Crispy panko breaded Air fryer oysters without shell are perfect little “fried” bites of seafood goodness. Served as an appetizer or meal, everyone in your family will love these made in a Ninja Foodi or Cosori.
Did you know you could make crispy air fried oysters without deep frying them? Yep, tastes just as crunchy but without the oil or added fat. Just one of many easy air fryer recipes we made this weekend and will over and over again.
If you have been enjoying air fryer fish recipes lately, you should add this one to your list of faves. Even my kids loved these with a little squeeze of lime and salt on top. If you find them in the shell then fresh is always best of course. To bread them you’ll have to scoop out the middles first.
Only have canned? No problem you can use those too. I mean those can be found year round at the grocery store. Not nearly as good as right out of the sea but if you don’t live near the ocean it may be your only option.
Tips: My Favorite models are the Cosori or making Ninja Foodi recipes with the lid that is attached.
It is best practice to put food into a hot basket. This is how to preheat air fryer first before adding your food so it becomes as crispy as possible. For best results, here’s a printable free air fryer cooking time chart here for your fridge.
Made with Canned Oysters
If you have to buy them at the store in a tin can there are a few favorite brands that get the best reviews. You will want to look for; Crown Prince Natural Smoked Oysters, Geisha Fancy, Reese or try Roland brand. This is not as tasty but the easiest way to find them year round.
Made with Fresh Oysters
If you live by the ocean you may be able to find these right at the dock or your seafood market. Others of us who aren’t so lucky can find them frozen or at the meat counter at your grocery store. In this case you will likely have to shuck them yourself which can be quite a task, but have the best fresh flavors for sure! Either way you choose the steps below will remain the same.
Do you rinse oysters before frying?
Yes. Just use a colander so they don’t fall into the drain and give them a good rinse with cool water. If you’re air frying them like we share here you’ll want to blot them dry on paper towels after that so the breading will stick nicely.
Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Oysters (Option)
You can use a Foodi with the lid that is attached and the air crisp button on the front. You will want to cook in batches so they do not overlap. Use the black basket with the holes in the bottom of it, the round one, so the hot air can circulate all around making them as crispy as possible.
Tips for Success
It is important when air frying everything breaded that you ensure the outsides are nice and dry to begin with. If you don’t the texture won’t be as crispy and will take longer to cook period.
Then you’ll want to set up an assembly line of sorts with the 3 shallow bowls of ingredients that will add lots of flavor. You’ll begin with some flour, then an egg wash, and into the breadcrumbs they go.
You can add any and all of your favorite seasonings. Cajun seasoning and hot sauce were added to these. If you didn’t want any heat at all you could opt for just some Old Bay for great flavor.
If you’ve had these babies at the fair or at a restaurant you probably have a frame of reference as far as how crispy they should be. Those were likely submerged in oil and fried. You can get the same result this way, if you follow the air fryer appetizers instructions exactly as written below
You could even bread a fish fillet like air fryer mahi mahi and lay side by side, in one layer still, and serve together for a duo of a wonderful meal.
Air Fryer Oysters Recipe
Equipment
- 1 air fryer
- 2 shallow bowls
Ingredients
- 2 cans oysters, in a can, in water, 8 oz each
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp cajun seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tbsp hot sauce
- 2 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 squeeze lemon
Instructions
- Drain oysters and pour on to a few paper towels to pat them dry.
- In a shallow bowl combine flour, cajun seasoning, salt, pepper and mix together.
- In a second bowl whisk together eggs and hot sauce.
- In a third bowl pour in the Panko breadcrumbs.
- One at a time dip each oyster in flour, then egg mixture, then roll to coat in Panko.
- Preheat air fryer to 350 and spray air fryer basket when hot with non stick spray. Lay coated pieces in one layer into basket.
- Air fry for 4 minutes, then gently shake basket and cook for an additional 4 minutes or until lightly browned and crisped. Serve with a squeeze of lemon on top.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What do you eat with fried oysters?
If you feel like you want something to dip these in, I get it. You can use all sorts of things but seafood boil sauce or cocktail sauce. Kids may prefer ketchup or Ranch, anything goes…..
You can see the bites of goodness right here when they are nice and done, ready to pop into your mouth. Fry sauce is another that my kids like, bang bang shrimp sauce goes really well, and others just like a bit of Worcestershire sauce or cocktail sauce.
We love them with a side of air fryer frozen tater tots for a finger food meal! Other than that I would serve these with roasted air fryer vegetables and a starch like white rice or quinoa.
I made this exactly to recipe with my new air fryer and it turned out perfectly.
I’m a hot sauce wuss, so I am going to try it with a little less hot sauce in the egg mix next time.
Oh yay
I’ve used this recipe several times and we’ve loved the oysters. Two things that are critical: rinse and pat dry the oysters prior to coating; also they need to sit for 30 minutes in the fridge (post coating) before you put them in the air fryer. We also add a minute or two of cooking time based on the size of the oyster. Overall, delicious.
Breading falls off, just a waste of oysters.
You have to ensure that you get all the moisture off of the outsides with paper towels, then the breading will stick.