Tender Frozen Fish in Air Fryer

Frozen fish in air fryer is the way to go! Flaky tender meat inside with perfect crispiness to the outside. Lemon pepper tilapia or salmon done perfectly. 

• We love air fryer fish!!
• It’s easy to cook if it’s fresh, but frozen is a bit of a head scratcher, we’re here to help you1

• First we made air fryer frozen shrimp with a parmesan crust for dinner and they were over the top!
• Next on the list was air fryer salmon but it was defrosted, so the next challenge was some air fryer frozen fish. Here. It. Is!

Tilapia was bought from the grocery store in a bag, but you could find halibut just as easily if you preferred that seafood variety. Grab some fresh lemons and parsley while you’re there and get to cookin’ y’all!

You can see what we used here. As far as the seasonings go you can really use your favorite ones, or use what’s listed in the recipe card below.

• That goes for any of our Ninja air fryer recipes in general.
• I tend to under-season and add salt and pepper at the end so everyone gets it exactly how they like it. 

Now the difference between cooking Instant Pot frozen salmon vs. in your hot air machine is that you’ll get a bit of crispy crunch on the outside. It won’t be as much as if it were breaded, and that isn’t possible if your fish isn’t defrosted first but still.

If I had to choose whether I preferred an Instant Pot tilapia, or this method I think I’d opt for this one. Try them both though and decide for yourself.

Now let’s answer the question can I cook frozen fish in the air fryer? The answer is a resounding YeS!! Throwing a batch of air fryer fish sticks in there is SO good too if you want a quick meal.

• We have done this with a few of our Instant Pot fish recipes. That is convenient as well if you’ve forgotten to take your food out.
• If you are looking for air fryer Costco recipes this is a good one too. You can buy a bag of frozen salmon for a lot cheaper than the grocery stores and have a healthy meal in no time.

You can see here how yummy it comes out in just 12 minutes. 

What color should cooked fish be?

Fish filet should be opaque, not translucent like when it’s raw. When cooked perfectly it should break easily into flakes when you nudge it with a fork. If it’s still translucent and doesn’t flake add a few more minutes.

Keep in mind that air fryer cook times will vary according to:

1. How thick the fillet is
2. The size of the fish
3. Type of fish
   1. salmon will take a bit longer
   2. tilapia and halibut are about the same as the recipe card below
   3. air fryer scallops take little to no time

If you do remember to thaw it out, here are directions for air fryer tilapia. You can make fried fish it in just a few minutes with light breading but tons of flavor.

Here’s what you do make frozen fish in air fryer

• Spray air fryer basket with non stick cooking spray
  • I like to preheat the air fryer ideally – to 390
• Put frozen fish fillets in and use sliced half of lemon to squeeze lemon juice on top
• Sprinkle seasonings on top
• Place 1 slice of other half of lemon on top of each filet
• Close drawer and set to 390 degrees for 12 minutes

Check, add 2 minutes at a time until meat is white and flaky with a fork.

Is air fryer fish healthy?

YES!! It’s a way to make each piece lower in fat, calories, and eliminates some potentially harmful elements sometimes found in typically fried foods. If you love deep-fried foods crispiness this is a healthier option to get that same crunch!!

Air fryer side dish recipes

• Try air frying zucchini sometime, it is amazing!!
• Air fryer corn on the cob is a healthy option and the kids always love them.
• For crispy air fryer broccoli with parmesan just set to 400 degrees for a few minutes with 1/4 cup water underneath so it’s crunchy but tender too.
• If you want to make fish and chips just pair this with air fryer french fries with a side of tartar sauce and you’re set!

Or you can choose the quicker option of cooking air fryer french fries!

Below is a printable recipe card to keep on hand, or just come back again to get directions to other easy dinners. We always love “seeing” you here on The Typical Mom blog.

• After this you’ll be ready to air fry everything and be obsessed just like we are.
• Even frozen snack foods are better I tell you. My kids won’t let me cook chicken nuggets any other way!
• And our air fryer fried shrimp is amazing beyond that.
  • Here’s a bunch of other air fryer fish recipes here too.