Frozen Fish in Air Fryer

Frozen fish in air fryer no breading is the way to go! Flaky tender meat inside with perfect crispiness to the outside. Lemon pepper tilapia or salmon done perfectly in your Cosori or Ninja Foodi. We have a bunch air fryer fish recipes right out of the freezer.

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 you. You won’t believe how tender and flaky it turns out even if it starts out rock hard right out of the freezer.

Once you get the hang of this you will be the hero of the day when dinner has been forgotten about until 4pm and everyone is hungry! You can lightly season it so it’s flavorful and nobody will ever know it was hard just minutes before.

Ninja Foodi Frozen Fish

How Long to Cook Frozen Fish in Air Fryer

You may have never thought this was possible, I didn’t before I messed around with this, but it can in just 12 minutes. I had to make sure it would turn out perfect before sharing it with y’all. After a few go arounds it was just right and a hit with even the kids.

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!

How to Season

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 a pressure cooker tilapia, or this method I think I’d opt for this one. Try them both though and decide for yourself.

How do you know when frozen fish is done cooking?

There are a few things you can look when cooking frozen fish fillets but the coloring is key. The top should become golden brown all the way to the center. If the center is still raw or frozen it will remain white so look for that evenly across.

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.

Throwing a batch of air fryer frozen fish sticks in there is SO good too if you want a quick meal. We have done this with a few of our other easy fish recipes. That is convenient as well if you’ve forgotten to take your food out.

Can you make fish and chips with frozen fish in air fryer?

We have made air fryer fish and chips with frozen and breaded Van deKamps right out of the box with air fryer frozen french fries and that turned out great. You could use fresh filets without breading like these the same way too. You just put fries on the bottom with seafood on trivet above them.

Tips for Cooking Frozen Fish No Breading in Air Fryer

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. Keep in mind that with frozen foods the 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

Once the meat is white and flaky with a fork you can then serve it inside air fryer fish tacos or lots of other ways.

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 and only takes a few minutes after being sliced and tossed with olive oil. We do make air fryer hushpuppies with fish in general, all the time.

Air fryer corn on the cob is a healthy option and the kids always love them. For crispy 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 frozen fries in the same basket. Serve with a side of tartar sauce and you’re set!

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 air fryer frozen chicken nuggets any other way! And our crispy air fryer fried shrimp is amazing beyond that.