Frozen Cod in Air Fryer

How long to cook frozen cod in air fryer so it’s fork tender. With no breading it’s a low carb fish recipe in Ninja Foodi or other brand. Cooking frozen fish has never been easier!

If you ever thought cooking frozen fish wasn’t possible I have a surprise for you, this will blow your mind. Not only can you make this white fish perfectly flaky when done but anything out of the sea works the same way. Just one of our healthy air fryer recipes you’re going to start making on a weekly basis for sure.

We have showed you how to cook frozen tilapia all different kinds of ways, now it’s time for a few other white fish recipes. Focusing on this one in particular, once you have the hang of this the others are basically the same. As you can see there are no breadcrumbs or Panko used.

There are two reasons why. For one it cuts down on the calories, but more importantly it won’t stick if it is straight out of the freezer. You can add a bit about halfway thru the cook time just for a little crisp if you’d like. Use whatever hot air machine you have. AirWave, Foodi, or makes a great Cosori air fryer recipe.

How Long to Cook Frozen Cod Fillets in Air Fryer

Total cook time is about 15 minutes keeping in mind that to get it to flake easily it may vary depending on how thick each piece is. If you air fry frozen foods it isn’t as necessary to preheat at the beginning either. Reason being is without that it gives your food time to defrost slowly at the start of things.

This is a great choice because not only can you thaw it and cook it, but you can crisp the outside all in the same pan (or basket in this case). If you want it as tender as possible then you could cut down the timing by a minute or two. Once it flakes apart with just a touch of the fork it is done.

When it comes to where to buy this, you’ll find bags in the freezer section of your grocery store year round. That is what is great about cooking frozen meat to tender. Especially if you live in a non ocean touching state (like Idaho) you don’t always have access to great fresh seafood.

Ingredient Notes

Frozen cod fillets, not thawed, are what we are using here. I buy a bag at the grocery store in the frozen section and they are usually vacuum sealed in separate bags inside a larger one. This is great because you can pull the number of pieces you want to make at a time and keep the rest for later.

Olive oil spray keeps the outsides moist and sticks seasoning well this way. You could use avocado oil instead if you would like. If you don’t have this in spray form you can just brush it on lightly.

As for the seasonings we use, of course salt and pepper are basics. I really love Old Bay especially when I am cooking anything out of the sea but really you should use your favorite blend. Mrs. Dash has a salt free blend that is nice if you are looking for flavor but low to no sodium.

And a fresh slice or wedge of lemon is nice to have at the end to add a bit of freshness and flavor to the dish with no calories.

Serve cooked cod as is or with some white sauce for fish brushed on the top. My kids always seem to need some sort of sauce on everything so this usually goes over well with them.

FAQ

We do have a printable recipe card for air fried fish at the very bottom but here is a quick step by step so you can get a quick peek.

How to Cook Frozen Cod in Air Fryer

• Spray your air fryer basket with olive oil spray so nothing sticks. Put frozen cod fish filets inside in a single layer so they aren’t overlapping.
• Cook at 320 F for 4 minutes. Then salt the fish fillets and sprinkle with spices of your choosing so it will stick now.
• Adjust heat and air fry at 360 F for another 5 minutes. Spray the fish with olive oil and sprinkle with lemon juice. Cook for 5 more minutes.
• At this point the cod will be almost done, but it may still be raw on the bottom, especially if the piece is thick. Flip and bake for another 2-3 minutes until done to your liking.

Can You Refreeze Frozen Fish Once Cooked?

You can but I wouldn’t recommend it. The texture changes once heated, reheated, frozen and cooked again and not in a great way. It is better to just store in a sealed container and reheated the next day or two in the microwave to enjoy again.

If you absolutely must freeze again, make sure you wrap in foil once at room temperature, and then slide into a freezer bag. Don’t again cook from frozen, instead allow to thaw in the fridge overnight and warm again for about 45 seconds in the microwave or a few minutes in a pan with a pat of butter on top.

Other Fish Recipes You’ll Love

Want to try this on a baking sheet in your oven too?? I mean okay you can try that too if you would like. Refer to our Cooking Cod at 400 post for directions on that but it won’t have the crisp that this one has when served.

If you want to try our Instant Pot fish instructions you can do that too. Believe it or not the timing doesn’t really change much when under high pressure. You won’t get any crisp using that method but boy I will tell you that it sure turns out so very flaky that way. This is how to cook frozen scallops another night too.