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Air Fryer Cod

Air Fryer Cod is simple to make and creates a tender piece of cod with a crispy breaded layer on the outside. This cod works perfectly on its on, as a fish fry on a bun with tarter sauce or on Cod Fish Tacos! You will love how easy this recipe is! 

Air Fryer Cod on a blue plate

AIR FRYER COD  

We love cod in my house, especially this Air Fryer Cod. 

It is an easy fish to cook and works nicely in many different meals from Cod Fish Tacos to Baked Cod with Lemon.

I love making this Air Fryer Cod because it creates a nice crunchy outside and a soft, flaky inside to the cod. It honestly is the best way to cook cod in my opinion. 

Using the air fyer is a healthier option than frying the fish in oil in a skillet. It makes a healthy dinner the family will love. 

You might remember when I made this Air Fryer Salmon, Air Fryer Tilapia, Air Fryer Mediterranean Chicken Thighs or these Air Fryer Chicken Tenders.

I really like to make recipes like this in the air fryer because of how easy it is, very little clean-up is required and like I mentioned, it is a healthier way to get crispy cod. It makes those busy weeknights a little easier. 

The cod I used for this Air Fryer Cod is from Sitka Salmon Shares and is fresh wild caught from Alaska. We love fresh fish in our family. 

The thing I love most about this cod is I can get my whole family to eat it, including my kids! 

Air Fryer Cod in packaging

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN THIS AIR FRYER COD RECIPE?

COD: This recipe uses a pound of fresh cod. I love the wild-caught cod loin or cod filets from Sitka Salmon Shares.

It is light, flaky and perfect for weeknight meals like these Grilled Fish Tacos with Tropical Salsa.  

You can use fresh or frozen cod for this recipe and honestly any white fish would work with this recipe. 

EGG: You will start by dipping the cod into the egg to coat the fish. It helps the other ingredients stick to the fish. 

BREADCRUMBS: The breadcrumbs I like to use are panko breadcrumbs which helps create a nice crunchy crust on the cod. 

I think the panko mixture creates a crispy crust on the fish but regular breadcrumbs works too.

The spices are added in to the breadcrumbs to add flavor. You also can add grated Parmesan cheese to the panko if you like {I do a 1/2 cup} to add more flavor. 

FLOUR: I use regular all-purpose flour when I am coating the cod. You might have a bit left after you use it but I like to be safe and make sure my bowl has enough to coat the fish. 

SPICES: I added old bay seasoning, Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and salt and pepper.

You can mix up the spices to your liking. Some others I like are taco seasoning, chili powder, Greek seasoning or oregano. 

Air Fryer Cod with slaw.

TIPS FOR MAKING CRISPY AIR FRYER COD

BREADCRUMBS: I used panko breadcrumbs but you can easily use regular breadcrumbs in this recipe.

They help to create a crust on the outside of the cod which I really like and works nicely for tacos or eating it on a bun like you would in a fish fry.  

If I am making tacos I like to add taco seasoning to the breadcrumbs. If you are doing more of a fish fry option try adding old bay seasoning or Italian seasoning. 

DON’T OVERCROWD: The key to a perfectly cooked piece of cod in the air fryer is to not overcrowd the fish fillets.

I like to make sure there is space between all of the pieces of cod which might mean air frying the fish in two batches.

You always want to place the cod in a single layer.

STORING COD: You can keep the leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.

When reheating the fish you can use the air fryer for about 3 minutes to reheat the cod. I find cod to best the day you make it but it can be reheated! 

Air Fryer Cod tacos on plate

HOW TO THAW FROZEN COD: If your cod is frozen and needs to be defrosted you can do that by doing a couple of things.

First of all you can thaw it in the fridge 2 days before you need to use it. 

If you are in a hurry to use the cod the other option is to place the fish in a bowl of warm water {not boiling water}. I leave it in the water for about 20 minutes to help thaw it before using. 

LEMON JUICE: I sometimes will add lemon juice to the egg mixture for a bit of acidity or you can serve your cod with lemon wedges. 

WHAT TEMPERATURE SHOULD COD BE COOKED TO?

It is important to make sure your fish is cooked through and ready to eat.

Cod should be cooked to an internal temperature in the air fryer oven of 145 degrees F. The cooking time for me is usually about 15 minutes total but can take more or less time so keep an eye on your cod. Sometimes it depends on the thickness of the cod.  

  Air Fryer Cod with purple cabbage.

HOW DO YOU MAKE AIR FRYER COD FISH?

PREPARE THE FISH: Preheat your air fryer.

 To start making your air fryer cod you will need to pull the fish. Set them on a cutting board and cut them to the size you want.

You can leave them whole or you can cut them into smaller sections based on if you are making tacos or sandwiches. 

SET OUT BOWLS WITH THE EGG AND BREADCRUMBS: Then you will set a bowl with the egg, a bowl with flour and then a bowl with breadcrumbs with the spices on the counter in a row. 

BREAD THE COD: Use a paper towel and pat the cod dry. From here take each piece of cod and dip it into the flour, then the egg, then into the breadcrumbs

COOK THE COD IN THE AIR FRYER: Place the fish in basket of air fryer and cook at 400° for 10 minutes, carefully flip and cook 5 more minutes.

Cook until the cod gently flakes with a fork or reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. 

Serve on tacos, on a bun or on its own. 

Air Fryer Cauliflower air fryer

WHAT IS AIR FRY COOKING?

A lot of people might be wondering how an air fryer works.

It is similar to an amped-up countertop convection oven.

Its compact space promotes even faster cooking.

The top of the unit holds a heating mechanism and a fan.

Hot air rushes down and around the food in the air fryer basket. The rapid air circulation helps crisp up food.

A lot of people compare it to deep frying food but much, much healthier!

It also requires very little clean-up and most of the time the basket in the air fryer can be dish washed.

Air Fryer Cod with logo

WHAT TO SERVE WITH AIR FRYER COD?

SUMMER ORZO PASTA SALAD

MEDITERRANEAN BEAN SALAD 

MEDITERRANEAN ROASTED VEGETABLES

LEMON ARUGULA SALAD

TURMERIC ROASTED CAULIFLOWER 

MEDITERRANEAN EGGPLANT SALAD 

OTHER SEAFOOD RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE: 

19 DELICIOUS COD RECIPES

PAN FRIED GARLIC BUTTER COD

BAKED PARMESAN FISH STICKS 

GREEK BAKED TILAPIA

MEDITERRANEAN TUNA PATTIES

Air Fryer Cod on blue plate

Air Fryer Cod

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Air Fryer Cod is simple to make a creates a tender piece of cod with a crispy breaded later on the outside. This cod works perfectly on it's on, as a fish fry on a bun with tarter sauce or on Cod Fish Tacos!

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of cod 
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs or regular breadcrumbs 
  • 2 tsps. old bay seasoning
  • 3 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt 
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat your air fryer.
  2. Pat the cod dry and set aside on a cutting board.
  3. Set three bowls out that are shallow.
  4. Whisk the egg in the first bowl.
  5. Put the flour in the second bowl.
  6. Put the panko breadcrumbs, old bay seasoning, italian seasoning, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper in the third bowl and stir well.
  7. Cut the cod into the size you would like or you can leave them whole.
  8. Dip the cod into the flour.
  9. Then dip the cod into the egg and wet both sides.
  10. Move the cod to the panko breadcrumbs and press both sides into the breadcrumbs.
  11. Spray the air fryer with non-stick spray. Add the cod in batches to the air fryer and cook on 400° for 10 minutes, gently flip and cook for another 4-5 minutes, until the fish reaches 145 degrees F.
  12. You can sprinkle more old bay seasoning or Italian seasoning on the cod after you pull it out of the air fryer for more flavor.
  13. Serve in tacos, on sandwiches or on its own.

Notes

You can use regular breadcrumbs if you prefer.

You can add a 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese to the breadcrumb mixture if you like. It adds more flavor.

The cook time depends on how thick your cod is and how many pounds you use. The cook time I provided is for 1 pound of cod.

Today’s recipe is in partnership with Sitka Salmon Shares. They send me a portion of their seafood to try. As always, opinions are 100% my own.

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Friday 1st of September 2023

[…] love to pair this salad with seafood like this Air Fryer Cod, Black Sea Bass or this Baked Cod with Lemon […]

Roberta

Sunday 18th of June 2023

This recipe was perfect. I actually bought an air fryer with fish in mind. We have so much and I don’t mind a good fish fry a few times a year with friends but wanted something healthier but crispy. This was it! My only add in was homemade jalapeño salt to give it a kick. I also went the taco seasoning route with cumin and garlic powder. Perfect!!!

Julia

Monday 19th of June 2023

I love the idea of the jalapeño salt! Thanks for sharing and glad you liked it.

Benni

Sunday 28th of May 2023

I'm new to air frying. I have a Ninja. These came out pretty good, but I didn't need to turn them. They were done after 10 min. If I'd flipped them & cooked some more, they would have been overdone. I guess each air fryer is different. It's a learning process for me.

Julia

Monday 29th of May 2023

Interesting! And yes- they can be different. I am glad you went with your intuition and they weren't overdone. I hope you liked the recipe!

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Thursday 27th of April 2023

[…] I also really enjoy this with seafood like this Mediterranean Salmon, Lemon Shrimp or this Air Fryer Cod.  […]

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Wednesday 25th of January 2023

[…] few I love are this Air Fryer Cod, Air Fryer Mediterranean Chicken, Air Fryer Tilapia and this Air Fryer Coconut […]

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