tip is to use one hand for the flour and egg and then the other hand for the breadcrumbs. That way you won’t have to wash your hands inbetween or get eggy hands on the breaded fish.
The number #2 chef tip is to have a clean chopping board ready for placing the breaded food on once you have breaded it.
The number #3 chef tip is to have the bowls next to each other in the right order. I.e. flour first, then egg, then breadcrumbs.
The number #4 chef tip is to freeze leftover bread as breadcrumbs and then you can pour some into a bowl whenever you want to bread food.
The number #5 chef tip is to flavour the breadcrumbs and flour depending on what you are breading. For example, swap these flavours for our KFC spice blend and make our air fryer KFC chicken.
Here are our bowls with seasoning ready for making this air fryer fish and chips recipe:
Then once you have mixed the seasoning in your bowls, you’re ready for breading and then air frying.
How To Cook Fish & Chips?
- Dry. Firstly, place your fish fillets onto kitchen towel and let it sit for a few minutes to remove excess moisture. This is especially needed if you are air frying a wetter fish.
- Bowls. Whilst the fish is on the kitchen towel, set up your production line. With one bowl for flour, one bowl for eggs and one bowl for breadcrumbs. Then add seasoning to flour and breadcrumb bowls and beat your eggs. I also recommend adding in some lemon juice to your eggs.
- Prep. Peel and slice your potatoes into chips and toss in a bowl with salt, pepper, parsley and dill as well as extra virgin olive oil.
- Cook. Air fry the chips for 8 minutes at 160c/320f to kickstart the cooking of the fish as it takes longer than the fish.
- Season. Next remove the fish from the kitchen towel and season with salt and pepper.
- Batch. Then working in batches load the fish into the flour, then the egg and then using your other hand into the breadcrumbs. Place onto a clean chopping board as they are done and let them rest for 5 minutes.
- Cook. When the air fryer beeps with the chips place the fish over the chips and air fry for a further 8 minutes at 180c/360f.
- Beeps. When the air fryer beeps remove the chips and air fry just the fish at 200c/400f for 7 minutes to crisp it up.
- Serve. You can now add the mushy peas and cook for a further 5 minutes or serve it just as fish and chips.
And I am sure you can see now how easy it is air frying fish and chips and why you should be doing it too!
What To Put On Fish And Chips?
For a classic British fish and chips recipe you load up the fish and chips with salt and malt vinegar.
Whenever I see malt vinegar or smell it, I am always thinking about crispy fish and chips.
More Air Fryer Breaded Fish Ideas
- Air Fryer Fish Fingers
- Air Fryer Homemade Fishcakes
- Air Fryer Thai Fishcakes
- Air Fryer Fish Nuggets
- Air Fryer Frozen Fish & Chips
Your air fried fish and chips recipe is below, note you can print it out with or without photos, adjust servings, or click between metric and imperial depending on where you are in the world.
Though before you do, don’t forget to subscribe, and grab your FREE VIP Pass to Recipe This. You will get access to our latest recipes first, you will be able to request recipes, you will have access to free mini courses, free air fryer ebooks and useful air fryer cook time charts and so much more.
Air Fryer Fish And Chips
Ingredients
For the chips
- 3 Medium Potatoes
- 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Tsp Parsley
- 2 Tsp Dill
- Salt & Pepper
For the fish
- 2 Cod Fillets
- 2 Eggs beaten
- 480 ml Breadcrumbs
- 480 ml Plain Flour/All Purpose
- 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 Tbsp Parsley
- 2 Tsp Dill Tops
- 2 Tsp Parsley
- 2 Tsp Basil
- Salt & Pepper
- ½ Can Mushy Peas optional
Kitchen Gadgets
Instructions
- Sit your cod fillets on kitchen towel and allow the moisture to soak into the towels.
- Peel your potatoes and slice into chips. Load into a bowl with the rest of your chips ingredients and mix well with your hands.
- Place the chips into the air fryer basket. Air fry the chips for 8 minutes at 160c/320f.
- Whilst you are waiting set up your production line. Beaten egg in one bowl with lemon juice, flour and the 1tbsp of parsley in another bowl and the breadcrumbs and the rest of the seasoning in a third. Make sure all bowls are well mixed and that they are in the order of flour, egg, breadcrumbs.
- Remove the kitchen towel and place the cod fillets onto a chopping board. Season well with salt and pepper. Load the fish fillets into the flour, then into the egg and then using your other hand into the breadcrumbs until well coated.
- When the air fryer beeps place the fish over the chips and air fry for a further 8 minutes at 180c/360f.
- Then when the air fryer beeps remove the chips and cook the fish on its own for 7 minutes at 200c/400f to crisp it up.
- Optional. Serve up the fish and chips and fill a ramekin with mushy peas and then air fry the ramekin for 5 minutes at 180c/360f and then serve the mushy peas with the fish and chips.
Notes
Nutrition
Can’t make it now? Then save it for later!
Never thought about making fish and chips in the air fryer before, but these were amazing and the crisp is well worth the effort for.
Hey there, do l need to turn the fish at anytime?
Thanks, Donna.
Hi Donna
You can do if you think it is going to stick but you shouldn’t need to.
Thanks.
Dom
Hi Holly
Sorry for your trouble. Can you tell me if you were viewing on a mobile or tablet ? and what the pop up looked like please.
Kind regards
Sam
Hi Ruth
Yes we have done a battered version here:
http://recipethis.com/slimming-world-beer-battered-fish-chips-fakeaway/
We cooked the fish in the baking tin that you can buy from Amazon:
http://amzn.to/2uyc4fp (Amazon affiliate link)
This is the baking pan we have and it fits in our XL Philips Airfryer easily.
Kind Regards
Sam
can the fish and fries be cooked together or are they done separately
Hi Thomas
Yes you can, in the images above you can see we do add the fish to the chips after the chips have cooked for longer first 🙂